noob Mead racking mishap, areated it! Is it a lost cause?

D0ug · 10-21-2010, 01:38 AM

I made (my first) 3 gallons of mead in May. I waited until it had (mostly) cleared to rack to a secondary. Last week I was brewing with a friend of mine here in the basement, and I started getting antsy thinking about what to brew next. Having no money for more materials right now I decided to re-rack the mead.

I don't know why, it seems I might have read somewhere that racking a wine while it's bulk conditioning every month or two will help it clear.

Anyway, blundering about (maybe my auto-siphon was funked) I wound up decanting it into another 3 gallon carboy through a FUNNEL

and it got foamy on top.

Fermentation is over, and it had already been racked once, so it wasn't krausen. I foamed up my mead with AIR.

I suspect it has been thoroughly oxygenated if not oxidized.

Is there anything I can do for it besides wait and see if it turns brown?

**Yooper** · 10-21-2010, 01:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D0ug

I made (my first) 3 gallons of mead in May. I waited until it had (mostly) cleared to rack to a secondary. Last week I was brewing with a friend of mine here in the basement, and I started getting antsy thinking about what to brew next. Having no money for more materials right now I decided to re-rack the mead.

I don't know why, it seems I might have read somewhere that racking a wine while it's bulk conditioning every month or two will help it clear.

Anyway, blundering about (maybe my auto-siphon was funked) I wound up decanting it into another 3 gallon carboy through a FUNNEL

and it got foamy on top.

Fermentation is over, and it had already been racked once, so it wasn't krausen. I foamed up my mead with AIR.

I suspect it has been thoroughly oxygenated if not oxidized.

Is there anything I can do for it besides wait and see if it turns brown?

If you did that today, I'd say that one crushed campden per gallon added right this moment might help quite a bit. If you did it last week, I'd say it's way too late now.

D0ug · 10-21-2010, 01:57 AM

Thanks Yooper, now I know.

I might age a little anyway, just so I know what it tastes like when it has oxidized.

MedsenFey · 10-21-2010, 02:22 PM

I wouldn't recommend transferring with a funnel, but depending on your recipe, the mead may be just fine. Traditional meads in particular are relatively resistant to oxidation - they aren't like beer. Melomels may be much easier to oxidize. If there is oxidation usually will give a very identifiable smell of Sherry/Madeira with a nutty character, progressing to a flat, or cardboard aroma/flavor. If you know what Sherry smells like, you'll be able to tell if one of your batches develops that aroma (If you don't know what Sherry smells like, get some. It's tasty

)