Disclaimer: What a Litigious Society We Live in.

Here's a quick bit of truth. While I'm happy to write about mead and the brewing thereof, there are certain hazards associated with both home brewing and the consumption of home brewed beverages.

This is my obligatory disclaimer to that end.

I am neither a microbiologist nor a doctor. I pretend no specialized knowledge beyond the mechanics of brewing within my own limited experience. I am a brewing enthusiast who chooses to brew a rather rare and arcane beverage and I have chosen to share what I have learned in the pursuit of this hobby with others. I offer no guarantees or warranties regarding this information. You are brewing at your own risk and I accept no liability whatsoever for the quality of your experience or of your product. Moreover, I accept no liability for your health. It is the responsibility of each reader and each home brewer to research the craft on their own, to understand the risks to health and home and to understand the legality of this practice in their locale.

I do not endorse or encourage the production of alcoholic products by, nor the providing of alcohol to, those who have not reached the legal age of consumption, 21 years in most US jurisdictions.

Let's be entirely honest. There are a lot of things that can go wrong with this pursuit ranging from the mundane to the fatal. Improperly stabilized product can cause bottles to explode violently, making a huge mess and potentially injuring people. Like any other foodstuff, the raw inputs for mead can attract pests to you home including insects and rodents. If the batch is contaminated it can stink up your whole house. Because mead is usually made using organic inputs and adjuncts which have not been filtered, sterilized or pasteurized, there is always the possibility that dangerous compounds and malignant microorganisms are present in your product. This is especially true if you have a compromised immune system, though the danger is present for all people. I'm sure there's a thousand other things that can go wrong with this process that I've never experienced. You're on your own.

In really plain English, don't be stupid. I'm just a guy making hooch in his kitchen and I'm not going to take responsibility for anything you do or don't do. If you take my advice and end up with a mess in your basement, a gulp of nasty crap in your mouth, a killer hangover or a fungal infection in your brain, remember that you chose to do this and that you accepted the risks for yourself. I don't want to scare anyone away from brewing but you need to know that there is always the possibility, however remote, of bad things happening. My ass is thusly covered.

Everybody clear?