Why let the must sit for 24 hours?

I just started my first mead last night. A 5 gallon batch of blueberry mead. The instructions said to let the must sit for 24 hours before pitching the yeast. Several other recipes have called for similar waits.

With beer we are always in a rush to pitch the yeast so the beer yeast has a chance to take off a dominate the micro-system preventing any other wild yeasts or bacteria from getting established. So that being said, it makes me nervous to wait this long before pitching, especially with fruit just hanging out there in the primary.

I believe it's to let the k-meta (potassium meta-bisulfate/Camden tablets) do their thing, killing any wild yeast or bacteria that is on the fruit and then dissipate as to not kill off the yeast you are adding.

@ExoticMeadMaker: Right. If you use campden tabs and then pitch the yeast within the set time limit, you'll kill your yeast. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you aren't using campden tabs, then there is no reason why you can't pitch your yeast now.

Campden tabs. Yep, the recipe called for 5 crushed tabs. So that must have been to sterilize the honey and blueberries. makes sense.

Also, I probably should have titled this post "Why must the must sit for 24 hours?"
Dang that missed opportunity.

Never dine that with my batches of Mead. I also don't hit it with Camden tablets after mixing it up. Never had any issues with my batches either.

as everyone stated it's due to the campden tabs, if you pitch right after the k-meta it will inhibit the yeast colony from multiplying (which is why it is used for stabilizing at the end), it may finally get there but you'd risk stressing it massively and bad crap happening. Campden tabs are also antioxidants and since in the begining alot of oxygen is desirable I never use it in the begining. Honey doesn't need to be sterilized, it's naturally antimicrobial, if your fruit is handled properly (freeze/thaw/freeze/thaw/add to must, seems to be the most popular) it also won't need to be sanitized/sterilized either.