dtow2

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A friend gave me a bunch of bottles that haven't been used since 1998. Most were empty but some had beer, wine, and mead in it. All homebrewed. The beer and wine were no good, but I'm not sure if the mead is any good since I never drank any before. The dates are from 1998 and they are called maple mead. They look nice and clear.
How do you know for sure if it's any good and what signs do you see,smell, and taste if it's bad.
Thanks in advance!
Dave

delvorak

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I think it depends on if the seal is still good. I've heard of meads that were all good after 10 years.. So if the seal on the is good, odds are the mead is good.

Beer_me_plz

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Do you know how it was kept? Was it exposed to light? Were the bottles upright or on their side? Hot or cold? If it was in a hot garage or attic it's probably no good. Also, if he did a good job keeping o2 exposure low during the making it will make a difference as well. also like the other poster said a good seal makes a huge difference.

I know mead ages well but I'm not sure for how long. Just curious what kind of wine was it? If it was red wine that went south it's probably not a good sign.

Draugr

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Do you know anything about what's in it?
It may sound like a silly question, but the name "Maple mead" makes me wonder. I have seen stuff labelled as mead that was made from nothing more than maple syrup.
If that is the case, I have no answer for you, as I know very little about maple syrup.

If on the other hand it is proper mead, made from honey and somehow flavoured with maple, there should be no problems. Unless human error is involved.
As a general rule, mead does not have a "best before" date. Technically, mead has a near unlimited shelf life. So much so in fact, that the largest commercial producer of mead in Denmark, clearly states that their products (which has no preservatives or additives) will never spoil. And that says a lot in a country with perhaps the strictest food safety laws in the world.

A general rule of thumb for storage, is to keep it sealed and protected from sunlight.

Golddiggie

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As long as they were stored at least semi-properly, the 'mead' should be fine. It really depends on how good a job HE did with making them.

I have a batch of maple mead/wine in process now (started early December 2011). I used grade b syrup (100% no other sugars in it), water, yeast and nutrients. Every time I vent the keg its resting in, it smells divine. I plan on bottling it up after I've moved (in <2 months). It's only 14%, which is why it will be ready fairly soon (might be already but I won't bottle for a while).

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Hopping Tango Brewery

跟猴子比丟屎 ・ Gun HOE-tze bee DIO-se

On Tap: Caramel Ale, Mocha Porter II, MO SMaSH IPA
Waiting/Carbonating: 12.5% Wee Honey II, 8.9% Old Ale, English Brown Ale, Lickah ESB, Mocha Porter II
Fermenting
K1: MO SMaSH IPA
K2:
K3: TripSix
On Deck: Caramel Ale
Aging:mead
Mead [bottled]:Oaked Wildflower Traditional, Mocha Madness, Blackberry Melomel, maple wine


...the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed

roadymi

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If it doesn't smell offensive it will be fine to taste, if it tastes ok, it will be fine to drink. If it has survived 14 years of uhknown storage conditions, it should be fantastic.

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amandabab

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I wish I had 14 year old mead.
Mine never seems to get past 4

Tantalus

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I've seen threads about 21 year meads before. Honey is one of the few foods that doesn't spoil, and the high ABV of most meads should discourage bacteria or other infections. Give it a shot, if it tastes bad you can always dump it.

Golddiggie

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I'm actually planning to squirrel away several bottles from what I made in 2010 to see how they are as the years go by. I'm thinking it will be a good idea to reserve several bottles of each batch made so that I can see how they change over time. I'm planning to use 375ml bottles for this, but might also set aside some 750ml bottles, just in case.

I have a 21% mead that will be 18-24 months before it goes to bottles (from when it was started). It might need even more time after that for aging. I'm also planning a 25% mead that I'll make once I've moved. Wonder how long that will take before it becomes truly great.

__________________
My RocketHub Project

Hopping Tango Brewery

跟猴子比丟屎 ・ Gun HOE-tze bee DIO-se

On Tap: Caramel Ale, Mocha Porter II, MO SMaSH IPA
Waiting/Carbonating: 12.5% Wee Honey II, 8.9% Old Ale, English Brown Ale, Lickah ESB, Mocha Porter II
Fermenting
K1: MO SMaSH IPA
K2:
K3: TripSix
On Deck: Caramel Ale
Aging:mead
Mead [bottled]:Oaked Wildflower Traditional, Mocha Madness, Blackberry Melomel, maple wine


...the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed

derek81

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Drink it and tell us if it's good! Pics please lol