how can i get away without aging my mead?

So i have seen a lot of conflicting posts about how long different mead's take to age to the point that they are drinkable. I'm wondering what steps I can take to make my mead drinkable within days of it finishing its fermentation. Would mixing some beer/wine/cider ingredients make it easier to drink quickly? I its gonna be going into conney kegs and force carbed if that makes any difference. Is it possible to make it enjoyable to the pallet within a week or so of finishing fermentation? I'm really not looking for the best mead on the planet just something tasty that i can easily replicate so i always have a gluten free/female friendly libation on hand and im not really in a place where i have the space to store it to age or tie up a coney keg for 3+ months. Thanks.

Actually, this topic is covered in the mead episode of Brewing TV. I can't link to the individual video but do this:

1) Go to northernbrewer.com/brewingtv/
2) Find "Episode 21: Making Mead with Curt Stock"
3) Learn and enjoy!

haha wow thats awesome! thanks for the help. Also the crazy fast reply.

I'm curious enough that I'm going to watch that video when I have time...I'll be interested to see how many of my points below are mentioned...

Tricks to a fast mead:
1) don't make it crazy high gravity...think OG's no greater than 1.110.
2) Some yeasts do better turning around quick...Lalvin 71B is a good example.
3) Use proper pitch rate -- we're talking big starters here, and using multiple packets of yeast if using dry yeast. (And properly rehydrate the yeast if using dry yeast...)
4) Oxygenate! Consider a 2nd burst of oxygen about 12 hrs after pitching. If you don't have access to oxygen, at least do something to aerate the crap out of it...think paint stirrer on high speed drill.
5) Staggered Nutrient Additions!
6) Frequent degassing during the first stages of primary.
7) Consider adding some fruit/puree to primary after the fermentation starts to slow down, and then let this finish out before transferring off to secondary to age for a bit.
8) Stabilize the mead when you transfer to secondary, and at the same time, backsweeten to at least a lightly semi-sweet (~ 1.010-1.014 gravity after sweetening) level...you can make it more sweet if you want, but that's my personal desired level of sweetness when I do need some residual sweetness, and even this light sweetness will hide some early off-flavors.
9) If you're not clearing in a couple weeks in secondary, hit it with some finings. I like LiquorQuik 2-stage finings...will clear 99% of meads crystal clear in 24 hrs or less. If you rack carefully to your bottling bucket, you will have perfectly clear, sediment free mead in the bottle.

Note that over half of this has to do with properly managing your fermentation...
Of further mention regarding fermentation...I did forget to add, if you can control your temps, that will go a real long way to reducing off flavors as well, particularly fuesel alcohols. Even if you don't have a fermentation fridge, you can do a "swamp cooler" setup pretty easily (if you're not familiar,a quick search of the board will get you what you need.)

I think with these tips, you could easily have a mead ready in about 2-3 months.

I just made 3 experimental 1 gal batches of very low gravity mead. Starting point 1.060-1.070. I used ale yeast (S-05). It fermented in 2-3 days to desired level of sweetness (didn't measure), then I stopped fermentation by crash cooling around 34F for couple days, racked off the lees, stabilized and used Super Kleer. Voila, I have drinkable, perfectly clear and very tasty mead in a week. It might benefit from little aging, I don't know but there is nothing to age out it taste darn good as is. I think I might force carb it in keg when scale up to 5 gal next batch. Recipe for 1 gal

1 lb honey
1.3 L Welch 100% grape juice (other batches made with Blueberry and Pomegranate juice)
S-05 yeast

I'd recommend 1 gallon batches. My 1 gallon test batches are almost always drinkable way faster than the 5 gallon versions, though I can't say I've made any 1 gallon batches in less than 3 months either(including JAOM).

Alternatively, you could just do a google search for meaderies that will ship and you could have a drinkable mead in a week(or tomorrow if you're willing to pay for next day shipping). Buying mead is probably the simplest solution to your dilema

dummkauf said:

I'd recommend 1 gallon batches. My 1 gallon test batches are almost always drinkable way faster than the 5 gallon versions, though I can't say I've made any 1 gallon batches in less than 3 months either(including JAOM).

Click to expand...

At risk of belaboring the point, I'd bet that you're achieving a better pitch rate on your one gallon batches than your 5 gallon ones, and all other things being equal, this is probably the reason they are turning out better, faster....

I'm no expert, but I agree with what bio said. Also small batches seem better than large ones. Cysers, I my experience, can be drinkable pretty quick. Fruit and/or juices can make mead more drinkable, or at least cover up the taste of off flavors. Also, I recently found that neutral yeasts (EC-1118 in my case) can make a high alcohol mead (18 % through step feeding) that was drinkable in about 2 months with blood orange juice- my log is posted on gotmead.com

"Masking" is the usual method to make a brew drinkable sooner.

So you should be thinking of back sweetening, with either honey, fruit or both. If you then find it's a little too sweet, you can hit it with acid (I use 2 parts malic to 1 part tartaric - as recommended in Ashton & Duncans "Making Mead" book).