When do I rack to secondary?

Currently trying my first batch of mead, which I just mixed up today. I've found a couple of simple mead recipes, one of which says to rack the mead to the secondary fermenter at 1.020 and the other to rack to secondary at 1.000. Will this have an effect on the finished mead? I used 15lbs of white clover honey for a 5 gallon batch and the starting S.G. was 1.100.

I'm no mead expert, and somebody may chime in here with the answer (Yooper?, you there?) but you can search just this forum by clicking on the link above. bet you'd find your answer there.

I've heard that you add nutrients at the 1/3 and 2/3 sugar breaks. Then let it go for a couple months before you rack to a clearing tank. Then you let it sit for another several weeks or months.

Good luck.......

I always rack wines when the sg is around 1.020. The reason is that there still should be enough co2 being produced by fermentation so the wine doesn't oxidize.

The problem is though, you might actually inhibit fermentation by doing that with mead. I think that with the recipe you're using, I'd rack at 1.010 or less and add a pinch of nutrient so the fermentation doesn't stall. Someone else on the forum (I can't remember the name right now, but hopefully they'll chime it!) racks when the mead is done fermenting, I believe.

If you're following a recipe, I'd try to follow that. If you're doing your own recipe and just looking for technique, I'd probably wait until the mead was about done just to make sure it's not going to stop.

Thanks for the tips, I'd hate to end up with a stuck fermentation. My must was happily fermenting away when I checked it this morning, about 14 hrs after I pitched the yeast (D-47). I'm sort of using a combination of two recipes, which differ on a few points. For instance one says to leave in the secondary 1-3 months then bottle, the other says to leave in the secondary until your satisfied with the clarity, but to rack off the lees every 1-3 months. I like the idea of bulk aging, are the additional racking stages to prevent yeasty flavors? and are there any worries about to much O2 when racking to a tertiary?

Racking is usually done whenever you have lees or about every 60 days or so until it's completely clear and not dropping lees any more.

Oxidation can be a concern so you must rack quietly. I use campden tablets in my wine and mead every other racking, but I'm not so sure it's recommended for mead. I make far more wine and beer than mead, since I'm not a patient person! Mead is a long term commitment, that's for sure.

Bulk aging is a great idea. Once it's clear and not dropping lees, you can place it in a dark place and just check it every once it a while to make sure the airlock isn't dry or that there is nothing growing in there.