How to use the fermenter in Valheim

how to use Valheim fermenter
(Image credit: Iron Gate Studios)

How do you use the Valheim fermenter? This brewing station is a big wooden barrel, used for concocting mead and wine that can boost your resistance to different status effects, including poison, fire, and frost. You can even craft potions that temporarily increase the rate of your stamina and health regeneration.

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Wherever you're heading on the Valheim map you'll want a few bottles of mead in your inventory, and I'm here to help you make lots of it. Let's cover how to use the fermenter in Valheim, how long it takes to ferment mead, and what to do when this object is too exposed.

Valheim fermenter: How to use it

The fermenter is used to create mead and potions in Valheim. You can make this item early on, after you've acquired a hammer, workbench, and forge. To craft a fermenter you need:

  • Equipment: Workbench, forge.
  • Bronze x5: Combine Copper x2 and Tin x1 in a forge.
  • Fine wood x30: Chop down Birch and Oak trees (requires a bronze axe or better).
  • Resin x10: Dropped by Greydwarf/Shaman/Brutes and occasionally dropped when chopping down Beech and Birch trees.

You also need a cauldron to begin brewing mead bases that can then be fermented into various potions. Remember you need to place this above a campfire for it to work. Here's how to craft a cauldron:

  • Equipment: Workbench, smelter.
  • Tin x10: Smelt tin ore, found in the Black Forest.

Interact with the cauldron and check out your available mead recipes (below). Once you have your desired mead base, walk over to the fermenter and press E to place it in the fermenter. The barrel will have an orange, gassy glow surrounding it while it ferments.

Valheim fermenter time

(Image credit: Iron Gate Studios)

How long does fermentation take in Valheim?

It takes two in-game days for your fermenter to transform your mead base into a helpful potion. There's no way to skip the process by sleeping, so we'll just have to be patient. If you're planning to sail your boat to a faraway corner of the map, or you're poised to march into a challenging boss fight, be sure to pop your fermenter on first.

Consider crafting a chest and leaving it next to your fermenter so that you can store your precious elixirs safely. It's worth stocking up on various types of mead in advance, so you're not wasting time waiting to swipe the mead as soon as it's ready. If you play with your pals on a dedicated Valheim server, make sure there's enough to go around and take turns crafting various mead bases, just like you would boiling the kettle in real life.

Valheim fermenter too exposed?

(Image credit: Iron Gate Studios)

What to do when your Valheim fermenter is too exposed

The fermenter is similar to your workbench in that it needs shelter before you can begin concocting potions. There's no pressure to build an elaborate home for your fermenter—a basic shed or shelter will do—but seeing as you'll be making lots of mead, make sure the structure has room for storage. I recommend finding a permanent spot for your fermenter in your home. If that's not feasible, here's how to build a small shelter when your fermenter is too exposed:

  • Place eight Wood Walls (Wood x2 each) around the fermenter.
  • Add two Thatched Roof 45° tiles (Wood x2) directly above.

Mead & wine recipes

How to make all Valheim mead and wine: Frost resistance mead, and more

You'll automatically unlock Valheim mead and wine recipes as you discover their required ingredients. Once you have access to a cauldron, you can begin making mead and wine bases. Here's every type of mead and wine, and how to make it:

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Valheim mead and wine recipes
Mead/wine (x6)EffectMead/ wine base required (x1)Recipe
Minor healing meadRestores 50HP over 10 secondsMead base: Minor healingBlueberries x5, dandelion x1, honey x10, raspberries x10
Medium healing meadRestores 75HP over 10 secondsMead base: Medium healingBloodbag x4, dandelion x1, honey x10, raspberries x10
Minor stamina meadRestores 80 stamina over 120 secondsMead base: Minor staminaHoney x10, raspberries x10, yellow mushroom x10
Medium stamina meadRestores 160 stamina immediately, increases stamina recovery for 120 secondsMead base: Medium staminaCloudberries x10, honey x10, yellow mushroom x10
Tasty meadIncreases stamina regen by 300 percent, lowers health regen by 50 percentMead base: TastyBlueberries x5, honey x10, raspberries x10
Frost resistance meadFrost resistance for 600 secondsMead base: Frost resistanceBloodbag x2, greydwarf eye x1, honey x10, thistle x5
Poison resistance meadPoison resistance for 600 secondsMead base: Poison resistanceCoal x10, honey x10, neck tail x1, thistle x5
Fire resistance barley wineFire resistance for 600 secondsBarley wine base: Fire resistanceBarley x10, cloudberries x10
Emma Matthews

As PC Gamer's guides writer, Emma is usually juggling several games at once. She loves competitive first-person shooters like CS:GO and Call of Duty, but she always has time for a few rounds of Hearthstone. She's happiest when she's rescuing pugs in Spelunky 2.