The Mead House

Episode 324 - Fantasy Fun

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 28 May 2026 16:18:33 +0000

The guys get a little silly this week – leaning into the presentation side of mead making to think up cool, interesting or silly ways to present your meads inspired by the massive quantity of fantasy books, movies, television shows, tabletop and video games. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 323 - Tea2: The Root of the Problem

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 21 May 2026 05:20:13 +0000

After their last foray into experimenting with herbs to make tea investigating a gruit, the guys return for the second part of the experiment using a variety of roots, as well as a nut and some bark. Will any of them yield a good addition to a gruit braggot in the planning stages? Or will their tastes take them in an entirely new investigative direction? The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 322 - Gruit-Tea

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 07 May 2026 05:01:41 +0000

Jeff and Chris return to the topic of making a gruit-braggot, a braggot without hops that Chris can enjoy due to his allergy to hops. In an effort to research some of the herbs which could be appropriate for such a brew, they make teas with five different herbs which could contribute to said brew, then start talking about the grains that could go along with said herbs, completely forgetting half of the experiment in the process! The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & […]

Episode 321 - Best Practices

Jeff Shouse — Fri, 01 May 2026 04:25:48 +0000

For all the new listeners to the podcast, Jeff and Chris take some time to cover all their best practices for mead making, how and why their practices differ from other recipes you might find out on the web and how those practices lead to what all of us want, better mead. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 320 - Exploring Ethiopian Beverages

Jeff Shouse — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 03:21:18 +0000

In their seemingly endless quest for new and novel ways to make mead, the guys dip their toes into the flavor palate of Ethiopia. Tej, a mead made with gesho root, is an obvious stop on the tour, but they also explore an herbal tea made with koseret, as well as an indigenous style of beer called tella made with roasted grains. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 319 - Summer Meads

Jeff Shouse — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 03:23:38 +0000

With the weather heating up, the guys spend a fair bit of time throwing ideas for summer meads around, helping each other develop their plans and coming up with some tasty ideas. Plus, Jeff lets Chris try a couple more honeys and the guys taste an interesting mead from Drinking Horn meadery. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 318 - Trends in Mead Making

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 14:23:44 +0000

Catching up after an action packed travel schedule, Jeff and Chris spend a little time chatting over some of the popular trends they’ve seen in mead making, from the ubiquitous meadowfoam honey to some trends in the past and speculating as to what new trends are coming forward. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 317 - Mead House on the Road

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:32:00 +0000

The guys take some time to do a recap of this year’s Valkyrie’s Horn mead competition while driving home from Minneapolis as the experience is still fresh in their minds. Tune in for the impressions, annecdotes, memorable parts of the experience and far too many new ideas the fellas have come up with over the course of the weekend! The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 316 - The Pyment Challenge

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 17:31:11 +0000

Jeff challenges Chris to design a pyment using some wine concentrate which may be past its sell-by date, using ingredients he has around the house. The guys think about additional fruit, spices, different options for yeast and honey, and the end result shows a lot of promise. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 315 - Thinking about Pyments and YouTube Content

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 17:38:20 +0000

The guys spend a fair bit of time thinking through how to put together a good pyment, a mead/wine hybrid, and all the considerations that need to go into that. Then they take a few minutes talking about some of their favorite YouTube content creators by listener request. Valkyrie’s Horn Mead Competition: https://home.valkyrieshorn.com/ The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 314 - Sangria Mead

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 19:00:08 +0000

Jeff takes some time to talk Chris through a mead recipe he’s taken through several iterations – a sangria style mead he makes for his wife Sheila. Using a base of blackberry wine and merlot kits and some eclectic ingredients for backsweetening, they end up with a consistent crowd pleaser that gets repeated again and again. Valkyrie’s Horn Mead Competition: https://home.valkyrieshorn.com/ The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 313 - Bringing the Heat

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 15:39:48 +0000

The guys take some time speculating about the burn – not just capsumels using hot peppers, but what other ingredients could be used in mead to get the heat sensation and how to approach adding those ingredients, including hot peppers, ginger, black pepper, and even a few other odd possibilites! Valkyrie’s Horn Mead Competition: https://home.valkyrieshorn.com/ The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 312 - Exotic Fruit Tasting

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 16:12:21 +0000

The guys are working towards a trifecta! In this third episode of “let’s eat interesting stuff we found and see if it can make a mead” Chris brings in a series of 11 different fruits to sample and evaluate their feasibility in making a new interesting mead with. Some produce strong options, some produce disappointment, and the final fruit in the list – well let’s just say they didn’t save the best for last. Valkyrie’s Horn Mead Competition: https://home.valkyrieshorn.com/ The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you […]

Episode 311 - Adventures in Citrus

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 06:01:50 +0000

Jeff takes a turn at “I found this weird thing…” and cracks into some pomelo. Chris ups the ante and brings ‘sweet lime’ and kumquats to the flavor party, along with pomelons, then Jeff takes a step way out to left field to sample a little dried galangal. Editor’s note: It looks as though pomelo, pomelon, and pummelo are all regarded as the same species of fruit though it does appear there is also significant flavor and aroma differences between different varieties and locales, only further complicating our analysis. Valkyrie’s Horn Mead Competition: https://home.valkyrieshorn.com/ The Mead House Podcast is sponsored […]

Episode 310 - Lychees

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 18:54:38 +0000

At Chris’ suggestion, the guys take a deep dive into trying lychee and lychee flavored drinks, talk options for how to make lychee into a mead, whether to use whole fruit or prepared options, honey selection, and even a little on other flavors that play well with this fruit. BJCP Mead Judging Program: https://dev.bjcp.org/exam-certification/mead-judge-program/ Valkyrie’s Horn Mead Competition: https://home.valkyrieshorn.com/ The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 309 - Maintenance

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 22:50:09 +0000

Jeff and Chris take some time going in depth regarding maintenance steps for equipment used on the day to day when it comes to meadmaking, from glass carboys, plastic buckets and stainless steel fermenters, along with all the smaller bits and bobs like rubber grommets, transfer tubes and airlocks. Valkyrie’s Horn Mead Competition: https://home.valkyrieshorn.com/ The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 308 - More on Personalizing Recipes

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 06:01:42 +0000

The guys realized in all of last week’s talk of fruit and spice additions to recipes, they’d completely neglected to talk about several important finishing steps, so this week they move to correct that with a discussion on oaking, finishing, fining and filtering, and a few words on bottling as well! Valkyrie’s Horn Mead Competition: https://home.valkyrieshorn.com/ The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 307 - Personalizing Recipes

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 07:08:06 +0000

Last year the guys gave you three basic starter recipes – traditionals with an ABV of 8%, 12%, and 16%. Today Jeff and Chris start wading into taking these recipes – or any other recipe you find – and making them your own with advice on when and how to add fruit, spices, and even a brief commentary on carbonation. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 306 - The Mead House AI Challenge Part 2

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 08 Jan 2026 06:01:30 +0000

Jeff and Chris return to feeding prompts into Large Language Model Chatbot AIs to test their capacity to create recipes, this time testing the ability to manage a more technically complicated prompt as well as a potentially confounding subjective prompt. Afterwards the guys give a few brief thoughts on the utility of these models in recipe development. Raw responses for the two prompts given can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bxiG7W3OrP62xyrwxpgkxI4swYGAiTLFJvAiK25gfhw/edit?usp=sharing The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 305 - 2025 in Review

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 19:18:24 +0000

The guys spend a little time talking through their year making episodes of the mead house, favorite parts, proud moments and even a little room for growth, along with a few hints as to where things may end up going in 2026! The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 304 - Holidays with The Mead House

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 25 Dec 2025 06:01:18 +0000

Happy Holidays from The Mead House to your house! In this holiday episode, Jeff and Chris are joined by their wives Sheila and Kat for a laid back, fun session of mead tasting and a couple rounds of a card game called Principle Dilemma giving you and us a break from the sometimes hectic holiday season. The drawing for The Compleat Meadmaker by Ken Schramm and The Flavor Bible has been extended one final week! To enter, send an email, or two if desiring to enter for both, to info@themeadhouse.com. Enter “Ken” in the subject line to enter for The […]

Episode 303 - The Mead House AI Challenge Part 1

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 06:01:36 +0000

Jeff and Chris decide to test the validity of using AI to design mead recipes – in what quickly becomes a multi-episode topic, the guys discuss feeding a simple prompt for a cherry mead recipe to four of the most popular Large Language Model AI chatbots – ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Grok and Claude. Additional similar prompts for a chocolate cherry were also given, results contained below. For the Google Doc with full text for Cherry and Chocolate Cherry prompts (warning, 21 pages in length) https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Bg-rXEdXc4fZ8nzOZ63gJRUN0pNomXx-SvhlsqooljQ/edit?usp=sharing To enter the drawing for either a copy of The Compleat Meadmaker by Ken Schramm or […]

Episode 302 - Tamarind

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:29:17 +0000

Jeff and Chris take some time to play with the Iron Bee 2026 secret ingredient – Tamarind. A really fascinating fruit with a bunch of different ways to add it to a mead, they taste a few different ways to get it into a mead and throw around a few additional flavor combination ideas. Iron Bee 2026 entry link: https://ironbee.brewcomp.site/ To enter the drawing for either a copy of The Compleat Meadmaker by Ken Schramm or The Flavor Bible, send an email, or two if desiring to enter for both, to info@themeadhouse.com. Enter “Ken” in the subject line to enter […]

Episode 301 - Polish Style Meads

Jeff Shouse — Fri, 05 Dec 2025 00:38:37 +0000

Jeff and Chris spend a little time talking about making meads in the Polish style, general characteristics and processes for approaching that style, then Jeff transitions to his batch making a first attempt at something in this style using a new-to-him yeast to push the ABV of his finished product. To enter the drawing for either a copy of The Compleat Meadmaker by Ken Schramm or The Flavor Bible, send an email, or two if desiring to enter for both, to info@themeadhouse.com. Enter “Ken” in the subject line to enter for the Compleat Meadmaker and “Flavor” in the subject line […]

Episode 300 - Mead in Popular Culture and Mythology

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 27 Nov 2025 06:02:23 +0000

In honor of Episode 300 and the Thanksgiving holiday, inspired by the historically dubious movie 300, the guys take a look at the way mead is portrayed in movies, TV, and other pop culture media along with a few digressions on the mythology of mead. To enter the drawing for either a copy of The Compleat Meadmaker by Ken Schramm or The Flavor Bible, send an email, or two if desiring to enter for both, to info@themeadhouse.com. Enter “Ken” in the subject line to enter for the Compleat Meadmaker and “Flavor” in the subject line to enter for The Flavor […]

Episode 299 - Ginger and Fruit in Primary vs Secondary

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 20 Nov 2025 15:23:53 +0000

With the holiday season fast approaching, the guys spend a little time talking about a particular ingredient that fits strongly in the holiday palate – ginger. Then, they discuss an extensive experiment undertaken and published by Man Made Mead on YouTube comparing using 15 different fruits in primary and secondary and some of the interesting results he’d obtained. Man Made Mead’s Ultimate Fruit Mead Test The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 298 - More Mailbag Questions and Fruit Tasting

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 13 Nov 2025 06:01:03 +0000

The guys take a look at a few more questions they didn’t get around to the first time around from cruising social media from last week. They also talk through a trip to Total Wine and a few natural food grocers looking for ingredient inspiration, which leads to tasting two new fruit varieties Chris had picked up. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 297 - Getting Social

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 06:01:26 +0000

Jeff and Chris look at some questions posted by users on social media, Facebook and Reddit, answering them and discussing several of the topics in more depth. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 296 - Gluten-Free Braggots

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 30 Oct 2025 05:01:19 +0000

Following the episode two weeks ago regarding using Gruit inspired ingredients to make a braggot without hops, Jeff talks Chris through options for making a braggot which is either gluten-reduced or completely gluten-free, the process for going about both and some adjuncts and ingredients used in either process. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 295 - Mead Cocktails

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 20:46:35 +0000

Chris mixes up and talks through a series of four cocktails made with traditional mead as one of the ingredients, and makes them for he and Jeff to sample. Blackberry Mead-Fashioned 3 fresh blackberries 2tsp honey syrup 2 dashes bitters orange peel 1 1/2 oz mead 1oz bourbon splash of water Bee’s Knees 2oz gin 3/4 oz honey syrup 1/2 oz lemon juice shaker filled with ice/strained Autumn Breeze 2oz mead 1oz apple brandy 1/2oz lemon juice 1/2oz cinnamon simple syrup 2 dashes bitters Hot Mulled Mead 2 cups mead 2oz brandy 1/2 tsp allspice 1/2 tsp clove 10 cardamom […]

Episode 294 - Gruit

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 05:01:55 +0000

Jeff and Chris wander out into the yard and back to the olden days of brewing to examine a way to make beer using herbs and spices in place of hops, talking through some of the historical and some of the modern herbs being used, and how to incorporate these herbs into a gruit beer, a gruit braggot or just a metheglyn. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 293 - Christmas Meads

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 05:01:12 +0000

Jeff and Chris continue making their lists. Jeff shares a rather involved recipe for a Christmas braggot with some fun ingredients (recipe below!) and then the guys spend a long while plotting out several ideas for flavor combinations that might just hit the spot for a Christmas seasonal brew. The Mead House Sugar Plum Fairy 8# Maris Otter (OR 5# Golden Light DME) 1# Carafa III .5# Chocolate Malt .5# Special Roast .5# Crystal 80L .5# CaraPils .5# Honey Malt 1oz Northern Brewer 60min .5oz Fuggles 15min Bocheted or melters honey to 1.095 1 package Omega Scottish Ale yeast 4 […]

Episode 292 - The Mead House 16%

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 05:01:55 +0000

What do you do with a drunken meadmaker? To complement the previous Mead House 8% and Mead House 12% recipes, this week Jeff presents the highest base recipe yet, a 16%. He walks Chris through the process and ingredients, along with subtle changes from previous base recipes, then Jeff and Chris spend a little time chatting about what they’d use a higher ABV mead for, when the higher ABV can be a benefit and when it can be a drawback. The Mead House 16% ~1 gal water Honey to 1.125 Fermaid K in 4 doses of 2.33g each 2g K1-V1116 […]

Episode 291 - Exotic Fruits and Processing Fruit

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 05:01:59 +0000

Chris and Jeff spend a little time going down the rabbit hole of fruits that are exotic, hard to find, or otherwise rarely seen in meads, as well as talking about how to handle working with an unfamiliar fruit. Various ways to process fruits for making a mead also quickly become a topic of discussion. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 290 - Halloween Meads

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 18 Sep 2025 05:01:36 +0000

Jeff and Chris spend a little time chatting about meads for the spooky season. Both share a personal recipe that fits the holiday fun (see below!) and then the guys riff on ideas like candy meads, and much like their thoughts on meads made from soda versus meads inspired by soda, they also give some thought to meads based on candy varieties. Chris’ Apple Pie Cider Mead 2gal cider honey to 1.100 sg 2-3# apples cored and sliced thin, frozen 1 pkg 71B 6g GoFerm 3g Fermaid K 1 1/2 tsp pectic enzyme Secondary 4 cinnamon sticks 8 whole cloves […]

Episode 289 - Time Management and Tools

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 21:00:38 +0000

Chris and Jeff spend some time talking about strategies for making time for making mead and getting mead made in an efficient manner, then they also take time to cover some equipment that can be a major time saver for your mead making processes. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 288 - Fall Flavors

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 05:01:44 +0000

Chris and Jeff take some time to brainstorm on fall flavors and what makes a good fall mead now that Kansas City weather has taken a decidedly more pleasant turn in recent weeks. The guys share some past experiments, successes and lessons learned along with throwing out a handful of new flavor ideas and directions for future experiments. They also taste some results from Chris’ fat washing experiments using peanut butter with grain alcohol and coconut with rum, to some very pleasant results. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and […]

Episode 287 - Soda Meads

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 13:52:56 +0000

Chris shares some thoughts and recipe ideas regarding making meads inspired by popular sodas like Mountain Dew and Dr Pepper. The guys discuss their thoughts on making a mead that tastes like a soda without the high degree of processed ingredients that come with commercially available sodas. Chris’ Mountain Dew Base (for 1 gallon of mead) 12 Oranges 8 Lemons 8 Limes 2 cups sugar (or honey?) Zest fruit, careful to avoid pith. Combine with sugar, making sure zest is completely coated. Allow to rest at least a few hours, but a day or more is better to extract oils […]

Episode 286 - Microbiology of Yeast

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 21 Aug 2025 05:01:22 +0000

Jeff gives Chris a rundown on a handful of tools and processes to go beyond single use yeast packs at your local homebrew store. From freezing for long term storage, reuse, collecting, and even capturing wild yeast, the guys cover a bunch of techniques for the rare instance when it makes sense to take that effort into your own hands. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 285 - Recipe Development Process

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 16:27:30 +0000

Chris and Jeff take some time to walk through their own process for planning and developing a recipe including ingredients, thought process and planning – and of course a few anecdotes and tangents along the way. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 284 - Tinctures & Having Fun Serving Mead

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 05:01:52 +0000

Chris and Jeff take a deeper dive into the world of tinctures, what they are, how to make them, why to use them, and different approaches above and beyond a base spirit and an herb or spice. Then, inspiration strikes Jeff in the oddest times and he walks away with the idea of making… mead boba pearls? Jeff and Chris throw around some further ideas to make the presentation side of serving more fun and enjoyable. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus […]

Episode 283 - Making Mead versus Beer & Wine, Estimating Starting Amounts for Adjuncts

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 18:28:00 +0000

It’s a content packed episode this week on The Mead House, Jeff and Chris reflect on some of the differences between the process of making a mead versus making a beer or a wine. Chris tries a taste of Jeff’s partigyle bonus braggot. The guys switch gears to talk general rules about estimating how much fruit, spice, etc. to add to a new batch. Stories about their first batches and a few entertaining tangents get shared along the way. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! […]

Episode 282 - Bochets and Stalled Batches

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 05:09:18 +0000

Jeff and Chris walk through a few different methods for caramelizing honey and making bochet style meads, along with a little discussion of their successes and failures along the way. Then, Jeff gives a series of tips for diagnosing and dealing with a stalled ferment. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 281 - Labeling Mead and Hopped Meads

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 05:01:25 +0000

It’s a listener request episode! First the guys discuss various options for labeling mead for home mead makers, from elaborate to extremely simple. Then, they discuss adding hops, from why, to how, and what kinds of flavors and types of hops lend themselves best to a good mead. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 280 - Competition Prep

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 03 Jul 2025 05:01:06 +0000

It’s another longer topic this week as the guys dig into getting ready to get meads to competition. They talk finishing your meads with an eye for entering, packaging your mead, options for shipping and the ins and outs of getting it entered! The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 279 - Mead Making Faults

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 05:01:38 +0000

The guys take a deep dive into the various faults one can encounter while making mead, and talk steps to mitigate and deal with them as they spring up. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 278 - Getting Started Beekeeping (or not), Jeff's Lemon Mead, Sour Meads

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 17:34:11 +0000

It’s a three-topic Thursday at the Mead House. In the first topic, Jeff discusses his experience beekeeping and things a home mead maker should think about before getting into the hobby themselves. Then, the guys discuss PUT SOME SEEDS IN YOUR POCKET, Jeff’s lemon mead recipe that he finished based on the Mead House 8% mead recipe. Finally, the guys discuss options for making a sour mead for the hot summer months. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 277 - Roane's Experiment and Growing Berries in Containers

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 12 Jun 2025 05:01:40 +0000

Chris’ son Roane has undertaken an experiment making the cheapest mead possible, comparing mead made with wine yeast and mead made with bread yeast. Chris and Jeff try an experiment to see if they can tell one from the other, with surprising results. Then, Chris drops some knowledge on growing berries in containers, a topic near and dear to his heart. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 276 - Making Meads Fast, Using Kviek and Jeff's Modern Orange

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 05:01:37 +0000

With the calendar turning over to June and the temperatures climbing, we’re definitely in the summer months. Usually that means making mead gets tricky but Jeff throws out some ways to make your summer meads fast and tasty using kviek yeast strains, and uses one to make a juicy orange mead that’s sure to be a favorite summer sipper – Jeff’s Modern Orange! The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 275 - Adding Whole Fruit and Refining Recipes

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 29 May 2025 05:01:58 +0000

Jeff and Chris talk in more depth about using whole fruit for making mead, including process and procedures, cautions and best practices, along with why it might be preferable to several of the easier ways to add fruit flavor they’ve covered in previous episodes. Then, the two of them discuss approaches to refining favorite recipes and building up ‘house mead’ recipes. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 274 - Carbonation and Evaluating Recipes Published Online

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 21 May 2025 23:00:26 +0000

It’s another two topic episode! In the first part, Jeff gives Chris a deeper dive into the ins and outs of carbonation, discussing the pros and cons of bottle conditioning versus kegging. In part two, the guys take a look through a handful of easily accessible mead recipes online and point out some red flags that might be a good sign for new mead makers to be cautious of using those recipes, discuss the red flags and the logic behind why those are in the recipe in the first place, as well as what to do instead. The Mead House […]

Episode 273 - The Mead House 12% Recipe

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 15 May 2025 05:00:01 +0000

Jeff lays out the basic recipe for a 12% starter mead recipe along with some discussion on what makes this different than the previous 8% recipe and what extra techniques we need to use to get the end results we’re looking for. Mead House 12% Mead Recipe Start with approx 1/4 cup warm (80-90 degrees Fahrenheit) water. Add 2g 71B yeast and 2.5g GoFerm and set aside to proof. Add honey and water to a volume of 1 gallon and a starting gravity of 1.090. Add yeast and GoFerm mixture after the yeast has proofed. Degas the mead by gentle […]

Episode 272 - Kitbashing

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 08 May 2025 05:00:55 +0000

Jeff and Chris spend a bit talking about an easy way to get started in making new kinds of meads – utilizing kits. Whether it’s fruit wine, regular wine, cider, or beer, it’s a great way to get started making melomels, pyments, cysers or braggots with a pretty high probability of yielding good returns! The guys spend a while talking different strategies for utilizing kits and share some of their own experiences using them. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 271 - Historical Meads and Metheglins

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 01 May 2025 05:00:45 +0000

The guys spend some time reviewing historical ingredients used across a variety of historical cultures all around the globe. Chris issues a friendly challenge to brew a historical mead recipe (see the link below) and the guys sample some obscure herbs and spices for making meads getting ideas for future projects. The Queen’s Mead recipe (Courtesy of Brew Your Own Magazine) Jeff’s Editorial Note – The fruit I was thinking of but couldn’t remember the name of off the top of my head was medlars! However, persimmons and the quince which we mentioned elsewhere in the episode also fall into […]

Episode 270 - Fortified Meads and Mead Cocktails

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 16:24:55 +0000

Jeff and Chris wander deep in the weeds this week, broadening the possibilities of making good meads and giving themselves even more mead ideas to work on in the process. First a discussion on fortifying meads and all the dimensions that fortification process could take, then a brief discussion on using meads in cocktails! The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 269 - Meadmaking on a Budget AND Seasonal Meads!

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 05:00:18 +0000

By listener request! How to get started making mead with a smaller initial investment to find out if this hobby is right for you. Naturally, these guidelines come from the assistance of our sponsor Bacchus & Barleycorn. Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs. Then, Jeff and Chris spend some time throwing around ideas for seasonal mead flavors and give some hints as to what might be coming down the line from each of their to-brew lists!

Episode 268 - Oaking

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 05:00:41 +0000

Jeff and Chris take some time to talk about oaking as a process in the finishing of meads, kinds of oak, toast levels, the various products that are available for getting oak into mead, and it wouldn’t be Jeff and Chris if they didn’t throw around some out there ideas for using oak as well! The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 267 - Additives for Mead Making

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 00:38:08 +0000

From nutrients, stabilizers, acids & tannins, the guys talk through the various substances at our disposal to help make mead making easier and give us better results. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 266 - Sparkling Meads

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 05:26:01 +0000

The guys spend a little time chatting about carbonated meads – ways to do it, cautions needed during the process, why and what to expect. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 265 - Ways to Incorporate Fruit

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 06:00:28 +0000

The guys spend an evening breaking down all the different ways to get fruit flavor into your mead, and the pros and cons for each – from fresh, frozen, concentrates and purees, to other odd options like freeze dried and flavorings. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 264 - Valkyrie's Horn 2025 Recap

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 13 Mar 2025 06:00:23 +0000

The guys returned to Minneapolis/St Paul for the annual Valkyrie’s Horn mead competition this weekend and spend about an hour chatting over the events and things they liked, sharing some of their favorite experiences and some of the goals they have moving forward. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 263 - Varietal Honey Tasting

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 06:00:20 +0000

Jeff and Chris taste a few varietal honeys the two of them have collected, giving some notes and thoughts, as well as talking about some strategies for using varietal honeys in their meads. Chris gets a proud father moment as the guys sample a mead made by his son Roane! The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 262 - Sanitization, Sterilization and Pasteurization. plus Yeast Discussion

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 27 Feb 2025 18:04:23 +0000

This week Jeff and Chris talk about keeping your must’s microbiome clean talking about the sanitization process, what it is, methods for doing it and making it work, as well as similar but different terms like sterilization and pasteurization. Then the boys go into some of their favorite yeasts for making mead, and chat about a mead Chris’ son is putting together. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 261 - Corrections and Tweaks for a Bad Batch

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 06:00:43 +0000

This week Jeff and Chris chat about what to do when your batch just isn’t going your way. Topics include how to diagnose a bad batch, what kind of problems you can correct and what kind you simply have to walk away from, as well as a handful of approaches to enhancing a batch when it could be going better. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 260 - Closures, Storage and Aging

Jeff Shouse — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 05:40:31 +0000

Jeff and Chris dive into a wide variety of topics related to how to store your mead – with opinions on closures, types of bottles, labels. wax seals and heat shrink closures, plus a sidebar on bulk aging your meads as well. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 259 - Fermentation Vessels

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 06 Feb 2025 06:00:52 +0000

Jeff and Chris take a deeper dive on fermentation vessels for making mead – Preferences, pros and cons, the whole nine yards. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 258 - Sample Mead Judging

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 30 Jan 2025 06:00:05 +0000

In this episode, Jeff walks Chris through the process of how to judge a mead at competition, giving all kinds of insights on processes, flavors, faults and philosophy for judging and appreciating meads along the way. But what unlabeled surprise does Chris have in store for both of them?! The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 257 - Mead Competitions and Mead Categories

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 06:00:10 +0000

Jeff and Chris talk about entering, volunteering and judging at competitions, how to enter, how to get involved, and how much fun it can be to be a part of the event! Stories and anecdotes get shared, and then the guys move on to covering the specific categories used by the BJCP for competition as well as some tips to make sure you get entered into the right one. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 256 - Getting Started Making Mead

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 06:00:25 +0000

Jeff and Chris dive in to the topic of what it takes to get started making mead, a topic both of them have been asked about countless times recently. They start with a run down of the gear it takes to get rolling, all of which is available at your local homebrew store, or at our sponsor Bacchus & Barleycorn! Use our discount code MHP10 for all your gear and brewing related needs! Big thank you to Bacchus & Barleycorn! Then Jeff runs down the Mead House 8% Starter Mead – a simple recipe you can follow to get started making […]

Episode 255 Repost

Jeff Shouse — Sun, 12 Jan 2025 00:47:23 +0000

Same episode as debuted Thursday – reposting to try and downstream it to Spotify and our podcast distribution network New Year, New Mead House Episodes coming now! Jeff returns to the Mead House with new co-host Chris. The guys introduce themselves, talk about their history with making mead and plans for the podcast moving forward. The Mead House Podcast is sponsored by Bacchus & Barleycorn! For all your homebrew related needs, use our discount code MHP10 for all your shopping and supply needs! Thank you Bacchus & Barleycorn!

Episode 224

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 11 Aug 2022 04:22:38 +0000

This week we talk to John Jacob, 2nd place winner of the Iron Bee 2021. Visit John at https://oldsolbees.com/ Please continue to support the show... Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House. Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 223

Jeff Shouse — Sun, 31 Jul 2022 18:52:59 +0000

This week we speak with Michael Labonte, third place winner of the Iron Bee 2021. You can now listen to The Mead House Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music. Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars! Please continue to support the show... Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House. Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

The Mead House - Episode 222

Jeff Shouse — Sun, 24 Jul 2022 16:51:36 +0000

In this episode, Jeff chats with listener Carlos Herrera. See Carlos' YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnGsv4bfDKg_LjBJpe74E6Q Jeff and Carlos referenced a series called "Better Judge a Mead" by Chop and Brew, the playlist is available here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZK8QLGRuS_XeOqCjYWfMZEWm526l9mDx You can now listen to The Mead House Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music. Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars! Please continue to support the show... Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House. Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

The Mead House - Episode 221

Jeff Shouse — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 05:22:05 +0000

In this episode, Jeff speaks to the winner of the Mead House's Iron Bee 2021, Kyle Ducharme. You can now listen to The Mead House Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music. Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars! Please continue to support the show... Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House. Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 220

Jeff Shouse — Sat, 18 Jun 2022 07:00:42 +0000

It's been a long wait, but Jeff is back to talk the future of the Mead House, or at least his first several future projects. Included in this episode is the first in a series of mead recipes for you to play with and enjoy at your leisure! Sangria Mead 1 bottle Vinter's Best Blackberry Wine concentrate 1 Winexpert Merlot 1 gallon kit Water to 6 gal Honey to 1.090 SG 10g 71B wine yeast Optional Bentonite and FT Rouge Berry (per manufacturer's directions) 9g Fermaid K Dual Fine Potassium Metabisulfite and Potassium Sorbate (per manufacturer's recommended dosage) Varietal Honey and Fruit Juice concentrates of your choice for backsweetening. You can now listen to The Mead House Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music. Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars! Please continue to support the show... Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House. Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 219

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 15:10:56 +0000

The Final Chapter

By JD Webb

This episode we wrap up what has been an almost 5-year commitment to provide inspiration and motivation to our listeners in the meadmaking/brewing community. I have decided to retire from the podcast to attend to some health issues that I need to focus on. It’s been tremendous ride, one that I will not forget. Ryan has also made the decision to leave the show, he is a father of 4 young beautiful children that require more and more of his time now. He has been a valuable resource and has provided engaging discussions on the show. I want to thank both Ryan and Jeff for their commitment, their work and effort and their relentless pursuit of producing a quality podcast.

This is not the end of the Mead House however, not at all. Jeff will continue to produce the show after taking an extended hiatus, perhaps in a different format, still providing engaging conversations and knowledge for our listeners in the meadmaking community.

Thanks to all our fans & sponsors who stood by us since the early days as we worked hard on improvements to our audio and laughed along with us at my funny stories at the beginning of each episode. Thank you so much.

You can now listen to The Mead House Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music. Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars!

Please continue to support the show…

Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you’ll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 218

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 08 Dec 2021 19:56:06 +0000

The results are in! The Iron Bee 2021 is over, and we have some incredible submissions to talk about. But first, a big thank you to Matt Weide, a long time friend of the Mead House, also a BJCP certified mead judge, for assisting in the judging off all the meads that were submitted.

The secret ingredient this year was Passionflower, sponsored by a long time supporter of the Iron Bee, Mountai n Rose Herbs. Also, Ryan leads the discussion in the Braggot Shootout category where some surprising braggots made the awards table. Matt sticks around for the whole show and tackles a few questions in the Social Club.

And make sure you tune in to next week’s episode, we have a very important announcenent to make!

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 217

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 01 Dec 2021 14:50:36 +0000

How do I estimate the amount of nutrients needs in a braggot? A bit confused on how to use Voss Kveik for braggot and mead. Any advice? I’m thinking of making a hoppy braggot as my next batch. These are just a few of the topics we discuss in this episode as we devote the whole show to braggots!

Iron Bee is now open to all Keyholders for registration. If you’re not a keyholder, get in now, it’s only $2 a month to get your key! Sign up at our Patreon page below.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 216

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 18:37:31 +0000

Our guest this episode comes from a family who has been making mead for 5 generations. Now mind you, that dates back to around 1870. Her family has been making mead for over 40 years continuously, and she’s been here before back on episode 213. We’ll welcome Rachel Lipman of Loew Vinyards in Maryland back to the house in a bit and talk nothing but mead.

We had planned for our usual two other segments, however we were so engrossed in conversation, she stayed and helped us close the show out! Thank you Rachel!

Iron Bee is now open to all Keyholders for registration. If you’re not a keyholder, get in now, it’s only $2 a month to get your key! Sign up at our Patreon page below.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 215

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 18:47:38 +0000

“We started as a small 3 man operation, my father, myself, and my middle brother because we loved the taste of Lehua honey. We were purchasing it locally at exorbitant rates and decided we should start our own hives when we bought our Farm. It took us a year to clear our farm, another 2 years to plant fruit bearing nectar available trees, and when we started we did bee removals to get our first hives. I started commercial beekeeping when I was 18, just out of high school, for a local producer. Spent 2 years with them learning equipment, harvest techniques, bee treatments and honey processing. I’m proudest of my father and myself for analyzing, deconstructing and innovating techniques to keep our bees ethically, organically, and as clean a standard as required by law and then some. Our ethic has always been geared towards food production- if I don’t eat it, I’m not going to share or sell it.” – Shawn Harris from Wao Kele Farm & Supply joins us this episode.

Jeff has a new toy, an Anvil Foundry, he and Ryan talk about old school vs. new school. Then on to the Social Club where we try and answer questions from meadmakers with no formal expertise other than what we experience in our own brewhouse!

Iron Bee is now open to all Keyholders for registration. If you’re not a keyholder, get in now, it’s only $2 a month to get your key! Sign up at our Patreon page below.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 214

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 20:24:11 +0000

This episode is another Social Club episode! We promised a while back that we would devote two shows to the Social Club during our 6 week session, and this is number 2! How to incorporate lavender chamomile tea, Looking for a rhodomel recipe, Are Bochets better made with lighter/delicate honey, or a darker/bold variety and much more! We’ll be back in 2 weeks for another 6 week session and episode 215.

Iron Bee is now open to all Keyholders for registration. If you’re not a keyholder, get in now, it’s only $2 a month to get your key! Sign up at our Patreon page below.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 213

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 13 Oct 2021 09:13:44 +0000

“I started to learn how to make mead with my grandfather in 2017. That day I got to learn how to stir honey and learn our family recipe, which we hold incredibly close to us. Mead is of huge significance to my family. Although we have been making meads for over 150 years, the recipes we use here in Maryland are only about 40 years old.

Mead is a tribute to a deep rooted history. Longer than most mead productions in the world.

Now, as a fifth generation, I get the privilege to not only make mead with my grandparents, but to also share that rite of passage with my generation. So far with three cousins. As we create more mead, more cousins and siblings will have left their mark on a mead that reflects them. When you taste our meads, you’re tasting our history. Our past, present, and future.” – Rachel Lipman, Loew Vineyards. Check out the family operation here, and read their story, it is very eye opening.

In Segment 2, Quality Ingredients and Return on Investment – How much are you willing to spend on a batch of mead? Spend 10 minutes on social media and you’ll see guys dropping a fortune on tens of pounds of heritage breed fruit, varietal honey, etc. and other guys using generic brand fruit juice and big box store honey.

Iron Bee is now open to all Keyholders for registration. If you’re not a keyholder, get in now, it’s only $2 a month to get your key! Sign up at our Patreon page below.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 212

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 08:36:28 +0000

Several months ago we told you we would dedicate 2 shows per 6 week session to the Social Club. This has been the most popular segment of our shows for some time as we deal with a multitude of questions that spur some momentous discussions! So for this episode, get your pen and paper out and get ready to take notes! The Social Club plus an update on the Iron Bee 21.

Iron Bee is now open to all Keyholders for registration. If you’re not a keyholder, get in now, it’s only $2 a month to get your key! Sign up at our Patreon page below.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 211

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 29 Sep 2021 14:43:44 +0000

Laura’s mead rack!

In her own words, “I wanted to try my hand at Meade making, but wanted a class, you know, someone to show me how so that I didn’t make a mistake. Finally last winter I decided enough playing chicken and made my first batch, a 1 gal Traditional, and the next week I started a 5 Gal trad that I split in secondary to blueberry, blood orange, lemon ginger and strawberry, with 1 gal trad, and I haven’t looked back.” Software engineer and home mead maker Laura Scott joins us this episode. Jeff, JD & Ryan discuss their “go-to” yeasts and what they like about them, and that pretty much consumes the whole show! We promise we will get to the Social Club next week!

Iron Bee is now open to all Keyholders for registration. If you’re not a keyholder, get in now, it’s only $2 a month to get your key! Sign up at our Patreon page below.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 210

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 22 Sep 2021 09:39:14 +0000

“Big fan and listener of the show. I have listened to every episode after diving into this hobby two years ago. My parents have an acre hop yard that got me involved in the beer industry and now I’m a quality analyst at a brewery in Vermont. I wanted to jump on the show with you all to discuss my 30 gallon barrel project and my successes and failures in mead making.” Listener Kyle Ducharme joins us for the entire show! Jeff has visions of bonfires returning home to pick up a coat he forgot, then we wrap the show with the Social Club as always!

Also, catch the blooper JD made? Extra agave? What’s that?!!

Iron Bee is now open to all Keyholders for registration. If you’re not a keyholder, get in now, it’s only $2 a month to get your key! Sign up at our Patreon page below.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 209

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 15 Sep 2021 11:07:03 +0000

Not Jeff’s keezer.

Ryan missed the show, he’s off doing something, well, listen to the beginning of the show and you’ll see what I mean! Jeff starts a keezer build, he and JD discuss some of the in’s and out’s of keezers. Jeff also has an update on the Iron Bee 2021, and we wrap the show with the Social Club!

Iron Bee is now open to all Keyholders for registration. If you’re not a keyholder, get in now, it’s only $2 a month to get your key! Sign up at our Patreon page below.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 208

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 15:41:54 +0000

Nick Burgoyne is a native of Atlanta, GA and is currently a Sales Specialist for Aseptic Fruit Purées. Having fifteen years in the brewing industry, his goal is to facilitate support for customers and help them to discover exciting new flavor profiles for their brewing and distilling projects. Throughout his time in production as a brewer at an international brewing facility he led a department, spearheaded numerous projects, and developed several top-selling brands that went on to win accolades at The Great American Beer Festival and other notable competitions across the country. Jeff gives us some 411 on Iron Bee 2021, and melomels using pure juice. We wrap the show as always with the Social Club, and as a reminder, we’ll be off on hiatus for 2 weeks, back on September 7th.

Iron Bee is now open to all Keyholders for registration. If you’re not a keyholder, get in now, it’s only $2 a month to get your key! Sign up at our Patreon page below.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 207

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 09:26:52 +0000

In this episode, JD buys a new fermenter after considerable contemplation, scaling down to one vessel that will do it all. Ryan and Jeff have some 411 on the Iron Bee, it’s open now for registration, and while you’re at it, sign up and become a Keyholder on Patreon. We wrap the show with the Social Club part two from where we left off last week. Great questions, even the coffee mead made an appearance!

Iron Bee is now open to all Keyholders for registration. If you’re not a keyholder, get in now, it’s only $2 a month to get your key! Sign up at our Patreon page below.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Products mentioned in this episode;

Omega Yeast

Episode 206

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 12:16:00 +0000

We’re now going to devote a full show once every 6 week schedule to the Social Club. This is where we answer a host of questions from mead makers and brewers with no formal expertise other than what we have experienced in our own brewhouse! Join in the fun, submit your questions to info@themeadhouse.com. or visit our Facebook or Twitter, both @TheMeadHouse and post your questions there.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 205

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 10:31:38 +0000

In this episode, we meet Eric Depradine of Zydeco Meadery. He is a 2006 and 2008 graduate of UL-Lafayette in history and chemistry and has worked various municipal governments in Louisiana and Missouri regulating federal and local wastewater laws. Eric is also a 2021 graduate of Highland Community College’s enology certificate program and the owner of Zydeco Meadery, one of four minority owned alcohol manufacturers in Kansas. In segment 2, Iron Bee 2021 info from Ryan and Jeff, centering around making a quick mead so you can get your entry in on time. And as always, we wrap the show with the Social Club!

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Products mentioned in this episode:

Mountain Rose Herbs

Episode 204

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 21 Jul 2021 18:13:53 +0000

Back in the saddle again for a full 6 week schedule, JD outlines his amazing trip covering some 7,800 miles with a visit to Sap House Meadery and a chance to meet with Ash Fischbein and Evan Henderson. Some of the images he talked about on the episode can be found here. Jeff recently completed his move and wound up with a freezer full of “cleanout mead” material, Ryan helps him sort it all out, and we wrap with a rather lengthy Social Club entry that, well, you just got to listen to!

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 203

Jeff Shouse — Sun, 04 Jul 2021 09:42:53 +0000

Ryan and Jeff take the helm for a full episode of the Social Club! This is where we try to answer questions from brewers and meadmakers with no formal expertise other than our own experience in our brewroom. JD is still wandering the country, we hear he’ll hit 25 states before he decides to come home!

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 202

Jeff Shouse — Sat, 03 Jul 2021 15:41:15 +0000

Well, it’s been a minute or two, so we’re playing catch-up. JD and his wife took off for a 30 day cross-country trip that started on June 1st. One of his stops was at Sap House Meadery in Ossipee, New Hampshire. There he spoke with Ash, Evan and Matt, the team that makes it happen with an outstanding staff of people. The interview in this episode is condensed, to hear the full interview, please go to our Patreon page and log in. You must be a member to listen to the almost hour long interview. Jeff and Ryan were left at the studio to put together segment 2 and 3, wrapping with the Social Club.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 201

Jeff Shouse — Fri, 11 Jun 2021 14:53:35 +0000

Charles Lipnicki is a Canadian Mead maker, farmer, and bee keeper. He and his wife Laura own and operate the “Island Honey Wine Company” in Canada’s smallest province Prince Edward Island. In past lives Charles has been a pastry chef, entrepreneur and salesman. His long time hobbies included being an avid home brewer wine and mead maker. Charles and Laura always longed for a simpler lifestyle and had a desire to create a life for themselves on a small farm. After learning about a “new to North America “ fruit called the Haskap berry they knew the farm would have to include this incredible gem as an anchor crop. After many trials and errors the farm started to mold itself into a sustainable business that relies heavily on animals, bees, fruit and flowers to create one of a kind award winning meads. They opened the Island Honey Wine Company business in 2017 where they offer seasonal mead tasting in their farm store and visitors have the opportunity to experience mead right where the ingredients are grown in the worlds first “Mead-mobile”. Segment 2ia all about fun summer/fall directions with session meads. We thought it would be fun to talk about different directions we’re thinking about taking our summer and fall session meads. And finally we wrap with the Social Club!

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 200

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 02 Jun 2021 20:03:46 +0000

While JD is on the road somewhere between here and there, Ryan and Jeff are left alone in the studio to produce episode 200! Jessicka of Mountain Rose Herbs returns to The Mead House. MRH will again be sponsoring the secret ingredient category of the Iron Bee (announcement on dates soon!). She’ll talk about what she’s seen at MRH during the pandemic and offer some thought on the secret ingredient…without giving too much away. In segment 2, The New Brew Room Wishlist – What do you think about when it comes to your brew room? And wrapping the show as always with the Social Club!

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 199

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 26 May 2021 21:00:08 +0000

This here is JD.

Welcome listeners! We always have fun with our Social Club segment, so this episode is dedicated to all our valued listeners. We’ll spend the entire episode answering questions from meadmakers and brewers with no formal expertise other than what the three of us have experienced in our own mead house.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 198

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 05 May 2021 09:58:17 +0000

Michael Jordan is the owner of A BEE Friendly Company, Inc. His growing interest in self-preservation and the love of the earth has made him more than a beekeeper. One of the few called “Bee Activist”, his teaching on beekeeping has been heard all over the world. He has worked with Worlds of Wonder Discovery Channel, Bee’s Without Boarders, The Pearl Foundation, Boys & Girls Scouts, various 4-H groups, The Rotary Club, and many youth programs …teaching the lost art of beekeeping. This episode, he talks about a braggot project that intertwines ancient history, folklore and some really good beverages! Then, we wrap up out 6 week session on pandemic brewing wit our thought on what we heard, how it affected the three of us. We close the show with the Social Club, answering questions with no formal expertise other than what we have experienced on our own brewhouse! We’ll be on hiatus for 2 weeks, see you on May 25th! Thanks for listening!

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 197

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 17:15:25 +0000

Previously joined us with his co-brewer John last May to talk about a mango braggot they’d put together. Toward the end of the episode he mentioned a sourdough starter we’ll have to ask about and says he’s recently filled up 170 bottles of mead, so it sounds like he’s been busy in the last year. Here to tell us what he’s been up to during his pandemic period is returning home meadmaker Ravi Hausner.

In segment 2, we talk cleanses and sanitizers, a topic that was brought up in last week’s Social Club segment. Here’s the link Ryan was referring to…Episode 136. Also, Ryan’s Random Thoughts, possibly a new segment where Ryan just rambles on about random thoughts…on mead making of course. This time, its summertime brew prep, “B” grade projects just not worth drinking, but might make a good reduction for a sauce, and ever make a mead that was so damn good, you hid the bottles so you wouldn’t drink it all at once?

Then finally we wrap the show with the Social Club with items such as getting rid of the bucket smell from the last ferment, figuring out the OG after adding fruit, and a few more. Thanks for listening!

As promised, here’s a couple labels that Ravi’s girlfriend hand draws for his bottles. Artwork courtesy of Andi Morris.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 196

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 19:01:23 +0000

Our guest this episode is one of the most incredible home mead makers I think this show has ever met. This will be his 3rd appearance at the House, and back on episode 129, his first appearance, we billed him as “He’s a Minnesota-native, has six International Mazer Cup wins, a Minnesota State Fair Best of Show and two first round placements in this year’s National Homebrew Competition. And, he’s only been making mead for a year and a half.” Since his second appearance on episode 149, he has amassed countless awards and we’re proud to have him as a guest again in this episode, welcome home meadmaker Adam Bystrom!

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 195

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 14 Apr 2021 14:30:34 +0000

Continuing our “Homebrewing in the Pandemic” series. Master home meadmaker, Nathan Steigman returns to The Mead House. Nathan pursues his craft with dedication and a willingness to fail only to go back through the notes and do it again differently. A Statesman in the art of crafting some of the best tasting homemade mead. Also, Have you got your MacGyver on? Jeff touches on some DIY projects that would have mad MacGyver proud with Ryan and JD sharing as well. Finally, we wrap the episode with a few Social Club questions.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 194

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 07 Apr 2021 10:46:44 +0000

Chip Walton is the producer and host of Chop & Brew, a web show about homebrewing, craft beer, and cooking. His day job is that of digital content producer at Northern Brewer Homebrew Supply for the second time in ten years. During his first tour of duty at Northern Brewer, he co-created and produced the popular Brewing TV webshow. Chip is a former member of the AHA Governing Committee and a BJCP Certified judge. Over the past decade, when he wasn’t working at Northern Brewer, he managed social media and digital projects for both Summit Brewing Company and The Splendid Table radio show and podcast… all while keeping the wheels rolling on Chop & Brew.

We missed segment 2 this week, the MacGyver segment, and JD promises he’ll put it in next week’s show! We simply had too much fun with Chip in the first segment!

We did manage to wrap the show with a few questions from the Social Club however!

Be sure and check out Chop & Brew and catch the latest episodes. Subscribe to his channel on YouTube.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Products mentioned:

Northern Brewer

Episode 193

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 09:11:24 +0000

Medal winning home brewer Matt Weide joins us this episode. A regular here at the house, Matt brings us up to date on his projects and how the pandemic has affected his home brewing. We also get into a nutrient discussion about step feeding, when is it used, and do we stick to a step feeding regimen. Also, we had a question from an avid listener, Tyler Cott, he heard on an earlier show how Ryan was cold steeping his dark grains for a braggot and wanted to know more, Ryan also runs through his 3 variants of the Ryanbraggot.

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Products mentioned:

Brewferm

Episode 192

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 10 Mar 2021 13:12:54 +0000

Wrapping up our 6 week run with discussions and interviews on honeybeer, this episode we hook up with a long time friend and supporter of the show, Ash Fischbein, owner of Sap House Meadery and Hobb’s Brewing Company in New Hampshire. Hobb’s has been brewing a honeybeer called Wannabee and we’ll talk to Ash about what his influence was foro this honeybeer as well as how they incorporate it into the wort for the best character. Also, we can’t let him get away without a few updates from Sap House Meadery, so get your paper and pen out, prepare to take notes, Ash will drop nuggets, lots of them! We’ll be on 2 weeks hiatus, so don’t miss the next podcast on March 30th! See you then!

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 191

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 06:55:25 +0000

This episode we talk to Jon Kielty, Head Brewer for BIG aLICe Brewing Company in Queens, New York, Starting off brewing one-off brews, they quickly found their niche with awesome flavors and a brewing philosophy that includes using local products from sustainable sources. “As a licensed New York State farm brewery, our beers support local and state agriculture. We partner with state hop farmers and maltsters to source ingredients, and collaborate with local Queens businesses for specialty ingredients such as cold brew coffee, donuts, honey, and beyond. ” In segment 2, maybe it’s because St Paddy’s day is in a couple weeks and the Shamrock shake is back, but there are a lot of questions about mint on the socials this week. We’ll discuss how to use mint, what flavor combinations might work and encourage our listeners to send us your recipe for a possible spot on the show. And as usual, we wrap with the Social Club, where we try and answer questions with no formal expertise other than what we’ve experienced in our own brewhouse!

Check these guys out!

Products mentioned in this episode;

Amoretti

Get the apps here for your listening pleasure on Breaker Podcasts!

Episode 190

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 15:52:26 +0000

One off batches – this is the holdover from last week. We often hear about making sure you can repeat batches and to get good at brewing you need to be able to make consistent replicateable batches. How do you approach batches when they are going to be one-off, either because of special ingredients or just desire to always make something different. Raw Ale – We hear a lot about the desire to have more mouthfeel in low ABV meads. Raw Ales might be a good way to get more mouthfeel. Here’s a couple related articles – Article 1, Article 2.

Episode 189

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 17 Feb 2021 11:59:49 +0000

Shawn Adams began his brewing journey 20 years ago. What started as a thirst for simply trying new craft beer has turned into creating quality craft beer of his own. He has committed himself to becoming a master brewer and thrives on the creative process involved in brewing great beer. He is a Certified Beer Judge, a member of the Master Brewers of the American’s and has traveled across the country to participate in competitions. As Head Brewer at Akyonm Brewing he has over won 18 medals at competitions around the US including beers brewed with honey.

Episode 188

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 17:31:10 +0000

Ryan Richards is the Co-Founder and Production/Distribution Manager at Roy-Pitz Brewing Company, Chambersburg PA. Ryan studied Business Management at West Chester University near Philadelphia, PA earning a bachelor’s degree. During the time at school Ryan and Co-Founder Jesse Rotz honed and tweaked a business plan to start a craft brewery in their hometown of Chambersburg Pa. There’s much more to this story that our co-host Ryan will elude to. In the second segment, Improving head retention and body without tasting like grain, something carbonated mead makers are puzzled with at times, Ryan and Jeff explore the addition of grains to improve head retention, and finall, we wrap the show with the Social Club.

Does anybody know where you can listen to the Mead House podcast? How about on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music? Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars!

Episode 187

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 03 Feb 2021 14:55:38 +0000

All the way from an 18 acre farm in the frigid East coast of Maine, Mike Fava, and award-winning accomplished brewer from Oxbow Brewing stops by the house to talk honey beers and barrel fermenting sours. Now, if you’re into braggots like we are, listen to Mike as he describes his brewing and bottling process on a few of his honey beers, you should pick up a few nuggets here and there! To stop the ferment or not to stop, that’s the question for segment 2. This question gets asked a lot, has been talked about a lot, and Jeff leads us through a discussion as to if it’s a good idea or not. We wrap the show as always with the Social Club, had a great many good topics and we’ll pick up next week where we left off.

Episode 186

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 13 Jan 2021 08:56:09 +0000

In this episode, Jeff reviews the Quick Mead recipes in The Elder Scrolls cookbook from a popular game, The Elder Scrolls, an old world fantasy style series of action role-playing video games primarily developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Then, we double up on Social Club questions as we wrap up show number 6 of our schedule. We’ll be on hiatus for our regular 2 weeks off, then back in the studio on February 2nd.

The Elder Scrolls cookbook can be found on Amazon, just click on the image.

Episode 185

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 06 Jan 2021 19:15:32 +0000

In this episode, ever consider an all fruit mead? We mean, ALL fruit? Whole fruits, honey and yeast? We’ll give it a go in segment one, along with any fruits you wouldn’t use? And then, as promised a couple weeks ago, (yeah, we missed the mark last week), a Social Club double header. Lots of questions from our listeners including, why mead? Why do you guys make mead? Why do you like it more than beer, wine, cider, etc.?

Episode 184

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 06:39:41 +0000

Aaron started as a volunteer at Saint Arnold pouring beer in the beer hall during Saturday tours. Soon became a tour guide, and would constantly pester the brewers and Brock about opportunities to become a brewer. Eventually it came, and 9 years later Aaron has held positions as a shift brewer, Lead Shift Brewer, Barrel Program Manager, Director of Brewing Operations, and currently Innovation Manager which oversees all R&D for the brewery. We get into a short discussion of favorite memories as we wrap up 2020, and a few Social Club questions.

For our listeners – get 20% off using code “Meadhouse” at checkout. They are also offering free shipping right now! Order from Amazon or direct from Brewferm.

Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse!

Episode 183

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 23 Dec 2020 11:54:25 +0000

We’re on a roll! Ryan’s due diligence as our chief booking agent has scored again! This time it’s a pair of award winning braggot makers/beer brewers, Luke Goucher and Carson Souza from Obscurity Brewing & Craft Mead in Elburn, Illinois. In operation since 2019 producing braggots and traditional beer as a gypsy brewer wherever they could find empty brewing vessels, they have recently secured an operating site where they are featuring beer, braggots and barbecue! In the second segment, Brewsolutions, we recap what our brewing resolutions were this past year and if we achieved them, and JD got his order from Brewferm and looking for a bit of inspiration. We ran out of time for the Social Club, so we’ll make up for it next week on episode 184!

For our listeners – get 20% off using code “Meadhouse” at checkout. They are also offering free shipping right now! Order from Amazon or direct from Brewferm.

Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse!

Episode 182

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 09:02:54 +0000

So, last episode it was a pharmacist that got it started, this week it’s an IT specialist who after 20 years, gave up his desk job for a hydrometer. Meet Kevin Martin, head fermenter for Good Road Ciderworks in Charlotte, North Carolina. An award-winning brewer, meadmaker and cider maker, he also specializes in braggots, a category of mead we try to bring to the front burner here at the House. Christmas is almost here (don’t talk to JD about it, he’s still wondering what happened to Halloween!). Gift ideas, Jeff leads a discussion about gift ideas using your brews, and we wrap the show with questions from the Social Club.

For our listeners – get 20% off using code “Meadhouse” at checkout. They are also offering free shipping right now! Order from Amazon or direct from Brewferm.

Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse!

Products mention in this episode;

Mountain Rose Herbs
Whitelabs Yeast

Episode 181

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 07:07:21 +0000

“DIY has never gone out of fashion, but in the last few years we’ve seen a real revival in this area. What started in 1972 as a pharmacy and drugstore has grown over a few decades into Europe’s most highly specialized wholesaler for products for making your own wine, beer, liqueurs or dairy products.” Meet Bart Balis in this episode. He is the son and CEO of the founder of Brewferm, Frans Balis, and he is here to talk to us about an amazing product that could change the way we make braggots. Well, maybe not change but certainly adds a new dimension. In our second segment, to secondary or not to secondary, that is the question, and we wrap the show as always with a few questions from our Social Club.

For our listeners – get 20% off using code “Meadhouse” at checkout. They are also offering free shipping right now! Order from Amazon or direct from Brewferm.

Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse!

Episode 180

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 18 Nov 2020 16:08:15 +0000

Back by popular demand, the one and only Raphael Lyon from Enlightenment Wines Meadery . He's an avid historical mead study, likes to forage for natural and local ingredients, digs wild fermentations, believes in farm to table sustainability, and makes great meads! An entertaining segment you'll be sure to enjoy! Also in this episode, ever feel intimidated by a project that went south and never gave it a second try? We have, and we'll talk about it a bit. Then, we'll wrap the show with our new version of Facebook friends, the Social Club. Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse! Does anybody know where you can listen to the Mead House podcast? How about on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music? Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Products mentioned in this episode:

Mountain Rose Herbs Amoretti

Episode 179

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 11 Nov 2020 15:20:59 +0000

In this episode, we devote the entire show to Social Interactions. Actually, we have renamed it, from now on we'll call it the Social Club! Big shoutout to William Douglas Norris, he's an avid listener, found us recently, and has started with show number one! Thanks William! We'll tackle questions form listeners like, "How do I store yeast in a hot & humid environment?" and " What's the best way to juice a crabapple?", also "Are certain honey varietals prone to haze?" and many more. Enjoy the show! Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse! Does anybody know where you can listen to the Mead House podcast? How about on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music? Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Episode 178

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 08:25:36 +0000

Putting on a competition in a pandemic isn't easy, but Valkries Horn organizers Kevin Meintsma and Al Boyce found a way. A large effort went into organizing and planning this premier mead competition, and after much work Valkries Horn took place in 2020. This was the first major competition to take place during covid. We'll talk about how they did it! Also, Kevin and Al hang around for segment 2 where we discuss making a mead for competition other than what we might consider our "house" brews that we do all the time. How to approach a competition mead, using specialty ingredients, and a few hints on filling out the registration for your mead. Finally, we wrap with Social Interactions (Facebook Friends) and take on a few questions from all around. CONDUCTING VIRTUAL HOMEBREW CONTESTS Download the PDF file. Here is the link to the toasted oak JD talked about in the "What are we drinking" opening. Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse! Does anybody know where you can listen to the Mead House podcast? How about on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music? Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Episode 177

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 10:22:25 +0000

In this episode, Justin Schoendorf, owner of Monks Meadery in Atlanta Georgia stops by for a second visit, first appearing on episode 167 last July, Justin reports that they have secured several impressive medal to add to the shelf, and a brand new mead, Dragons Con a limited edition Session Mead made with Passion Fruit, Hibiscus, and Dragon Fruit. Get it while supplies last! In the second segment, Jeff leads a discussion about tweaking the "house favorites" and we wrap with our Facebook & Reddit friends! Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse! Does anybody know where you can listen to the Mead House podcast? How about on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music? Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Episode 176

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 07:56:05 +0000

Home meadmaker Greg McNulty stops by the house to share some insight. Getting started 3 years ago with a pin cherry mead, as he put it, "the rest is history." "I am now in the R&D phase of starting a small Meadery in Buffalo, Ny, focusing on crushable sessions. Along the way, I found your show, and decided to give the famous Ryan Braggot a try since now I have the proper equipment!" Thanks Greg for listening Greg! Also in this episode, we follow up on a question posed by a Facebook fan regarding making Vikings Blod mead, and we discuss the on-going debate about pasteurizing honey before using it in your mead. We wrap with w few Facebook friends and call it a night! Thanks for listening! Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse! Does anybody know where you can listen to the Mead House podcast? How about on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music? Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Episode 175

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 15 Oct 2020 13:26:49 +0000

We're back after an extended hiatus, and in this episode we find out that over the break, Ryan scores at the Mazer Cup! Jeff re-visits Graf with a new recipe he found at Brulosophy. JD talks about way back when Mississippi Chris was on the show how they both started a Graf using a recipe found at HomeBrewTalk.com. In segment 2, we hook up with Will Otte, a homebrewer with a bit of useful science behind using bentonite as a clearing agent. Get your pen & paper out guys, you'll want to take notes on this one! We wrap the show with Will and a few Facebook friends. Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse! Does anybody know where you can listen to the Mead House podcast? How about on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music? Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars! Iron Bee 2020 results are in! Check them out right here! Congratulations to all our winners! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Products mentioned in this episode;

Amoretti

Episode 174

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 24 Sep 2020 08:56:58 +0000

In this episode, make sure you have a pencil & paper with you, you'll want to take notes! Home meadmaker Tom Repas is back in the house to share some insight on making a mead to go with your meals. Rather than trying to pick a mead off the shelf, why not make a mead yourself. Check out his Facebook page for some inspiration, he's quite a cook, gardener and beekeeper! The we wrap the show with our Facebook/Reddit friends! Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse! Does anybody know where you can listen to the Mead House podcast? How about on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and soon, Amazon Music? Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars! Iron Bee 2020 results are in! Check them out right here! Congratulations to all our winners! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Products mentioned in this episode;

Amoretti

Episode 173

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 11:49:04 +0000

Evan Henderson is in the house this episode. Beginning a career as a civil engineer, he spent 10 years behind a computer monitor before he decided he needed to move on. He was hired on at Sap House Meadery and quickly mastered the mead making production there, evident by the best meads you ever tasted! Also in this episode, home mead maker and author of The Lost Art, A Comprehensive Guide for Beginner Mead Brewers, Michael Labonte takes a seat at the bar. He messaged the House on Facebook and told us about a coffee mead that turned out awesome and a Maple, Bourbon Vanilla mead that sounds awful tasty! Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse! Does anybody know where you can listen to the Mead House podcast? How about on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and soon, Amazon Music? Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars! Iron Bee 2020 results are in! Check them out right here! Congratulations to all our winners! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Products mentioned in this episode;

Amoretti

Episode 172

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 02 Sep 2020 13:00:23 +0000

Adam Thoms, our second place medalist in the Iron Bee 2020 secret ingredient category, is a home mead maker who started off home brewing beer a few years ago and really found my ideal hobby/addiction after pitching the yeast on my first batch of mead in January 2019. What he did with Rose Hips and Cacao Nibs was amazing for his very first competition entry ever! He lives by the idea that there are many ways to make mead, and he's not afraid to fail forward and experiment! 3 We move into a category seldom dicussed here in the house, and we promise, we will be exploring this further for sure, Pyments, mead made with grape juice and honey. As usual, we wrap the show with a few Facebook/Reddit friends. Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse! Does anybody know where you can listen to the Mead House podcast? How about on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and soon, Amazon Music? Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure to subscribe and rate us 5 stars! Iron Bee 2020 results are in! Check them out right here! Congratulations to all our winners! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Episode 171

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 26 Aug 2020 15:32:45 +0000

There was a time when gluten-free beers tasted like, well, the leftovers at the bottom of a slop bucket used to feed hogs with. Well, maybe not that bad, but they were sort of disgusting. Then along came Grouse Malt House, that changed everything. Gluten-free malts with the same awesome flavors of regular grain malt from brown sugars and caramels to coffee and cocoa, now those with intolerance have a valuable source to produce gluten-free beers & braggots. Twila Soles, founder of Grouse Malt House joins us this episode. Facebook/Reddit Friends wrap the show with questions like using dehydrated berries in a mead and figuring out aging time. Get Gluten-free brewing products here at Gluten Free Homebrewing. Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse! Iron Bee 2020 results are in! Check them out right here! Congratulations to all our winners! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Episode 170

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 20 Aug 2020 11:49:51 +0000

We're back! With this episode, we toss the mic around the table and talk about what we did or didn't accomplish during our 2 week hiatus. Jeff has some 411 on another method of carbing up mead, and we wrap the show with a laundry list of questions from our Facebook/Reddit friends! Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse! Iron Bee 2020 results are in! Check them out right here! Congratulations to all our winners! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Products mentioned in this episode:

Amoretti Dutch Gold

Episode 169

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 11:27:39 +0000

A free for all! This episode, we go all over the map just talking mead, plus Mead Day is coming in a couple days, how are you spending yours? We'll give you an idea of how we're spending ours. Then, we do an extended Facebook Friends. Just a reminder, this is show 6 on our 6 & 2 calendar, so we'll see you in two weeks when we come back for episode 170!

EDIT: Sap House Meadery mead club is $75 per quarter, not per month. We apologize for the confusion.

Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse! Iron Bee 2020 results are in! Check them out right here! Congratulations to all our winners! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Episode 168

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 09:26:14 +0000

This is another nugget show. There is much to say about Nathan Steigman, however, it would take several pages to explain it all. Nathan lives in the heart of mead country, Minnesota. He's a tinkerer, an experimenter, and a qualified master home mead maker. His meads, some with very unusual ingredients, are much sought after around his hometown and beyond, and if you've been lucky enough to have one, you would remember it for a long time. Not afraid to push the limits, he's featured in this episode because he won the 2020 Iron Bee secret ingredient category, Rose hips. He'll tell you all about it in the show. Get your pen and paper out also, he'll drop plenty of nuggets along the way. Congratulations Nathan, and thanks for hanging out for the entire show!

Valkries Horn is on! Get in fast, there is limited space so hurry!

Sponsors of the 2020 Iron Bee;

Modist Brewing Laney Honey

Episode 167

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 15 Jul 2020 08:52:29 +0000

Like many recent grads, Martin Key and Justin Schoendorf found themselves relatively poor and possessing an insatiable appetite for craft beer. As Martin and Justin learned to make new and interesting beers, they tinkered with various styles and recipes creating things that were not yet available in the market. Eventually, they stumbled upon an alcoholic drink made with fermented honey. Both Justin and Martin have been avid home brewers since the turn of the century. Justin has been in the alcohol business for more than 17 years, so he provides a lot of industry knowledge and experience. They developed a recipe suited to their tastes, their friends seemed to like it, so they decided to start a meadery and share their recipe with the world. And that is how Monk’s Meadery began! Justin joins us in this episode.

Bourbon barrel ice cream

4 egg yolks ½ cup sugar 1 cup barrel aged beer 1 cup heavy cream Whisk the egg yolks, and heat the beer & cream to a simmer, while whisking, temper the egg yolks with the cream and combine, and bring to a simmer again. Strain, chill, and put into an ice cream mixer. Get notified when an episode is posted, join our Twitter feed @TheMeadHouse! Iron Bee 2020 results are in! Check them out right here! Congratulations to all our winners! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Products mentioned in this episode:

Episode 166

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 08 Jul 2020 11:17:45 +0000

With an avid interest in archaeological and historical research he has been making mead using traditional pre-modern techniques, wild yeast and local, often foraged ingredients since 2000. With a license in 2010 he founded the first commercial meadery in New York State, and opened the first meadery in New York City. These meads have been embraced by the natural wine community and are served at some of the finest restaurants and bars in NYC. This episode we talk with Raphael Lyon of Enlightenment Wines Meadery. And by the way, he was gracious enough to hold open one day longer, a chance at subscribing to their quarterly wine club. So get in now! Iron Bee 2020 results are in! Congratulations to all the winners! You can see the results here. Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Episode 165

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 12:55:25 +0000

Aloha! In this episode, Stephanie Krieger from Nani Moon Meadery in Hawaii stops by the house to talk about the only meadery in the Hawaiian Islands, and a few of her amazing meads like Buzz Squared, crafted from Kona Coffee and organic local honey. With access to Hawaiian vanilla straight from the Orchid which grows wild there and some of the most unique and sought after honey's in the world like Macadamia Nut and Ohia Lehua blossom honey, she has an amazing list of meads. They also have about 4 spots left for their super secret mead club, here's how to get in, email them at nanimoonmeadinfo@gmail.com We spend both segment 2 & 3 on Facebook Friends, make sure and email us your questions to info@themeadhouse.com Iron Bee 2020 is wrapping up the judging, so stay tuned, results are imminent! Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Products mention in this episode:

Yakima Chief Hops Amoretti

Episode 164

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 19:23:25 +0000

There is only one man who can claim the title, Chairman of Mead. David Myers of Redstone Meadery is that man. His flagship Black Raspberry Nectar put Redstone Meadery on the map, and pretty much set the standard. He joins us this episode for some fun and entertaining thoughts on mead making. Redstone Meadery is also one of many proud sponsors of the 2020 Iron Bee Competition. Also, the crew reminds it's listeners of the New Years Resolutions & Revelations they made 6 months ago on episode 145, find out if they've had any luck achieving them. And finally, we wrap with a couple Facebook Friends to call it a night. Iron Bee 2020 is on! It's time to register, and you must be a Mead House Keyholder to enter. It's gonna be a shindig, so don't miss it! After party dates will be announced later. Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Episode 163

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 03 Jun 2020 19:11:29 +0000

All the way from the UK in 2011 to Sleepy Eye, Minnesota where he makes his home, he started out as an accountant, when he got here, he became a beekeeper! In this episode we talk with Jonathan Gardner of Gardner Bees, about melter honey, something new to the meadmaking world. If you're looking for honey that has a head start on caramelizing for a bochet or a dark grain braggot, maybe this is your honey! In segment two, Ryan trys out a new yeast, JD is about to start a summertime brew, and a listener has a question about Graff! As usual, we wrap the show with some Facebook Friends and some tricky questions! Iron Bee 2020 is on! It's time to register, and you must be a Mead House Keyholder to enter. It's gonna be a shindig, so don't miss it! After party dates will be announced later. Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Products mentioned in this episode:

White Labs Yeast Omega Yeast

Episode 162

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 27 May 2020 15:35:32 +0000

Another Facebook Friends episode! From continuous fermentation, bourbon bochet and elderflower mead to adding a smokey flavor, using centennial hops and no, really? Coffee meads again?! It's all here in this episode! Iron Bee 2020 is on! It's time to register, and you must be a Mead House Keyholder to enter. It's gonna be a shindig, so don't miss it! After party dates will be announced later. Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Products mentioned in this episode:

Amoretti

Episode 161

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 20 May 2020 19:25:11 +0000

Twice American Homebrewers Association Meadmaker of The Year, Steve Fletty returns to update us on what he's been brewing lately. Last here on episode 67, Steve has been trying to perfect a dry traditional mead with some brewing techniques he hopes will prove hopeful. In segment two, we turn our broadcast spotlight to one of our own, Jeff Shouse, and his early days as a student in Slovenia. You'll get a kick out of this one! And finally, Facebook Friends, this is where we try to answer questions with no formal expertise other than what we've experienced in our own brew rooms! Iron Bee 2020 is on! It's time to register, and you must be a Mead House Keyholder to enter. It's gonna be a shindig, so don't miss it! After party dates will be announced later. Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Episode 160

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 13 May 2020 09:16:58 +0000

John Jacob started Old Sol Enterprises LLC in 1997 with the goals of creating and sharing sustainable farming practices with an emphasis on beekeeping and pollinators. John’s educational background includes a BS in biology with minors in Economics and Chemistry from Southern Oregon University. Old Sol has pioneered a bee breeding program to develop disease tolerant bees and innovative farming practices such as agrivoltaics for pollinator habitat and commercial beekeeping. Stuck at home with 5 gallon batches and unable to share? How about doing small batch projects and storing them in large Pepsi or Coke bottles? And with the right attachment, you can even carb up your small batch right in the bottle. Then as always, we end the show with Facebook/Reddit friends. Iron Bee 2020 is on! It's time to register, and you must be a Mead House Keyholder to enter. It's gonna be a shindig, so don't miss it! After party dates will be announced later. Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Episode 159

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 06 May 2020 09:47:24 +0000

In this episode, we talk to a pair of home brewers, Ravi & John who became brewing buddies. Ravi started his fermenting hobby on a backpack trip making prison hooch using Tang and bread yeast! He also put together an amazing creamsicle mead, and is experimenting using sourdough starter! John had to seriously downsize from a house with a garage to brewing in an apartment. That didn't slow him down, he has a rosemary mead aging on some oak that sounds delicious, and has plans for a hopped IPA style mead as well. In segment 2, Ryan did a 'thing". He explains how he made a very refreshing non-aclcoholic drink using just 3 tablespoons of honey per gallon. Then as always, we wrap the show with a few Facebook & Reddit friends. Iron Bee 2020 is on! It's time to register, and you must be a Mead House Keyholder to enter. It's gonna be a shindig, so don't miss it! After party dates will be announced later. Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Products mentioned in this episode;

Amoretti White Labs Yeast

Episode 158

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 29 Apr 2020 13:03:52 +0000

In this episode, we talk with returning guest, Bryan Heit of Sui Generis Brewing about DIY'ing your own candi syrup. At usually between $9 - $10 per pound, sugar is sometimes priced at $.75 cents per pound, With a few additional easy to get ingredients, Bryan explains how it can be done at home. In segment 2, Ryan tells us there are thousands of kegs of beer, some from craft beer distributers, most from the big guys that are going to go bad, that are sitting in warehouses and event stadiums. You can buy these kegs for literally a few dollars. Ryan explains how to get them so listen close! He also talks about the potential Co2 shortage and his very own yeast emergency brewing adventure! And as always, we wrap with Facebook Friends and others. Read the story here about the Horse Soldier Bourbon JD was drinking on the show. Iron Bee 2020 is on! It's time to register, and you must be a Mead House Keyholder to enter. It's gonna be a shindig, so don't miss it! After party dates will be announced later. Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Products mentioned in this episode;

Amoretti

Episode 157

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 23 Apr 2020 05:23:00 +0000

Get out your pen and paper and prepare to take notes! Ash Fishbein from Sap House Meadery is here with us again, and if you listen carefully, he'll reveal a few secrets to some successful home brewed mead! Sap House has one of the most amazing barrel aging programs and Ash has some info for those of us looking to barrel age, and he also lets out a secret if you read between the lines regarding coffee meads. We wrap the show with 2 segments of Facebook Friends covering a multitude of topics! During the show, Ash talked about how one of his brews from his brewery, Hobb's Brewery and said the proceeds from one of their beers goes to a veteran's support group Warriors @ 45 North. Please check these guys out and give a donation if you can. Our veterans are special people, heroes, and well deserving of all we can do for them. Iron Bee 2020 is on! It's time to register, and you must be a Mead House Keyholder to enter. It's gonna be a shindig, so don't miss it! After party dates will be announced later. Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Products mentioned in this episode;

Amoretti

Episode 156

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 16 Apr 2020 06:53:37 +0000

This week, we spend the whole episode dealing with our Facebook Friends, including Reddit and other forums. This is where the crew answers questions with no formal expertise other than what we've experienced in our own brew house. Mead House welcomes listener questions and comments, if you have one, send it to info@themeadhouse.com . Iron Bee 2020 is on! It's time to register, and you must be a Mead House Keyholder to enter. It's gonna be a shindig, so don't miss it! After party dates will be announced later. Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead house, help keep the Mead House podcast free by subscribing to Patreon, when you do, Jeff will send you some great gifts! When you become a subscriber, you'll have access to some great interviews from guests here at the Mead House.

Products mentioned in this episode;

Whitelabs Yeast Amoretti

Episode 62

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 20 Sep 2017 13:34:52 +0000

We sent Ryan to HomeBrewCon 2017 in Minneapolis this year, and he talked to a few mead makers and fans at Club Night. It's not too late to start a holiday project, Thanksgiving and Christmas is a good time to share a nice cider, or mead made with a few holiday spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, etc. And can you store wort or must for any length of time? JD, Ryan and Jeff toss it around the table.

Bonus Episode: Competitions

Jeff Shouse — Thu, 10 Aug 2017 12:39:06 +0000

Ryan and JD had a chance to sit down with Eric Lowe from the Texas Mead Cup, Susan Ruud of Hoppy Halloween and Andrew Adams of Orpheus Meadfest for some brief discussions on their competitions. It's not too late to get in on any one of these, so get your project packaged up and submitted!

Episode 56

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 12:02:29 +0000

Susan Ruud from Prairie Rose Meadery in Fargo, North Dakota joins us as Mississippi opens the show! JD, Aaron, Jeff & Ryan dig into barrel aged honey and discussions on a Chocolate Cherry mead recipe. Don’t forget to subscribe using your favorite podcast player such as Podcast Addict, or iTunes.

Episode 55

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 09:31:36 +0000

Chris leads a discussion about some of the finer points of fermentation starting with the yeast. Jeff takes the next segment into the world of Brettanomyces after learning about JD’s Mars project, and finally, ever use extract flavorings in mead? Beer brewers do, JD explores the idea of replacing fruit, juice & puree with extracts. Enjoy the show and don’t forget to subscribe with your favorite podcast player!

Episode 54

Jeff Shouse — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 21:37:32 +0000

Carlos Bassetti joins us from Superstition Meadery in Prescott Arizona, and what’s that growing in one of JD’s carboys? Science session with the boys in this episode of The Mead House!

Episode 51

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 11:32:48 +0000

Bonus episode! 2 hours with JD, Ryan, Mississippi, Jeff and Aaron! We spent some time with Michael Sedlecek and Megan Wannarka from Worker-B tasting 9 different honey’s; Basswood from Minnesota, Printemps from Quebec, Honeytrees from Kentucky, Autumn Gold also from Kentucky, Cranberry from Wisconsin, Eucalyptus from Tasmania, Meadowfoam from Oregon, Buckwheat from Quebec, and Carrot from Oregon.

Episode 50

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 31 May 2017 09:51:31 +0000

Tonight we review a few meads sent to us by Ryan, mead cocktails, and much more! Enjoy the show!

Episode 49

Jeff Shouse — Tue, 23 May 2017 21:06:28 +0000

Brainstorming episode! Started out talking freeze-dried fruits, and moved into some brainstorming for some fresh ideas on mead making. We covered the list of ingredients including Magnolia flowers, cucumbers, lemons, basil, nutmeg and a few others. Enjoy the show!

Episode 48

Jeff Shouse — Tue, 16 May 2017 20:12:06 +0000

Mississippi Chris joins us tonight after being AWOL for a couple weeks. Tonight, we discuss a question that a listener submitted about using enzymes in melomels to break down fruit, we also talk about another ingredient that’s picking up notice in mead making, hops. Jeff & Ryan run us through setting up and hosting your own small mead tasting.

Episode 47

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 10 May 2017 09:57:11 +0000

Aaron returns from his adventure to South Carolina, and on the way stops in at Schramm’s meadery to have a sip of the infamous Heart of Darkness $100 a bottle mead! Ryan enters one braggot in two separate competitions, one for mead, the other for alternative beer and medals! We go around the table with projects the boys are working on, JD has a “leftover” braggot recipe he solicits ideas for. JD also mentions an ancient mead recipe his sister found in a 1747 cookbook, “The Art of Cookery made Plain” by Hannah Glasse:

Take five gallons of water, add to that one gallon of the best honey; then set it on the fire, boil it together well, and skim it very clean, then take it off the fire, and set it by; then take two or three races (not sure what that is) of ginger, the like quantity of cinnamon and nutmegs, bruise (mix) all these grossly; and put them in a little Holland bag in the hot liquor, and so let it stand close covered till it be cold; then put as much ale-yeast to it as will make it work. Keep it in a warm place, as they do ale; and when it has wrought well, tun (typo? not sure) it up; at two months you may drink it, having been bottled a month. If you keep it four months, it will be better.

Episode 46

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 03 May 2017 10:45:11 +0000

Award-winning mead maker,Tom Repas, joins the show and shares some of his knowledge about mead making. The crew also answers a question about honey from listener Ben Duthu. Enjoy the show!

Episode 45

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 09:12:41 +0000

Tonight we respond to a couple of listeners. Angie shares her concerns about the amount of honey used in a braggot for competition, and David asks about aging, bottles vs. carboys. Enjoy!

Episode 44

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 08:41:35 +0000

BONUS EPISODE! The boys review a couple more offerings from JD, Mississippi Chris finally gets his Mazer Cup score sheet and says, “I wanted to make a close copy of Ken Schramm’s Heart of Darkness which everyone could make using readily available ingredients and without the need to grow your own orchard. I bought some frozen fruit from Walmart along with some juice and concentrate, used some honey that JD sent me, put it in a plastic bucket from Lowes and ended up with a world class example of a mixed fruit melomel. Mission accomplished.” Plus, projects we’re planning and idea sharing.

As a reminder, the show will be on hiatus for the next 2 weeks, we’ll see you back here on April 25th! Thanks for listening!

Episode 43

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 09:03:35 +0000

Aaron sent the guys at the table three bottles of mead from an experiment he did using different hops, Crystal, Calypso and Chinook. The Chinook hopped mead was clearly the winner when the night was over. JD had also sent out some meads, and several were reviewed by the guys with his Bourbon Barrel Braggot coming out the winner. Enjoy the show!

Episode 42

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 09:34:09 +0000

We started out the show with a few facebook acknowledgments, then moved into a tasting session of a couple of JD’s meads. We also talked about steeping grains for use in meads. Enjoy the show!

Episode 18

Jeff Shouse — Wed, 10 Aug 2016 11:21:22 +0000

We begin to explore beer on the show tonight in hopes of coming up with a Braggot mead recipe that incorporates the same ingredients in beer brewing. An avid listener, Brian Funk, gives us a call, had some questions on oaking and PH. Enjoy the show!

Episode 2

Jeff Shouse — Tue, 22 Mar 2016 21:34:03 +0000

Episode 2, Sweet Mead.

Episode 2 is about making a simple sweet mead for beginners. Starting with 20 pounds of orange blossom honey and 5 1/2 gallons of water, we step through putting this mead together. We will monitor this mead for the next few weeks on the show, and talk about where you should be in relation to time. This is a simple mead, the recipe is featured on our website. We also talked about stuck fermentations, how to recognize them and what to do in case you find yourself in a predicament. Here is a link to TOSNA which was also discussed as an alternative nutrient addition.