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Mead

Honey, water and yeast, and weeks or months of patience. How mead is made, how the hydrometer guides it, when it's bottled, and what changes with hard cider.

9 min read Getting good Reviewed October 26, 2026 60 facts, each with its source

What mead is

Mead is honey diluted in water and fermented with yeast. It has 8 to 18% alcohol1. The ratio of honey to water decides the style: from the finest, one part honey to half a part water, to those at one part to one, two or three2. The sweetest are made by adding the honey in stages, so the yeast doesn't stall3.

It's slow, because honey has little nitrogen and few minerals4, and the yeast struggles. Between fermenting and maturing, it takes weeks to months5. With spices or herbs it's called metheglin; with fruit juice, melomel6.

No food safety agency publishes a guide to homemade mead. Fervida's recipes follow North Dakota State University's (NDSU) home winemaking guide and a scientific review of mead. Its risks are hygiene, alcohol and, above all, bottles that burst.

What you need

  • Two glass carboys, or a plastic pail, always food-grade7.
  • An airlock with its stopper. It lets gas out and keeps air and microbes out8.
  • A hydrometer and a test jar. They measure the must's specific gravity, which tells you how much sugar is left9.
  • Wine yeast, never baking yeast10, and yeast nutrient.
  • Sanitizer. Everything that touches the must is washed, rinsed and sanitized, every time11. And keep fruit flies out: they carry vinegar bacteria12.

The must

The must is the honey dissolved in water. In Fervida's recipes, 1.2 kg of honey with 3.6 liters of water: the 1:3 ratio, by weight, which is a house rule. At the start, the hydrometer should read 1.080 or higher13. In Fervida's recipes, between 1.080 and 1.120: the upper limit is a house rule.

Before the yeast goes in, the microbes that come with the honey have to be knocked down. Boiling the must is most common14. The other way is metabisulfite, which inhibits or kills most of them15: one Campden tablet per gallon16, then wait about 24 hours before adding the yeast17. Sulfite doesn't agree with everyone: people with asthma are the most at risk of reacting to it18, so if you share your mead, say it contains sulfites.

Add nutrient. Without it, the yeast gets stressed and the mead can smell of rotten eggs19.

Fermenting and racking

Keep it at an even temperature, 18 to 27 °C (65 to 80 °F)20. Below 15 °C (59 °F) it ferments much worse21. In a few days you'll see bubbles on the surface: that's the yeast eating the sugar22.

Measure the gravity every week with a sample you then throw away. When it drops to 1.020–1.030, siphon it into the second carboy, leaving the sediment behind23, and don't fill it above the shoulders: it's still fermenting24. Once it's done, top it up to a few inches below the airlock, so it touches little air25. For weeks or months, rack it now and then to separate it from the lees26.

It's finished when the gravity reads 1.000 or lower and doesn't change over three readings across 7 days. That's a house rule: a dry mead can drop as low as 0.99027. It normally ends below 1.000, because alcohol is lighter than water28: if it holds right at 1.000 and tastes sweet, there's sugar left.

Bottling without bursts

If sugar is left, the yeast can start fermenting again inside the bottle29. So if it stops above 1.000, or you want to sweeten it at the end, it has to be stabilized with potassium sorbate30. Without sorbate, bottles can burst31. And sorbate alone won't stop a fermentation that's still active32: it has to be still first.

Bottle it once it's clear and racked off all sediment33. You can drink it early, but it improves: at least 2 months, and a year is better34.

Sparkling mead has its own rules, all of them house rules, because no source gives a dose: only from a dry, stable mead, below 1.000, at most 7 g of sugar per liter, bottles made for pressure, a plastic tester bottle, and into the fridge once it's firm. Never in still-wine bottles or jars.

Hard cider

Hard cider is made the same way, with apple juice, and one rule that isn't negotiable: the juice is pasteurized. In an E. coli O157:H7 outbreak in the United States, the cider had been made from brushed and washed apples, some picked up from the ground; it had sorbate added and was not pasteurized35. That bacterium and Cryptosporidium tolerate acid36, and the apple's low pH isn't enough to stop them37. E. coli O157:H7 survived 10 to 31 days in cider at 8 °C (46 °F)38, and sorbate barely affected it39.

  • Store-bought juice: pasteurized and with no preservatives, which hold back the yeast40.
  • Pressed at home: never from apples off the ground41, and pasteurized: at least 71 °C (160 °F), held for 6 seconds42.
  • Fermenting: 3 to 4 weeks at 18–27 °C (65–80 °F)43. The University of Vermont prefers it cool, at 10–16 °C (50–60 °F)44, and then it goes more slowly.
  • Bottling: if it isn't completely dry, it's pasteurized, stabilized or filtered45.

With other fruit, more rules. With elder, only black elder, never dwarf elder, whose berries are toxic46; not a single leaf or stem47, and the berries always cooked before they ferment48: raw, they can cause nausea49. The elderberry wine goes through it step by step. With stone fruit, such as cherries or plums, don't break the pits: they contain a compound that forms cyanide50.

Alcohol and the law

Mead and cider are not for anyone who is pregnant or may be51, or for anyone under drinking age52. Mead also contains honey, which is never given to children under one year old53.

Fermenting also makes some methanol. It comes from pectin, and fruit is the raw material that leaves the most54: a melomel or a cider has more than a mead of honey alone. Even so, the natural content in wine and beer is low55. Serious poisonings usually come from spirits with methanol added, and what fruit leaves when it ferments doesn't usually reach acute toxicity56.

In the United States, homemade wine is for personal or family use, and is never sold57. In the United Kingdom, what you make only for your own use pays no alcohol duty, as long as it isn't spirits58. Elsewhere, check your country's rules. Distilling at home is illegal in the United States59, and Fervida doesn't teach it.

What can go wrong

What you see What it is What to do
A rotten egg smell Not enough nutrient19 Don't throw it out; more nutrient next time
A strong vinegar smell or a film Vinegar bacteria, from air or fruit flies12 It has turned to vinegar: a flaw
The gravity stalls above 1.000 Sugar is left Don't bottle it without stabilizing it
Mold on the surface Mold60 Throw it all out
Fizz in a bottle that shouldn't have any It has started fermenting again Into the fridge, and open it carefully, pointed away from your face

The recipes

  • Traditional mead: still and dry, one part honey to three of water.
  • Sparkling mead: the same, primed in pressure bottles.
  • Berry melomel and spiced mead: the melomel and the metheglin.
  • Hard cider from apple juice and dry cider.

Where every number comes from

Every number in the text leads to its figure: the exact sentence from the official guide it comes from, in its own language.

  1. 1

    Mead has 8 to 18% alcohol

    “Mead is a traditional alcoholic beverage containing from 8% to 18% of ethanol (v/v)”

    Molecules (MDPI), Iglesias et al. · Developments in the Fermentation Process and Quality Improvement Strategies for Mead Production (2014) · read on October 25, 2026

  2. 2

    Honey and water, from 1:0.5 to 1:3

    “The proportion to which honey is diluted determines the type of mead obtained: the finest at 1:0.5 (honey:water) and the other variants at 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3.”

    Molecules (MDPI), Iglesias et al. · Developments in the Fermentation Process and Quality Improvement Strategies for Mead Production (2014) · read on October 25, 2026

  3. 3

    The sweetest add the honey in stages

    “are obtained by successively adding honey, in order to avoid stopping the fermentation due to excessive osmotic pressures”

    Molecules (MDPI), Iglesias et al. · Developments in the Fermentation Process and Quality Improvement Strategies for Mead Production (2014) · read on October 25, 2026

  4. 4

    Honey has little nitrogen and few minerals

    “honey presents low levels of nitrogen and mineral substances”

    Molecules (MDPI), Iglesias et al. · Developments in the Fermentation Process and Quality Improvement Strategies for Mead Production (2014) · read on October 25, 2026

  5. 5

    Fermenting and maturing take weeks to months

    “Mead fermentation and maturing is a time-consuming process taking from weeks to several months to complete”

    Molecules (MDPI), Iglesias et al. · Developments in the Fermentation Process and Quality Improvement Strategies for Mead Production (2014) · read on October 25, 2026

  6. 6

    Metheglin, with spices or herbs; melomel, with fruit juice

    “metheglin (mead containing spices or herbs), melomel (mead with fruit juices)”

    Molecules (MDPI), Iglesias et al. · Developments in the Fermentation Process and Quality Improvement Strategies for Mead Production (2014) · read on October 25, 2026

  7. 7

    Food-grade vessels

    “Many kinds of vessels can be used for primary fermenters, but they must be made of food-grade materials.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  8. 8

    The airlock lets gas out and keeps air and microbes out

    “Fermentation locks: allows carbon dioxide to escape from fermenters and prevents oxygen and microbial contamination”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  9. 9

    The hydrometer measures the must's specific gravity

    “A hydrometer is used to measure the SG of the must.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  10. 10

    Wine yeast, never baking yeast

    “Be sure to use winemaking yeast; do not use baking yeast.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  11. 11

    Everything that touches the must, washed, rinsed and sanitized

    “Everything that touches the juice or wine, including the primary fermenter, measuring containers and stirring spoons, must be washed, rinsed and sanitized.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  12. 12

    Fruit flies carry vinegar bacteria

    “Keeping out any fruit flies is very important because they can transmit vinegar-producing bacteria to your wine.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  13. 13

    The must starts at 1.080 or higher

    “Must has a starting SG of 1.080 (“ten-eighty”) or higher.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  14. 14

    Boiling the must is most common

    “boiling being the most commonly used method”

    Molecules (MDPI), Iglesias et al. · Developments in the Fermentation Process and Quality Improvement Strategies for Mead Production (2014) · read on October 25, 2026

  15. 15

    Metabisulfite inhibits or kills most microbes

    “the addition of metabisulphite, either sodium or potassium salts that liberate sulphur dioxide which inhibits or eliminates the majority of microorganisms”

    Molecules (MDPI), Iglesias et al. · Developments in the Fermentation Process and Quality Improvement Strategies for Mead Production (2014) · read on October 25, 2026

  16. 16

    One Campden tablet per gallon, 50 ppm

    “plan to add potassium metabisulfite at the rate of 50 parts per million of SO2 (or one Campden tablet per gallon)”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  17. 17

    About 24 hours before the yeast

    “Wait about 24 hours before adding winemaking yeast to the prepared juice.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  18. 18

    People with asthma are most at risk from sulfites

    “Those who have asthma are most at risk to sulphite sensitivity and other forms of sulphite reactions.”

    Health Canada · Sulphites - Priority allergens (2017) · read on October 27, 2026

  19. 19

    Without nutrient, a rotten egg smell

    “lack of yeast nutrient can stress the yeast, causing your wine to develop an unpleasant (hydrogen sulfide or rotten egg) odor”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  20. 20

    An even temperature, 65 to 80 °F

    “try to keep the must maintained at an even temperature between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  21. 21

    Below 59 °F it ferments much worse

    “temperatures lower than 15 °C are associated with significant decreases on the fermentative performance”

    Molecules (MDPI), Iglesias et al. · Developments in the Fermentation Process and Quality Improvement Strategies for Mead Production (2014) · read on October 25, 2026

  22. 22

    Bubbles are normal: the yeast is eating sugar

    “As the juice starts to ferment, you will notice bubbles forming at the surface; this is normal and indicates that the yeast cells are consuming the sugar.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  23. 23

    Rack it when it drops to 1.020–1.030

    “Monitor the specific gravity and when it reaches a level of about 1.020 to 1.030, move the wine into a secondary fermenter”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  24. 24

    Don't fill above the shoulders

    “do not fill above the shoulders of the carboy to allow for expansion during the remaining fermentation”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  25. 25

    When done, top up to near the airlock

    “After fermentation is complete, filling the carboy to within a few inches of the airlock is important; this prevents too much exposure to oxygen.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  26. 26

    Weeks or months of racking off the lees

    “For the next several weeks or months, additional racking from one container to another will be needed to remove the wine from the lees (sediment).”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  27. 27

    Dry, it can drop to 0.990

    “Finished dry wine can have an SG as low as 0.990 (“nine-ninety”).”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  28. 28

    When it's done, below 1.000: alcohol is lighter than water

    “It should be less than 1.000 (alcohol is lighter than water; the sugar has all been converted to alcohol and CO2).”

    Virginia Cooperative Extension (Virginia Tech) · Wine making for the home gardener (HORT-213) · read on October 26, 2026

  29. 29

    With sugar left over, it can ferment again

    “final glucose and fructose concentrations higher than 3.5 and 10 g/L, respectively, which may promote the occurrence of undesirable re-fermentations”

    Molecules (MDPI), Iglesias et al. · Developments in the Fermentation Process and Quality Improvement Strategies for Mead Production (2014) · read on October 25, 2026

  30. 30

    Sorbate if sugar is left or it's back-sweetened

    “it should be used if your wine has residual sugar left after fermentation or if you plan to resweeten the wine before bottling.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  31. 31

    Without sorbate, bottles can burst

    “Failure to add potassium sorbate may cause bottles to explode if fermentation restarts.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  32. 32

    Sorbate alone won't stop a fermentation

    “Sorbates will not stop a ferment on their own”

    University of Vermont Extension (T. Bradshaw) · Commercial Production of Unpasteurized and Fermented Ciders in Vermont (2010) · read on October 25, 2026

  33. 33

    Bottle it clear and off the sediment

    “Bottling and storage is the final step and should be done only when the wine has been racked off any remaining sediment and has achieved good clarity.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  34. 34

    At least 2 months; a year is better

    “wine should be aged for at least two months, but one year of storage prior to consumption is better.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  35. 35

    Dropped apples, washed; cider with sorbate and not pasteurized

    “Some of the apples used were "drop" apples (i.e., apples picked up from the ground). All apples were brushed and washed in potable municipal water in a flow-through wash system before pressing in a wooden press. Potassium sorbate 0.1% was added as a preservative; the cider was not pasteurized.”

    CDC, MMWR · Outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infection and Cryptosporidiosis Associated with Drinking Unpasteurized Apple Cider -- Connecticut and New York, October 1996 (1997) · read on October 25, 2026

  36. 36

    Cryptosporidium and E. coli O157:H7 tolerate acid

    “both Cryptosporidium and E. coli O157:H7 are acid-tolerant”

    CDC, MMWR · Outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infection and Cryptosporidiosis Associated with Drinking Unpasteurized Apple Cider -- Connecticut and New York, October 1996 (1997) · read on October 25, 2026

  37. 37

    The apple's low pH isn't enough

    “Low fruit pH cannot be relied on solely as a control measure against target organisms, because E. coli 0157:H7 is especially tolerant of acidic conditions”

    University of Vermont Extension (T. Bradshaw) · Commercial Production of Unpasteurized and Fermented Ciders in Vermont (2010) · read on October 25, 2026

  38. 38

    E. coli O157:H7 lasted 10 to 31 days in cider at 46 °F

    “The bacterium survived from 10 to 31 days or 2 to 3 days at 8 or 25 degrees C, respectively, depending on the lot.”

    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Zhao, Doyle & Besser · Fate of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in apple cider with and without preservatives (1993) · read on October 25, 2026

  39. 39

    Sorbate had little effect on E. coli O157:H7

    “Potassium sorbate had minimal effect on E. coli O157:H7 populations”

    Applied and Environmental Microbiology, Zhao, Doyle & Besser · Fate of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 in apple cider with and without preservatives (1993) · read on October 25, 2026

  40. 40

    Preservatives in juice hold back the yeast

    “Preservatives used in commercial juice may inactivate the yeast and inhibit fermentation.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  41. 41

    Never apples from the ground

    “avoiding use of apples that have fallen to the ground”

    CDC, MMWR · Outbreaks of Escherichia coli O157:H7 Infection and Cryptosporidiosis Associated with Drinking Unpasteurized Apple Cider -- Connecticut and New York, October 1996 (1997) · read on October 25, 2026

  42. 42

    Pasteurize the juice: at least 160 °F for 6 seconds

    “Heat the juice to at least 160⁰F and hold for 6 seconds.”

    Oregon State University Extension Service · Preserving Foods: Fruit Juice and Apple Cider (SP 50-455, revised July 2024) · read on October 25, 2026

  43. 43

    Apple wine: 3 to 4 weeks

    “Fermentation may take three to four weeks to complete.”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  44. 44

    Vermont: preferably cool, at 50–60 °F

    “Put air lock on container and keep cool, preferably 50-60 °F or as dictated by the selected yeast strain.”

    University of Vermont Extension (T. Bradshaw) · Commercial Production of Unpasteurized and Fermented Ciders in Vermont (2010) · read on October 25, 2026

  45. 45

    A cider that isn't dry is pasteurized, stabilized or filtered

    “Any ciders that are not completely dry must be treated with pasteurization, chemical preservatives, or sterile filtration to ensure that fermentation does not continue in the bottle.”

    University of Vermont Extension (T. Bradshaw) · Commercial Production of Unpasteurized and Fermented Ciders in Vermont (2010) · read on October 25, 2026

  46. 46

    Dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus) has toxic berries

    “les baies de sureau hièble ou yèble (Sambucus ebulus) sont toxiques et peuvent être responsables de troubles digestifs sévères”

    ANSES · Cet été, à quelles plantes faire attention pour éviter les intoxications ? · read on October 27, 2026

  47. 47

    Elderberry: no leaves or stems

    “leaves and stems should not be crushed in when making juice”

    CDC, MMWR · Poisoning from Elderberry Juice -- California (1984) · read on October 25, 2026

  48. 48

    Elderberry: always cooked before eating

    “Because raw elderberry products may contain elevated levels of toxic compounds, you should always cook elderberries before eating them.”

    Oregon State University Extension Service · Play it safe when preserving elderberries (EM 9446) · read on October 27, 2026

  49. 49

    Elderberry: raw, it can cause nausea

    “particularly if cooked (uncooked berries may produce nausea)”

    CDC, MMWR · Poisoning from Elderberry Juice -- California (1984) · read on October 25, 2026

  50. 50

    Don't break the pits of stone fruit

    “take care not to break the pits from stone fruits such as cherries or plums. These pits contain a cyanide-forming compound”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  51. 51

    Not for anyone pregnant or who may be

    “Pregnant women and those who may be pregnant”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  52. 52

    Or for anyone under drinking age

    “People under the legal drinking age”

    NDSU Extension (North Dakota State University) · From the Garden or Orchard to the Table: Getting Started With Home Winemaking (FN1638, reviewed August 2026) · read on October 25, 2026

  53. 53

    No honey before age 1

    “Do not feed honey to a child who is younger than 1 year old.”

    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) · Botulism Prevention · read on October 25, 2026

  54. 54

    Fruit, for its pectin, leaves the most methanol

    “From all natural materials used for fermentation, fruits are associated with the highest concentrations of methanol in the end-product, because of their pectin content.”

    Molecules (MDPI) · Methanol Mitigation during Manufacturing of Fruit Spirits with Special Consideration of Novel Coffee Cherry Spirits · read on October 27, 2026

  55. 55

    Little natural methanol in wine and beer

    “in most alcoholic beverages such as beer and wine, the natural content of methanol is also quite low.”

    Molecules (MDPI) · Methanol Mitigation during Manufacturing of Fruit Spirits with Special Consideration of Novel Coffee Cherry Spirits · read on October 27, 2026

  56. 56

    Poisonings usually come from spirits with methanol added

    “such poisonings typically occur from methanol addition to spirits (mostly found on the illicit market), while the natural content due to fermentation from fruits does not typically exceed levels causing acute toxicity”

    Molecules (MDPI) · Methanol Mitigation during Manufacturing of Fruit Spirits with Special Consideration of Novel Coffee Cherry Spirits · read on October 27, 2026

  57. 57

    For personal or family use, never for sale

    “wine produced for personal or family use may never be sold or offered for sale”

    Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB, U.S. Department of the Treasury) · Wine FAQs · read on October 25, 2026

  58. 58

    UK: no alcohol duty if for your own use and not spirits

    “by a person who produces alcoholic products only for the person’s own domestic use, and (b)are not spirits.”

    UK legislation (legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives) · Finance (No. 2) Act 2023, section 72: Exemption: production for personal consumption · read on October 25, 2026

  59. 59

    Home distilling is illegal in the United States

    “Federal law strictly prohibits individuals from producing distilled spirits at home”

    Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB, U.S. Department of the Treasury) · Home Distilling · read on October 25, 2026

  60. 60

    With mold, it goes out

    “If you confirm mold growth on any part of a ferment, it should be immediately discarded.”

    UC Davis, Department of Food Science and Technology · Common issues with fermented fruits and vegetables (v1.0, 15-mar-2022) · read on October 20, 2026

Keep reading

Hydrometer and refractometer Airlocks Carbonation and exploding bottles Cleaning or sterilizing Alcohol in kombucha and kefir Lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and molds Homemade vinegar Fruit in a ferment: sugar, yeast and alcohol