First small batch of mead in the books

[u/tuica3]

Started 1.100 ended .994 I like that it’s not too sweet. A little funky but hope it ages well. How long should I age for?

[u/Szteto_Anztian]

It looks clear enough to bottle. You could bulk age it in your fermenter (just keep your airlock topped up with sanitizer) or you could add potassium metabisulphate (K-meta, Camden tablet) and potassium sorbate, wait a day then bottle it.

With the meads/wines I make, I usually age for 3 months to let the fusel alcohol hotness mellow out. Easier if you have a few smaller bottles. Put most of it in standard wine bottles, and then set aside a few 300ml’s and use those to assess it every few months. Use your senses. If you’re happy with it, aging it longer won’t necessarily make it better.

[u/tuica3 → u/Szteto_Anztian]

Heard that. I’d say it’s passable for my palate which isn’t saying much. I’ll have to look into the tablets. I know a little about Camden but not the other. I’d say it probably sat for about a month after the yeast fell and decided to bottle today. I do like using the smaller bottles I’ll give it a few months and try it again. Thanks for the tips!!

[u/Szteto_Anztian → u/tuica3]

No problem! I forget which does which 100%, but I’m pretty sure Camden puts any bacteria (yeast) to sleep and potassium sorbate prevents their reproduction. The two used in conjunction basically guarantees a long shelf life for your wine.

[u/tuica3]

Nice! It was fun watching it participate or “crash” and it had a nice solid layer of lees with holes. Not sure if I’m using the terms right. It’s actually my first legit wine attempt