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Asking for your input please

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Squatchy

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So Vicky has been really sick again for some time now. So starting this Tuesday, I will be doing the show for a while. So now is the time if you would like to speak up. Please give suggestions on what changes could/should occur to make the show better. Post questions or topics you would like discussed. If you have someone in mind as a guest speaker (including yourself) let er rip.

Also please tell us what you really like with the current/past shows.

It really is your time to toss you ideas into the kitty.

Ryan
 

mannye

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Oct 10, 2012
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So Vicky has been really sick again for some time now. So starting this Tuesday, I will be doing the show for a while. So now is the time if you would like to speak up. Please give suggestions on what changes could/should occur to make the show better. Post questions or topics you would like discussed. If you have someone in mind as a guest speaker (including yourself) let er rip.

Also please tell us what you really like with the current/past shows.

It really is your time to toss you ideas into the kitty.

Ryan

Hey there Ryan! I'm going to PM my cell number to you. I'm here for whatever you may need.
 

Swn Gwyrdd

NewBee
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Nov 11, 2016
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Hazel Grove (Near Manchester)
I really need to listen to more of these, I'm usually in bed when they stream since I live on the opposite side of the planet to most of you haha.
Might give a few of them a blast over the bank holiday weekend.
 

CaúlaBrewBR

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Registered Member
May 9, 2017
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Question about:

- Stabilizing (with chemicals and physically - high or low temperature, etc.)
- Backsweetening x Calculating ahead the ammounts / controlling the Yeast alcohol-tolerance
- Competitions: what do judges like, do they accept back-sweetening, yeast remains, session meads
- How to make short/session mead if wine Yeasts tolerate at least 13% alcohol

Maybe it got too technical... anyway Love the show, Cheers to all / Saúde!
 

darigoni

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Jun 4, 2016
941
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Brookline, NH
Hi Ryan!

Well, maybe you could talk about what happened (is happening) to the website? The new forum activity stream box is too small and well hidden. It took me a day to see the >> and click on it. Unfortunately it looks like it will only retain about 7 new posts, at which point they disappear. Also, the Batch Calculator and other tools don't seem to be working.

As for the show:

1. Make it tighter. It's a rare show that needs to be 2+ hours long. 90 minutes max.

2. Just about every show should focus around the basics: Honey, water, yeast. This is especially so when interviewing mead makers and mead hall owners. Most of the mead halls are located in areas where it's highly unlikely that listeners will ever go to, so getting the owners thoughts on the basics is probably pretty key.

3. #2 can (should) lead you into other areas: Nutrients, temp control, oak, fruit, spices, etc.


Guests I'd like to hear from:

I always like to hear what Bray Denard has to say about making mead. I think it's time to get him on to talk about his organic BOMM protocol and what ever else he's been up to.

I suggested it to Vicky, about a year ago, and she's mentioned it a few times. I'd love to see a mead panel, along the lines of what BasicBrewing had back in 2009 https://tinyurl.com/y8tnc8p6

I'd like to hear more from some of the more well known and/or accomplished home mead makers, and get their thoughts of making good (and bad) mead.

Thanks and good luck!

dave
 

loveofrose

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Nov 9, 2012
2,582
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Texas
Give the show more structure upfront. Have a formula you always follow such as:

For Homebrewers:
1. What is your process? SNAs, yeast, Temp control, etc.
2. How do you approach making a new recipe?
3. Questions on whatever is the niche of the homebrewer or topic on hand.

For Commercial:
1. What is your process? SNAs, yeast, Temp control, etc.
2. Obligatory plug for their products new and old.
3. Specialty advisory. Some meaderies do spices well. Others do unusual honeys. Get useful advice on whatever is their specialty.

General:
-Keep it tight. I don't care if it's 2 hours of substance. Just don't waste time with irrelevance.
-Prep your speaker a bit early in the structured part of the interview (email, before you go live, etc), then allow it to go wherever it may. Prepared speakers are tighter.
-Consider not always being live. Editing can make the worse show awesome. Especially when technical difficulties arrive.

I'm not saying these things haven't been done. I'm just reiterating they should be done.

PS: I don't want to be presumptuous, but I would be happy to talk about the organic protocol and my series of historical brews. If you guys wanted to hear it.

PSS: Tell Vicki to get well soon!



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

loveofrose

Got Mead? Patron
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Nov 9, 2012
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Ha! I just realized I basically said what David said. I'm in good company!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

dingurth

Worker Bee
Registered Member
May 23, 2012
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Brooklyn , NY
To echo what some of the others have said, keeping it tight would be good. I've found the 2 hours to be fine, but sometimes things go way off topic. And not to knock Vicky, but she can be a bit of a talker and occasionally steals the show from the guests. :p
So it will be interesting to see how you run things!

I'm really interested in hearing why people do what they do, and how they got there. What processes have worked best, but how they got to that conclusion too. Yeast and honey pairings with other ingredients would be great. It's just nice to hear and gather that kind of knowledge without experimenting yourself for years when other people might have some suggestions.
That may sound a little generic, but sometimes people shrug those questions off (trade secrets??) or just say something along the lines of "it all depends on what you're going for". Which is true, but a bit of a cop out. I love the nitty gritty details and want to hear what you're journey's been like.

Also! Failures. I want to hear about failures and why they failed. I've certainly learned the most from some of my failures and think that would be both good insight and make for funny stories.
I think we could do multiple shows with Bray from everything he's done!

Other things might come up based on topic/guest which I might ask more specifically in the skype chatroom, but otherwise that covers the general stuff.
 

Lumenbeing

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Jun 6, 2017
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Would be awesome if you could get Shea Comfort on the show. I know he's one of your favs Squatchy. I'd love to listen to you interview him. Maybe get his thoughts on some of the more theoretical topics we've seen on the board lately, and maybe talk about oaking mead specifically.
Other than that, I would just echo what others have said about keeping it focused and on topic, whatever that topic(s) may be.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

bernardsmith

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Sep 1, 2013
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Speaking for myself , I would love to hear commercial mead makers talking about how they develop successful recipes; successful mead makers approaches to braggots and bochets; and decisions made by both commercial and experienced home meadmakers about ABV, final gravity, and sweetness;
 

Squatchy

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So, for sure it seems like we were all on the same page in regards to adjustments made to the radio program. I have always felt it was way too long and unfocused. I do have a layout that I plan to use. And never go over an hour and a half. And I definitely want to talk to lots of the scientist that work for the yeast companies. I definitely want to give everybody solid info every week.

Thanks for your input
 
Last edited:

darigoni

Got Mead? Patron
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Jun 4, 2016
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Brookline, NH
And I definitely want to talk to lots of the scientist that work for the yeast companies. I definitely want to give everybody solid info every week.

Oh, Yeah! I wonder if it would be beneficial to interview Vintners on there processes? I've heard that, behind the scenes, they are a LOT of additives that are being used to correct flaws that may occur in batches. May be eye opening.
 

Squatchy

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I think that's a good idea. I'm of the mind that fermenting is fermenting to some degree and I think we do a disservice by thinking that bmeta so special that we can't learn things from beer makers and from wine makers. Obviously they both have thousands of years of experience at a time when meet seem to have gotten lost in the history books. For quite some time I do think indeed the winemakers could help us with our meat making endeavors. I know I've started to embrace some of the ideas of actually blending needs together . Which as you know most wines are always plans . If not at least from one vintage to the next.

I've always felt that use pretty much act like yeast and don't even know the difference between one sugar or another it is long as they have a good environment to live in the same. Too many people want to look at something that we can read in the wind rolling go well well that's in line. Or that's in beer. And it doesn't apply to us and I definitely disagree with that.
 

Squatchy

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Hey there Ryan! I'm going to PM my cell number to you. I'm here for whatever you may need.



Hi Manny. Listen I did get your p.m. and I have your number. I've still been waiting to try to learn from Vicky how to run them the software to do the talk portion of the show. If I don't have a chance to earn that with her today I'll still give you a call. I was hoping to get that taken care of first and then touch base with you .
 

Squatchy

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Hello again everyone. Tonight I will be speaking about yeats selection, pitch rates, rehydration, attemperation, oxygenation and finally inoculation. That's a boat load of ation's.

Any way send us, or call in your questions. Next week we will pick up where we left off. I want to start from scratch and work all the way to a finished mead. So keep those pieces in mind so you can get your answers next week and beyond, until we get our mead into a bottle keg or carboy.
 

Squatchy

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Sounds like a great series, Squatchy. A "beginning to end" series should answer a lot of questions, and could be basis for updating the newbee guide.

I certainly hope to do just that. Hope you can join us
 

Squatchy

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Nov 3, 2014
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Hello everyone. If you listened to last weeks show and have any questions please leave them here or call in during the podcast tomorrow night.

Thanks
 
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