What is it supposed to taste?

I’ve been reading this forum a lot but it’s the first time I post.

I just tasted my first mead attempt yesterday. 7% ABV and 1.004 FG (4 kg of honey for 23 liters). I didn’t boil the honey because I bought it at a meadery and they told me they didn’t pasteurize it, so I did the same. I primed it with honey three weeks ago.

It fermented 5 weeks in the carboy and 3 weeks in bottles with a champagne yeast. It’s really dry but it still smells and tastes honey. However, there’s a kind of subtle acid (or maybe sour?) taste. I wonder if it’s supposed to taste like that or if it’s because the mead is too young. I also thought about a possible contamination (since I didn’t boil). It’s good anyway, but it would be better without it. Do you think it will disappear as it gets older?

Undead8 said:

It fermented 5 weeks in the carboy and 3 weeks in bottles with a champagne yeast. It’s really dry but it still smells and tastes honey. However, there’s a kind of subtle acid (or maybe sour?) taste. I wonder if it’s supposed to taste like that or if it’s because the mead is too young. I also thought about a possible contamination (since I didn’t boil). It’s good anyway, but it would be better without it. Do you think it will disappear as it gets older?

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You fermented it for only 5 weeks before bottling it? Not only is it too young, it isn't done yet. I have mine in primary for at least 4-6 weeks, then rack into a second carboy. After a few months, I repeat this, to help get rid of the sediment. I keep my mead in carboys for a minimum of 6 months total, and there is no harm in leaving it in a carboy for over 1 year.

Honey takes a long time to ferment. Now unless you used a very small amount of honey, like only 1 lb to the gallon of mead, or you added something to kill the yeast, and used fining to clear it, the only thing your have now are bottle bombs.

IF the bottles don't all explode, and if you allow them to age for a year, it should be good.

23L = 6 US Gallons
4kg = 8.81 US Pounds

What was the starting gravity? Seems kinda fast for the mead to drop to 1.004 in 5 weeks. Or did you measure the gravity out of the bottle?

9 pounds in 6 gallons is not all that much. It could have easily fermented out, especially if yeast nutrients were used, and it was fermenting somewhat warm.

It could have a young taste, which will age out. It could also have a taste from a too warm fermemt, which you may be stuck with.

Let it set for a few months, and see what happens.

steve

Most of my meads ferment out to 0.996.

A. It probably has a little fermenting still to do.
B. It doesn't sound infected.
C. Meads improve greatly with age.

Thanks for your comments.

I could have let it sit in the fermenter a little bit more to let it clear, but I think it has fully fermented. I used nutrients.

Water has a gravity of 1.000 (I think), so to get to 0.996 you need a lot of alcohol. I only had 1.057 OG, so I guess I just don't have enough alcohol to go bellow 1.000. Whatever, we'll see what happen!