"sparkling" mead?

So, very soon, I will probably be making my first mead, and I'm toying with the idea of carbing it. How has this worked out for people? How does it taste? Are there any difficulties I should be aware of?

beta pleated sheet said:

So, very soon, I will probably be making my first mead, and I'm toying with the idea of carbing it. How has this worked out for people? How does it taste? Are there any difficulties I should be aware of?

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I wouldn't carb all of a batch...it takes a long time to make another batch if you decide you don't really like it carbonated. 1/2 and 1/2 is always a good choice.

You should avoid carbonating with corn sugar in a "Show" mead. If you have a bunch of fruit or something it'd be ok, but I prefer to use the same variety of honey as the mead is made from. Just a little bit and bottle in beer bottles.
Midwest Brewer has a good chart for how much honey to use per gallon. I will look for it when I get home.

I doubt I'll ever sparkle a mead again.
I just don't like it.

Midwest suggests 1 cup of honey per 5 gallons to carbonate and <1/2 cup if going into a keg.

I like sparkling mead, but I did just have a friends mead that was borderline over-carb'd. To his credit it was his first mead, and 3 years old.

I find it much much easier to force carb mead that I want to sparkle, then bottle with a counter pressure filler, or just keep a keg tied up until all 5 gallons are gone (which is the boat I am in )