Should I Add Sulfite?

I started a mead a couple of weeks ago (loosely-covered bucket for open primary fermentation). I moved it into a 1-gallon jug about a week ago. There is now no bubbling and it is clearing, i.e., the yeast is dropping into a layer at the bottom. The FG was at 1.002, corrected for temperature, when I put it in the secondary.

I am trying this mead with the no pasteurization/no sulfite at primary fermentation method. Instead, I got a yeast starter going first to get the must fermenting quickly.

When I rack the mead off the lees, do I need to sulfite, or can I keep this as a no-sulfite mead?

Thanks,
Dave

Can you give us the recipe details please? is this a traditional? What yeast? What was the starting gravity?

The sulfites may indeed be optional, but it depends on what you have.

Medsen

Noob question,

Why are we sulfiting? I was under the impression that sulfiting came before bottling, alongside sorbating and degassing? What are the benefits of sulfiting immediately after primary fermentation?

Jonas

I don't see any reason to sulfite at racking.

I typically only use sulfites, in conjunction with sorbate, when I want to avoid fermentation restarting when I backsweeten. I don't normally do it, but I could understand the addition of sulfites in some cases when adding fruit.

If you age your mead, I don't think there would be any need to degas prior to bottling. I only degas during the early stages of fermentation to remove CO2 and introduce oxygen.

Some things (especially delicate fruit melomels) may suffer oxidative damage like white wines. Sulfiting can prevent this. Also, with fruits, lactic acid bacteria may be covering the fruit, and if you don't want malolactic fermentation occurring, sulfiting will prevent it. You don't necessarily want to wait until bottling to keep the sulfite level up; you may want to maintain it throughout the the aging process. On the other hand, if the yeast aren't quite done yet, you may not want to stun them with sulfite as they are trying to reach the finish line.

It really depends on what you are making, and thus my initial questions.

MedsenFey said:

Can you give us the recipe details please? is this a traditional? What yeast? What was the starting gravity?

The sulfites may indeed be optional, but it depends on what you have.

Medsen

Click to expand...

Had to wait until I got home to find the particulars. I had intended this to be a sack mead, but it seems to have fermented dry.

12/19/2010

• Spent 12 hours feeding a yeast starter (Lalvin 71b-1122)
• 8:35 PM: Added starter to 3 lbs honey plus water for 1 gallon in a stainless steel pot covered with a cloth (but when I later moved it into the secondary, I found that I actually had less, probably 1 pint less than 1 gallon)
• OG 1.122 @ 92F => 1.1265 corrected
• At this point, total yeast nutrient = 1 tsp, yeast energizer = 1/4 tsp

12/20/2010

• Wasn't seeing bubbles, so I pitched a second packet of 71B-1122 in 1/4 cup water, waited 25 minutes, then stirred it in to aerate
• Upon stirring, discovered there were bubbles in the must, so probably didn't need the extra yeast

12/21/2010
Added 1 tsp nutrient, 1 tsp energizer, stirred to aerate

12/22/2010
Added 1/4 tsp energizer, stirred to aerate

12/23/2010
Added 1/4 tsp energizer, stirred to aerate

12/24/2010

• Added 1/4 tsp energizer, stirred to aerate
• Total at this point is 2 tsp nutrient, 2 tsp energizer
• Moved to 1 gallon glass jug carboy with airlock
• SG 1.022 @ 67F => 1.0228 corrected

12/30/2010

• Racked
• Added sanitized marbles to take up some of the extra space
• SG 1.000 @ 68F => 1.0009 corrected
• Calculated 16.485% ABV
• No bubbling observed

71B-1122 is supposed to top out at 14% alcohol, but I am at over 16%. No bubbling action since racking. Yeast continues to drop and liquid is getting clearer.

What I plan to do is to let the mead clear, then add 2/3 cup honey plus enough water to make one gallon (to sweeten the mead), wait a month or two to make sure the fermentation has finished, the bottle.

A traditional mead is less prone to oxidation, and given that you have probably reached the point where the yeast won't go any further. This means you could certainly go without sulfites.