In Valheim brewing mead is an important feature for progress. The nectar of the gods grants you buffs that give you advantages in combat against the creatures of Nordic mythology. In the MeinMMO guide to fermentation, we explain which technologies and resources you need.
What is fermentation and how does it work: In Valheim, you can make different types of mead with the fermenter. Mead is one of the most important buff foods in Valheim. To make it, you need one of many possible mead mixtures. We explain how to create these and what you need for them.
Making and fermenting mead mixtures
How to make mead mixtures: To make mead, you need a cauldron and a fermenter. You can build both yourself, or you can use a friend’s equipment.
The mead mixtures are crafted in the cauldron and then appear in your inventory. Visually, these resemble a filled soup bowl. You will learn three recipes relatively early. You will gain more recipes when you make your way to the swamp biome.
All mead recipes in Valheim
Mead mixture “Healthy”: Restores 50 health points over time. You will need:
- 10 x honey
- 5 x blueberries
- 10 x raspberries
- 1 x dandelion
Mead mixture “Very Healthy”: Restores 75 health points over time. You will need:
- 10 x honey
- 4 x blood bag
- 10 x raspberries
- 1 x dandelion
Mead mixture “Low Stamina”: Your stamina is restored by up to 80 points over a short time. You will need:
- 10 x honey
- 10 x raspberries
- 10 x yellow mushroom
Mead mixture “Medium Stamina”: Your stamina is restored by up to 160 points over a short time. You will need:
- 10 x honey
- 10 x cloudberries
- 10 x yellow mushroom
Mead mixture “Delicious”: Health regeneration is reduced by 50%, stamina regeneration is increased by 300%. You will need:
- 10 x honey
- 10 x raspberry
- 5 x blueberries
Mead mixture “Frost Resistance”: Immunity to “Freezing” and “Cold”. You will need:
- 10 x honey
- 5 x thistle
- 2 x blood bag
- 1 x gray dwarf eye
Mead mixture “Poison Resistance”: Reduces poison damage by 75%. You will need:
- 10 x honey
- 5 x thistle
- 1 x nix tail
- 10 x coal
Barley wine mixture “Fire Resistance”: Reduces fire damage by 50%. You will need:
- 10 x barley
- 10 x cloudberries
Resistance mead is useful for exploring new biomes like the mountains. You must have found each ingredient at least once, meaning it must have been in your inventory. After that, it will be available for crafting at the cauldron.
Fermenting mead: After you have made mead mixtures in the cauldron, you put them in the fermenter. Press “E” when you stand in front of it to start the fermentation process. Making mead takes some time. It is advisable to build several fermenters if you want to produce mead in large quantities. One batch of mead consists of six units.
Why mead is so important: Mead grants you buffs in combat. When fighting bosses and mobs, the buffs can be decisive in terms of victory or defeat. So, always take enough mead with you on your journeys in the world of Valheim.
Unlike in comparable survival games, you cannot starve in Valheim. However, the higher the quality and variety of the food, the more health points and stamina you will receive. Once you have summoned and defeated the first boss “Eikthyr”, Valheim will become a real challenge. You will only make progress if you bring the right equipment and buff food with you on your travels.
Unlocking the cauldron and fermenter in Valheim
To make mead, you need a cauldron and a fermenter. You will learn both once you have smelted the first tin and bronze bars and collected fine wood.
How to obtain bronze in Valheim: After you have summoned and defeated Eikthyr, you can craft a pickaxe. There are copper and tin deposits in the dark forest biome. Mine these and build a smelter and a charcoal kiln.
For these two buildings, you will need Surtling cores. You can find these in burial chambers scattered throughout dark forests. Bring good weapons and a torch, as the chambers are dark and full of skeletons and ghosts.
In the smelter, you will craft copper and tin bars. Then, build a forge, which allows you to craft bronze.
How to obtain fine wood in Valheim: You obtain fine wood from birch and oak trees. You can fell these with a bronze axe. You craft the bronze axe at the forge. To make it, you need:
- 4 x wood
- 8 x bronze
- 2 x leather scraps
Once you have tin, bronze and fine wood, you can build the cauldron and the fermenter. The cauldron must be placed over a fire pit.
Finding ingredients to make mead in Valheim
How to obtain the ingredients for mead: To make the three starter mead mixtures, you need five ingredients: honey, blueberries, raspberries, dandelion, and yellow mushrooms.
How to make honey in Valheim: To make honey, you need a beehive. For this, you need wood and a queen bee. If you destroy wild beehives, they will drop honey and a queen bee as loot. Look for ruins and abandoned houses in the meadows; they often contain wild beehives that can easily be destroyed with ranged weapons. Alternatively, build a workbench near the ruin and use the hammer to destroy the structures around the beehive. This will cause it to fall, allowing you to collect the loot easily.
Once you have built the beehive, it will automatically produce honey. Regularly check the inventory of the beehive and gather the honey.
Where to find blueberries and raspberries in Valheim: In the meadows, you will find numerous bushes with raspberries. You can find blueberries in the dark forest. You can pick both berries directly from the bushes.
Where to find dandelions and yellow mushrooms in Valheim: Dandelions are very common in the meadow biome. The small plants are easy to overlook, so search the ground very carefully. Yellow mushrooms can be found in troll caves and burial chambers in the dark forest.
From mead to berry jam
Many players discover berry jam along with mead and fermentation. It is worthwhile as an alternative to mushrooms for food buffs and is also made in the cauldron.
Unlike mead, it does not need to be fermented. To make it, you need eight raspberries and eight blueberries. You will receive four servings of berry jam, each restoring 2 HP per tick for 20 minutes.
What you still need to know about Valheim
Valheim has started very successfully in Early Access on Steam and has even temporarily surpassed ARK in player numbers. In this mystical land, you try to gain the favor of the gods. As a Norseman, you fight against powerful bosses and must prove that you are the strongest warrior.
The survival game is developed by Iron Gate Studios. MeinMMO author Benedict Grothaus reveals in his guide 10 beginner tips in Valheim that I wish I had known beforehand.
What do you particularly like about Valheim, and is there a guide that you miss? Let us know in the comments.
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