clearing

Rygar · Oct 10, 2003

does anyone have a preference to how like like thier mead to clear?

I've seen/read of people using chemicals, Egg whites, and the good ole 'wait till it clears' method.

This kinda goes along with the 'stopping fermentation' post...once I have the mead where I like it, I would like to put it in bottles soon afterward. I'm not really impatient..just looking at this batch for holiday gifts this year.

polarbearforge · Oct 10, 2003

I do a combination of "wait til it clears" and benotite. When I rack it the last time, I add benotite per instructions on bottle.

Were you planning on gifts for this year (2003)? I hate to say this, but you probably don't have the time. All my meads age at least one year before being considered for consumption. Depending on the batch, sometimes longer.

I have a dark mead that I made that is almost right, and it's at about the two year mark.

Jamie

Redleg · Oct 14, 2003

Here's my method, and it works so well, I don't have to decant my meads:

1) Adjust recipe for 6 gallons and use a larger carboy/pail for the primary fermentation.
2) When fermentation has stopped, fine with bentonite and Sparkalloid. Wait 1 week, or until a nice, compact lees forms, then rack.
3) Bulk age and fine again with Sparkalloid, only.
4) Repeat step 3 1 more time.
5) Bottle.

You might lose about .5 to .75 gallons of mead with this method, but most of that is tied up in the lees.

Do not use bentonite more than once. It has a tendency to strip faint flavors if used too often.

Or, you could just buy a .5 micron plate filter, fine once with bentonite and then coarse-fine filter it.

Lagerman64 · Oct 17, 2003

I use Bentonite and Sparkloid also. Just bought another clarifier to try, Kitosol 40. It's a two part kit, I'll let you know how it turns out (in about six months).

Dan McFeeley · Oct 19, 2003

I either let it clear on its own, or use sparkloid.
For me at least, sparkloid does the trick every
time.

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Dan McFeeley

Terry Cox · Oct 20, 2003

I had always bottled it cloudy. When I placed the bottle in the fridge prior to drinking, I noticed that it cleared up rather nicely (but left lots of fallout on the bottom, naturally). So on my last batch, I placed the whole carboy in the fridge. After about a month and a couple times racking it, it cleared right up and I ended up bottling beautifully clear mead!

JamesB · Oct 21, 2003

I've made the same observation that the mead clears up quicker in cooler temperatures.

Another way to go is to buy a filter machine at your home brew shop. I'm currently brewing 15 gallon batches, so I made this investment. Even so, I just finished bottling a raspberry mead which I had filtered. Since it's still a little bit cloudy

, I now know I'll need to filter my next batch using a finer filter pad. :-*

Rygar · Oct 24, 2003

I have another question, along the lines of this one.

I got some Polyclar to try on this batch for clearing. it's not really a chemical per/se, but it describes it as the stuff they use to bond asprin and such into form. It's supposed to clear your mead in about a week.

My current batch I want to keep a sweet mead, and when I racked it was almost there. It's still bubbling a little bit, not stopped completely yet. I don't want to end up with more carb. cleaner thats gonna be too dry and take years to age out. yeah..I guess I'm a little impatient. I mean hey..I want to at least drink some of of what I've worked for before I get 10 batches under my belt and have enough to start my own brewery!! lol

anyway..I digress. I was wondering, what would happen if I added the clearing agent while there was still some yeast activity going on? would it stop the fermenting..or just drop all the yeast to the bottom of the carboy and continue fermenting into my freshly cleared brew?

Jmattioli · Oct 25, 2003

Why not stop it there with sorbate and let it sit for 10 days to clear and make sure yeasts have expired. It should naturally clear that way and what is 10 days more since it is almost there. Then rack it to clean carboy to remove lees and bottle that clear stuff. Drink any excess that won't fit in bottle. yesiree sounds good to me. Joe

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