I just back sweetened a peach melomel for the first time today. I have 3 more melomels to back sweeten soon. Obviously the mead turned cloudy after adding the honey. So, my question is how long, on average does it take for the mead to clear up again after adding honey? Also, how many of you use clarifiers for clearing out the meads after back sweetening?
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Clarifying after back sweetening?
- Thread starter Q2XL
- Start date
Just me, but I usually hit the must with meta & sorbate and let that sit. Then I backsweeten and use a fining agent after backsweetening. I also use a 1m and .45m filter when bottling.
No sediment in the bottle after a number of batches.
The more general answer to your question is that it depends, but generally you can expect a mead that was clear before backsweetening to clear up within a few weeks of adding the additional honey. If you are more in a hurry than that, you can fine it or filter it, or as mfalenski does, you can do both.
My heather honey batch did the same thing, but after 12 months, the bugger hadn't cleared, I hit it with some 2 part fining and 36 hours later, it was gin clear.
Hey guys. I'm gonna piggyback on this thread since it partially covers the topic I wanted to ask about.
I remember some months back Fatbloke told me that backsweetening might cause a renewed haze (as you mentioned here, Fatbloke). So wondering how to approach this.
From reading around here and elsewhere, sounds like I should add K Meta, then Potassium Sorbate a day or so later, then honey a couple of days after that. But if it's caused a new haze, is it then safe to let it sit in the demijohn for a few months to clear? I also have Sparkaloid (spelling?) and can use that for clarifying.
This is for a mead that was made in June 2011. It's totally clear now, but I don't plan on bottling it for a few months, so thought if I can let it sit to clear I might go that route. I don't know if Potassium Sorbate will drop out of solution and no longer be effective if I let it sit, if I'd have to add more at bottling or what. I haven't seen this covered anyway.
Anyway, as always, any pointers would be great. Thanks.
I remember some months back Fatbloke told me that backsweetening might cause a renewed haze (as you mentioned here, Fatbloke). So wondering how to approach this.
From reading around here and elsewhere, sounds like I should add K Meta, then Potassium Sorbate a day or so later, then honey a couple of days after that. But if it's caused a new haze, is it then safe to let it sit in the demijohn for a few months to clear? I also have Sparkaloid (spelling?) and can use that for clarifying.
This is for a mead that was made in June 2011. It's totally clear now, but I don't plan on bottling it for a few months, so thought if I can let it sit to clear I might go that route. I don't know if Potassium Sorbate will drop out of solution and no longer be effective if I let it sit, if I'd have to add more at bottling or what. I haven't seen this covered anyway.
Anyway, as always, any pointers would be great. Thanks.
Should be perfectly fine to stay in an airtight carboy for many months. It's even a nice way to help it degas if you twirl the carboy gently every couple of days. Even when primary is over, there's CO2 trapped in the liquid, and it can affect the taste if you're perceptive.
From what I understand, the sorbate's pretty stable but if you do let it sit around to clear for a few months before bottling, you might want to hit it with sulphites one more time shortly before bottling so there's enough bottled to prevent any bugs that eat sorbate from getting any kind of hold, since sulphites do tend to dissipate over time.
