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Using olive oil...

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Dmntd

NewBee
Registered Member
Apr 18, 2005
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to form an oxygen barrier on mead thats being bulk aged in a carboy it doesn't quite fill. While surfing the net came across a number of articals referring to the romans floating olive oil on top of wine to keep it from turning bad. Why wouldn't this work to seal air out of wine or mead thats bulk aging in a carboy?

Anthony
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
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Tainting your mead with the olive oil flavor, harboring microbes and infecting your meads to name a few would be reasons not to use olive oil. It would be better to just lay down a layer of CO2 on top of the mead to protect it.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 

Lagerman64

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 17, 2003
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NY
I'm sure olive oil would add some flavor to the mead, but if heated to pateurization temps wouldn't it suffice as an O2 barrier? Isn't EVO lighter in flavor and wouldn't impart to much flaor to the mead? My two cents :)
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
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Problem is that Oil breaks down when heated so even at pasteurization temperatures it will begin to start that process. I don't even know if olive oil will float on top of mead either. I understand that in the Roman times olive oil was used to prevent oxidation, but we have much better means available now, and I'd rather use CO2 to protect my investment than "floating" olive oil on top of my mead.

Also, remember that the type and composition of olive oil being used by the Romans was different than it is now. If you're doing this for period or historical reproduction, that's cool, but for practical purposes, to me, it's more effective to use CO2 or a smaller aging vessel to prevent oxidation.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
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