DubbelDach
Well-Known Member
I was hoping I could get some tips here on finishing up my mead. It's a high ABV mead made from clover honey. It was made on June 1, and fermented out in 2ndary. I moved it to a tertiary a week ago and it's crystal clear. Doesn't really seem like long enough, but I'm in no rush to bottle it. I'm going to take a gravity tonight and see exactly where it is. No problem leaving it for up to another year if it will help.
I intend to bottle this in 750ml cobalt bottles with corks and wax. I want it to be a still mead. It's going to be my yet-to-be-born daughter's birthday mead (expected 4/7/09), so I want to have a bottle on each of her birthdays up through the time I can start sharing with her. I'll keep the last bottle for her wedding day. I will bottle it all now, but label them with a picture of her each year.
The questions:
1) To make this a still mead, will I have to stop fermentation? What chemicals do I add, and what is the process?
2) Will a mead hold up over time? We're talking maybe 25 years here. I am thinking this is going to be around 15-18% abv... I used a lot of honey!
3) Should a corked, waxed, still mead be stored on it's side like wine? Serving temp for a still mead? Refrigerated or room temp?
First mead here... Sorry if the questions are pedestrian!
I intend to bottle this in 750ml cobalt bottles with corks and wax. I want it to be a still mead. It's going to be my yet-to-be-born daughter's birthday mead (expected 4/7/09), so I want to have a bottle on each of her birthdays up through the time I can start sharing with her. I'll keep the last bottle for her wedding day. I will bottle it all now, but label them with a picture of her each year.
The questions:
1) To make this a still mead, will I have to stop fermentation? What chemicals do I add, and what is the process?
2) Will a mead hold up over time? We're talking maybe 25 years here. I am thinking this is going to be around 15-18% abv... I used a lot of honey!
3) Should a corked, waxed, still mead be stored on it's side like wine? Serving temp for a still mead? Refrigerated or room temp?
First mead here... Sorry if the questions are pedestrian!