 |
|
08-17-2010, 01:49 PM
|
#1
|
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Broomfield, Colorado
Posts: 3
|
How long can mead go in a carboy
|
|
I made a mead a couple of years ago and it's still sitting in a 5 Gal. carboy after racking it from a 6.5 Gal. carboy. Is it possible that it's still OK?
|
|
|
|
08-17-2010, 02:29 PM
|
#2
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 528
|
Mead can bulk age in the carboy for a long, long time. Did you have an airlock or a solid plug in the top? If an airlock, did it always have liquid in it, or did you let it dry out? Assuming that you had an airlock with liquid in it, or a solid stopper, and you were able to keep air out of the carboy, and you kept it in a cool, dark location, it should be perfect. Give it a taste. See how it is. That's the only real way to know for sure!
|
|
|
|
|
08-17-2010, 03:41 PM
|
#3
|
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Broomfield, Colorado
Posts: 3
|
Thanks for the info. I've had an airlock on it the whole time and the temperature stays around 60. Also it has a carboy cover on to keep it dark. It was close to dry a couple of times but I filled it up when I noticed. Thanks again.
|
|
|
|
|
08-17-2010, 04:35 PM
|
#4
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Belmont, NC
Posts: 1,112
|
It will not only be OK....it will be awesome!!!
|
|
|
|
|
08-17-2010, 04:38 PM
|
#5
|
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 29
|
I agree with the others, as long as your airlock stayed full of water you'll be fine. You should have some mighty fine mead there.
It is possible to over age mead, but I highly doubt you've done that.
|
|
|
|
|
08-17-2010, 04:50 PM
|
#6
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Sayreville, NJ, NJ
Posts: 1,236
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by CuAllaidh
It is possible to over age mead
|
Maybe possible for some people, but my meads never seem to make it to their second birthday... |
|
|
|
|
08-17-2010, 04:54 PM
|
#7
|
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: London, Ontario
Posts: 29
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mischief_Brewing
Maybe possible for some people, but my meads never seem to make it to their second birthday...
|
I said possible, I didn't say easy 
Most meads can survive five years or more of aging, however I've had some that really should have been drunk within six months of brewing (it was an orange mead, and it started to taste like orange peel after about six months of aging).
I am currently working on a chocolate strawberry mead that will probably age a year or more, on the lees no less. So ya mead varies in its ability to stand up to aging as much as wine does. |
|
|
|
|
12-17-2011, 06:41 AM
|
#8
|
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 14
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by CuAllaidh
Most meads can survive five years or more of aging, however I've had some that really should have been drunk within six months of brewing (it was an orange mead, and it started to taste like orange peel after about six months of aging).
|
This worries me.  I have an orange mead fermenting currently and intended to age it at least one year in bulk then another 6 months in bottles before drinking. I never would have thought it could start tasting like orange peel after aging it...
Some details:
6 gal, very similar to MAOM but used both 71B and 1118 yeasts. Targeting an ABV around 14%, should be dry. Anticipating it will be hot and even funky when finished fermenting but this is why I plan to degass, clear, then bulk age for a year.
Can you think of any reason why you had the ill-fated orange peel flavoured mead?
__________________
Brewing: HBT's Yooper Welsch's Recipe using Brunello slurry
Aging: Apricot Chamblaise, Founder's Italian Brunello
Bottled: Cheeky Monkey Sangiovese Syrah, Costco Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Semillion. Valipocella, Wine Kitz Cabernet Sauvignon, Primitivo. Kenridge Chocolate Port, Skeeter Pee
Beer: Apricot Pale Ale, Mr. Beer (fail)
|
|
|
|
|
12-17-2011, 12:17 PM
|
#9
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Kensington, MD
Posts: 514
|
What was your reasoning for using two different yeast strains?
|
|
|
|
|
12-17-2011, 11:32 PM
|
#10
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Belmont, NC
Posts: 1,112
|
So did the OP ever actually taste his mead? Post back and tell us how it was!
Sent from my DROIDX using Home Brew Talk
__________________
Bottled: Basic Spiced Cider, W. Coast of Belgium IPA, NJFB Stout v1 & v2
Mead List: Southern Pyment, Simple Cyser '08, '09,'10 & '11, PomPom Melomel, English hop metheglin, American hop metheglin, Chocolate Mead, Cherry Melomel, Belgeglin, Bochet
Primary: Caramel Quad, Cocobochet
Secondary: Why do I keep this line here...?
Bulk Aging: Mead Day Ginger Metheglin
Planned: Traditional Gesho T'ej
|
|
|
|
| Thread Tools |
|
|
| Display Modes |
 Linear Mode
|
|
|
|
