First mead

[Rod Lowe]

My first mead, JOA is now 18 days underway. I cant believe how much dead yeast there is compared to the 7 grams of bread yeast pitch into the must. It is starting to drop clear and I am getting excited.

I have been saving clear stubby bottles from Bundaberg soft drinks to bottle this lot for aging. Is there any reason why this is not a good idea? I wanted small bottles so I dont need to spoil a large volume just to find out if it has aged enough.

If this is any good I am going to start aging in 18 L kegs and try force carbonating to make it fizzy ;-)

 

[knot_gillty]

From all I have read, bulk aging is better. Me personally, with my JAOs I’ve waited around the 2 months from first mix to bottling. I bottle into 750ml wine bottles and if there’s not a full bottle left I will use stubbies.

As you might have read in some of my Mead threads, I’m either not patient enough or just decide to drink the lot anyway so that’s another reason I use the wine bottles. I’ll drink it regardless... haha.

One contraption I’d love to find or somehow make is some sort of a net type thing that will fit through the neck of a demijohn and open up to push the fruit and stuff under the surface. As yet I haven’t been able to find anything.

 

[Rod Lowe]

I know what you mean, I cant see this lot getting to a year old, unless it is bloody horrible the first time I try it.

 

[mondestrunken]

Ageing mead is generally a good idea. Young mead tends to give shocking hangovers.
Or maybe it's just me... Drinking anything with fermented honey gives me an unbelievably painful hangover faceache as opposed to a regular hangover headache from drinking comparable quantities of beer.
Anyway, just personal experience. Good luck with it!

 

[breakbeer]

Only done it once & mine was bulk aged for just over a year. I'm usually impatient with these things but every bit of advice I got was "the longer in the demijon, the better it will be"

 

[laxation]

When aging in the demijohn do you do it as-is, with the yeast and everything, or do you need to go to a secondary?

 

[breakbeer]

When aging in the demijohn do you do it as-is, with the yeast and everything, or do you need to go to a secondary?

Just left it all in, as is. Was happy with the clarity & over the moon with the taste

 

[Airgead]

Depends.... Leaving it on the lees can give you a buttery/bready flavour like a Chardonnay or champagne. Which may be what you are after. If it not, secondary.

I tend to rack mine to a secondary.

Cheers
Dave

 

[SKBugs]

In my case i would have to move the bottle and mead etc, otherwise the family won't have anywhere to eat their meals. Does anyone have an opinion about moving fermenting bottles after racking to secondary a short distance, up to the shed for example?

 

[Airgead]

Should be fine.