Hidalgo said:
I was curious about that myself. How long should I make each stage?
I use a Bucket Primarry but my bucket isn't airlocked, so I transfer to a carboy primary(s) after 2-3 weeks when the mead no longer has a foam head. It then has 2-3 more weeks in the carboys with all the lees from the bucket (I stir it real well before I transfer but this is a meadmaking oddity for my situation)
IF your bucket is airlocked, forget that nonsence and leave it in a bucket for 4 weeks, then take a hydrometer reading and taste (I drink it from the tube that floats the hydrometer).
You should be able to compare your hydrometer reading from the bucket with your original gravity (OG) and your yeast attenuation rating from the manufacturers web pages to get an idea of how finished your yeast is... Assuming it is anywhere close, transfer to a carboy, otherwise wait 2 more weeks.
Assuming a reasonable Starting OG of 1.2 or less, transfering it at about 1.03 is a good rule of thumb for first timers. This leaves fermentation in its new home to help protect it, but is finished enough to be palatable to almost everyone if you somehow manage to stick the fermentation at this racking.
Some people add fruit to the Primary bucket at this stage for a bucket secondary that retains more fruit flavor in thier melomels. They then typiclly let this run another month. Remove the Fruit (often times squeezing juice out). Fruint being in an ingredient bag makes all of this easier. Then rack.
Now you have your 1-2 m/o mead in a nice glass carboy,
Bubbles slowly escaping,
possible some fermentation going on.
A patient guy racks ever 30-90 days as sediment builds up on the bottom (1yr) :-/
A less patient guy adds fining agents, or cold stabalizes to make it clear faster (1-2 mo)
The hasty individual skips this stage puts it in a corny keg and calls his friends over (1 day) ;D
Honestly the Cyser does get better, it's just so good to start with that too often it dies an early death
Obligatory Sanitization Plug
http://www.gotmead.com/index.php?op...tMead;action=display;num=1075638430;start=0#0