How often do you need to rack?

I'm a fairly experienced beer brewer, currently attempting my first batch of mead, and am wondering how long I can reasonably leave the mead without racking?

Where I'm at:

- Racked to a second carboy after ~1 month
- After two months, gravity was at 1.022
- Yesterday, three months in, gravity is at 1.016
- Fermentation is clearly not done yet, so I must wait longer
- The carboy has an inch of yeast sediment at the bottom

Is this reasonable to just wait, or should I rack again to get it off the sediment?

Thanks!

I'd also like to know. What is the point of racking anyway, just to keep a cleaner container?

I'd wait until you get to FG before racking again.

with my meads, I like to rack with it gets to FG and then rack again if the lees builds up to more than 1/4".

badmajon - yes, racking is needed to help make sure you get a clear mead, plus if you bulk age (sometimes for many, many months or even a year), you want to get as much of the lees out to avoid any potential autolysis issues.

I usually rack about 2-3 times. once after primary because I do that in a bucket to more easily do my SNAs and degass. Then once again when the mead is cleared and lastly to a keg for bulk aging when I am happy with how it is tasting/fermented

Is the lees that stuff on the bottom of the carboy?

badmajon said:

Is the lees that stuff on the bottom of the carboy?

Click to expand...

Yes that is what he is referring to