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Sediment in Bottles

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jrigal

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Sep 27, 2005
40
0
6
47
Need a little help. I bottled my first two batches of Ancient Orange. I waited a little over two months when both had dropped clear, in fact, the oranges had sunk. I checked them both today, and found that the ones bottled from one batch had a light film of sediment on the bottom of every bottle. The layer is just enough to coat the bottom of each bottle. The other batch still looked perfect, with no sediment.

Looks aside (I'm a perfectionist), will this cause off flavors in the mead inside or is this amount acceptable? Do I need to rebottle?

Thanks,

Jay

Side Note: Maybe I'll cold stabilize next time before bottling.
 

David Baldwin

NewBee
Registered Member
Jun 29, 2004
860
1
0
Grand Rapids, MI
I've had the same thing happen to my AO meads. It happens when I've been in a hurry to get it bottled.

My brother had a bottle tucked away for about a year after bottling and it was fine. Decant carefully to keep the bit of sediment on the bottom of the bottle as you pour.


David
 

jrigal

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Sep 27, 2005
40
0
6
47
I was kinda thinking the same thing. I didn't want to rush it, but I was scared of leaving it in the fermenter on its lees because (as per the recipe) I used bread yeast. I waited longer than suggested though.

Maybe I will take that advice and open one now. Couldn't hurt!
 

hiddendragonet

NewBee
Registered Member
Jan 27, 2006
56
0
0
I had a mead bulk aging for 8 months, and fined with Sparkalloid, and it still dropped lees in the bottle. It seems crazy to me to even think about bottling a mead in a couple of months, but what do I know? :eek:
 

jrigal

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Sep 27, 2005
40
0
6
47
This is the famous "Joe's Ancient Orange" recipe. Some people report bottling this in 5 or 6 weeks. Mine was clear in about 5, but I wanted to make sure it had time to degass if it needed it.

I know a lot of you have made the Ancient Orange. What's the longest you've left it before bottling? Does anybody know how long it would take for the lees from the bread yeast to cause off-flavors?
 
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