Mead Time

Hello there i was wondering how long does it usually take for a mead to finish being made using 12pounds of honey, is 6 months or can it be done sooner than that.
I made a simple mead like this before and i rush it and made it in two months and turned out good but was hazy from the honey not being fully cleared on its own.
I like the result i got even though i used a finishing agent so it would clear quicker and i wont do that anymore because it didnt clear the mead.

Basically, you answered your own question.

Fementation, and all that goes with it, is a natural process that pretty much can't be altered without consequences.

As you already know from past experience...your consequence was cloudy mead.

However, I have noticed that if you use half the amount of honey in the same amount of water and it will clear faster because there is less sugar for the yeast to convert. And cold crashing does drop more yeast out of solution in a shorter time.

The trick is to try not to rush a schedule as much as it is to plan ahead.

What clearing agent did you use last time?

Time is directly relational to the abv (ie: amount of honey).

Less honey = less time.
More honey = more alcohol = more time to age.

HB99's lemonade mead is supposedly very fast, and (from direct sampling) very very tasty.

One glass won't get you quite so screwed up as one glass of a standard strength mead, but man you can put down a LOT of it.

Hey HB - don't forget that awesome cider recipe

jezter6 said:

Time is directly relational to the abv (ie: amount of honey).

Less honey = less time.
More honey = more alcohol = more time to age.

HB99's lemonade mead is supposedly very fast, and (from direct sampling) very very tasty.

One glass won't get you quite so screwed up as one glass of a standard strength mead, but man you can put down a LOT of it.

Hey HB - don't forget that awesome cider recipe

Click to expand...

As soon as you mentioned it I remembered I owe it to you...#8025 right?

This weekend PROMISE!!!

k thanks i was just checking. I was wanting to know for when i go to make mead again after my batch of beer is done.

Why not at the same time?

because i only have one primary and secondary carboys. Also because i didnt have to the money to make both. I just moved to a different state so time and money is tight.

Doing staggered nutrient additions can cut the time to finish/clear as well. I just did a batch of 3lb honey in 1 gal with nutrient additions and it cleared in 4 weeks no problem.

k kol i usually make my batchs as 6 gallons with 12lbs of honey.

insnekamkze86 said:

because i only have one primary and secondary carboys. Also because i didnt have to the money to make both. I just moved to a different state so time and money is tight.

Click to expand...

I thought as much when I was typing it in... Now we know what you want for Christmas...more equipment!!!

LOL yes i will be getting more equipment when i get more money.

i am tring to get two setups for mead alone and two for beer, but fortunately i just have the one setup for now. I like making mead better because it easier to make and yields greater results but right now i only have time for beer, unless i make a mead with only 4 or 6 pounds of honey yielding a size a couple of gallons.

insnekamkze86 - Ale pales are only around $6, + air lock.
You can also pick up 1 gal glass jugs from friends, etc for free. Use tin-foil to cover. They are great for making experimental recipes before you shell out the big bucks for a large batch. They are also so much easier to aerate, etc.
Not knocking you, I have been dirt poor, poor and middle class, and I prefer middle class.
Just trying to offer some alternatives to the all or none view. A one gallon batch of mead in the pipeline is better than none.

okay i understand and your right i could do that, to see what i got right and what when wrong in making different mead. If i made a 5 or 6 gallon batch with only like 6 or 9 pounds of honey instead of 12 pounds would it clear/ferment quicker since there is less honey in the batch?

insnekamkze86
That is a little weak, more in line with a braggot, 6-7lbs of honey with around 3-4 lbs of malt extract. The fermentation would be slow, my last one was around 2 weeks in primary and sitting in secondary to clear and age. Maybe 3 weeks or so.
I just started a Mead yesterday using 12lbs of honey and US-05 ale yeast, just did my first degassing this morning and SNA. The goal is to max out the yeast and still have a some what dry final product and hoping it will take less than a year to be at its best.
Note a lot of hopes there, I still have to play it by ear and see what happens.

yeah 12 pounds takes a long time for it to finish but the end result is good though.
I know only 6 to 9 pounds is weak but i was asking just in case i ever wanted to try it that way.

Check out Homebrewer_99's Lemonade Mead in the recipe db. I vouch for it's good tastyness, and he says it can be ready in like a month or two.

Might give you something to sip on while the bigger mead is aging.

kol it could give me for that threat would be great.
I tried looking him up and couldnt find him i might just be going blind.
Anyways it sounds like a good mead to drink.

homebrewer_99
Light Lemonade Mead

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f80/light-lemonade-mead-128099/

thanks man that was very interesting to read i might try something like that.