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Traditional Swampwater Mead

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Intheswamp

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 9, 2012
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South Alabama
After dealing some with a new batch that has turned into a stinking mess I've gotten paranoid about my batch of traditional again. :rolleyes:

The mead is just a couple of days shy of two months old. It has been in the secondary for about five weeks. It has not been stabilized yet. Should I go ahead a rack it onto sulphite and sorbate? This batch tastes good and I'd hate for something to happen to it.

Ed
 

Intheswamp

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 9, 2012
257
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South Alabama
BOO!!!!!! ;D

Howdy everybody. Howdy CG. Ok, so it's been a while since I posted. No...aliens didn't abduct me, though I've been accused of being one a time or two... I hope everybody's doing, done, did well. Ah, well....

Guess what?...the Iron Bowl mead is still in the 3-gallon carboy that it was racked into from the primary fermenter. It has been sitting on the lees of KIV-1116 for the last 558 days...all total it has been 579 days since the yeast was pitched. It looks really clear, though a reddish(?) color. It has been air-locked with vodka all of this time and in a dim room. I guess before long I need to either rack it over into another carboy or either bottle it. I'm curious about it being on the lees for so long, though...as to how it tastes. :) One bad point about being sidetracked for so long is that I've forgotten so much of what I (vaguely) knew about fermenting mead. I'll try to get a picture of it before long and post. I've also got a few bottles of JAO that have been sitting for about that same amount of time. The crazy thing is that I don't drink very often...I mean, it's been several years since I had a beer! Actually, the last time I had a drink of anything was when this mead was racked into the carboy. This should be interesting....;D

What do ya'll think...rack it into another carboy for some more settling or bottle it?

Ed
 

Intheswamp

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 9, 2012
257
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South Alabama
Howdy everybody!!!!! Hmmm, well I can't really say I'm a regular here, but definitely have been a member for a while. :D

Seems some lazy bum *still* has some Iron Bowl Mead sitting in a 3-gallon carboy with some vodka in the airlock.

Sadly, the crash course I took regarding mead-making has slowly gassed off of my brain. :confused2: This traditional mead will be seven years in November. It was racked from the primary 5-gallon bucket into a 3-gallon glass carboy and has been sitting in the carboy ever since. There is a layer of lees at the bottom. The mead has a dark golden color and appears very, very clear. I have no idea how this tastes. Should I stabilize it at this point or is it pretty much self-stabilized after this length of time?

I think it was November 24th, 2012, when I pitched the yeast so I'd like to have it racked again or possibly bottled by the 24th of November this year. The Iron Bowl game (University of Alabama versus Auburn University rival football game) plays on November the 30th. The mead is named after this bowl game so I'd like to have a bottle to sip on while I watching the game.

Anyhoo...to stabilize or not, that is the question. :)

Thanks for the feedback!!!
Ed

(Naturally, if when I start to rack it and it's vinegar...well, we'll have to start eating lots more salads!!!!!!!!!!<GRIN>
 

EricHartman

Lifetime GotMead Patron
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Mar 4, 2019
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(Naturally, if when I start to rack it and it's vinegar...well, we'll have to start eating lots more salads!!!!!!!!!!<GRIN>

That will handle the salad dressing shortage problem! It is still sitting on the lees?!?! Just parroting what I've read here a ton, but it seems like the best way to protect your thoroughly aged mead would be to stabilize. Helps keep baddies out and protects against oxygen. Let us know how it tastes!
 

Farmboyc

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 2, 2015
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In regards to stabilizing I would say if you plan on keeping it for longer than 6 months then stabilize otherwise meh.

Just my 2 cents.

Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk
 

Intheswamp

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 9, 2012
257
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South Alabama
Thanks for the feedback! I'm not sure how it will taste but will find out soon. So, k-meta and a couple of days later sorbate? I think I have some of each. Both have been stored at room temp for seven years. Would it still be good?
 

rb2112br

Honey Master
Registered Member
Mar 27, 2018
156
34
28
I believe you should be adding the sorbate within 24 hours of the k-meta. I don't know how well either ages though if it's been sitting that long.
 

Intheswamp

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 9, 2012
257
1
0
South Alabama
Yeah, it's been around for quiet a while now. I was thinking about going ahead and ordering some fresh bags. Also wanted to order some fresh yeast but worried about shipping in this heat. Does dry yeast tolerate heat ok?
 

Squatchy

Lifetime GotMead Patron
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Nov 3, 2014
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I think you should stabilise everything as soon as it's finished fermenting. I would buy new as yours is too old.
 

Intheswamp

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 9, 2012
257
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South Alabama
Well, after two months shy of seven years I bottled the swampwater today. ;D Being as it kinda started here I figured I'd post the outcome. I managed to get it bottled by halftime of the Alabama/South Carolina game today....nice scrimage btw, SC. :D Anyhow, I got'er done and got'a buzz.<GRIN>

Here's the data:
This batch has been sitting on the lees since 2012. Yeast was pitched on Iron Bowl day..Google it. ;)
OG in 2012: 1.1080
SG today: 1.0060 Hydrometer#1
SG today: 1.0070 Hydrometer#2
I calculate the ABV% as being right at 14%. At the above SGs I apparently did not ferment all the sugar out.

pH taken with my little yellow, un-calibrated, POIT brand pH tester bought off of eBay read 4.05.
pH strips (blah) read either 3 or 4, yes...worthless more or less.

I ended up adding .5oz of tartaric acid. Racked the carboy onto k-meta and bottled.

I really had a premonition that I'd be using it for week-killer, but (I think) it turned out pretty good! [image]https://www.winemakingtalk.com/images/smilies/drunk.gif[/image]

Everything went rather smoothly, though slowly. That little Portuguese corker is nice item!!! I learned quick I needed to check the cork-setting depth gauge. I'm thinking of putting some teflon tape on it or maybe even a spot or two of some blue Loctite.

During the bottling I tried a "touch" of the mead after adding the tartaric acid. Seemed like it had a bit more crispness or something to it. I'm no expert wine taster, but I do believe it tasted better. It's a done deal. Corked and capped and in the clean-up stage now. I'm hoping I left enough space between cork and wine.

11 - 750ml bottles
4 - 375 ml bottles
2 - 12oz beer bottles
1 - pint jar
And a few small glasses that disappeared throughout the bottling (must of had a hole in it).
I do believe the hydrometer isn't lying and that the ABV% *is* around 14%. <BIG SMILE><Man, I got a buzz!!!!!!!!>

IMG_9654a (Custom) by Ed Welch, on Flickr

IMG_9657a (Custom) by Ed Welch, on Flickr

IMG_9661a (Custom) by Ed Welch, on Flickr
 

Squatchy

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So if it were me. Especially if I was going to age it for so long in an open container. I would have stabilized right after it was finished fermenting. Why would you wait? I have to believe that is as oxidized as can be
 

Intheswamp

NewBee
Registered Member
Oct 9, 2012
257
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South Alabama
Squatchy, it was aged in a 3-gallon glass carboy with 100-proof vodka in an airlock...filled to within a couple of the bung and sitting in a climatically controlled place (my house). It tastes pretty good to me. I shared some with a friend who said it was good...he said it is better than some JAOM that we drink all along and that has been bottled for a bit longer than this mead has been made. Maybe it is oxidized...tastes good, though.

As for waiting to stabilize... I intended to bottle it soon after it finished fermenting but things happened and life got in the way. The long aging was not really intentional, it "just happened". It was sitting in a safe spot and now I have gotten around to finishing the project. I had no idea whether it would be any good, but am very happy with the outcome. ;D
 
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