Bottled too soon?

[Harguf]

I made a semi-sweet mead with a FG of 1.01, maybe a little lower. In the secondary the fermentation had completely stopped, or was at least negligible. So, I decided to bottle.

About two weeks later I noticed sediment at the bottom of my bottles. Afraid that maybe fermentation was still going on I opened a bottle. Air pressure hadn't built up. So, whew there.

The sediment concerns me. Should I dump the bottles back in a carboy and re-rack and re-rack until no sediment falls?

Also, there will be head space in my 6 gallon carboy. Will that be a big concern?

Thanks.

 

[Vex3521]

Would you be able to carefully run them through something to filter out more sediment? I use cheesecloth for stuff with bigger particles but for the really stubborn tiny bits found pulling out my chinois gets them best. Love that little piece of kitchen gear, lol it's not just for soups and gravy anymore!

With headspace how much are we talking? If it's a lot I'd go with the sanitized marble (or glass craft store vase filler stuff) idea that most of us have done. I'm kicking myself for not doing that on a cyser right now so I think better safe than sorry. If you'd rather not do that, do you have another mead you can top off with if you're worried??

 

[Harguf]

Ah, sanitized marbles is a good idea. The sediment is the same size as what you find at the bottom of the first and secondary fermenters. Would a chinois be fine enough to catch that sediment? A cheesecloth might just work.

 

[Yooper]

Was the mead totally clear when you bottled it? Like you could read a newspaper through it?

If not, it will clear in the bottle and drop sediment. That could be what is happening here.

If you want to be sure, check the FG of one of the bottled meads.

Pouring it/filtering it/etc now will oxidize it and possibly ruin it, but if it's not done fermenting you may not have any other choice. If it's done, but dropping sediment, that's the only issue. Next time you'll know not to bottle any mead until it's been clear and no longer dropping any new lees in a new carboy for at least 60 days.

 

[Harguf]

Was the mead totally clear when you bottled it? Like you could read a newspaper through it?

If not, it will clear in the bottle and drop sediment. That could be what is happening here.

If you want to be sure, check the FG of one of the bottled meads.

Pouring it/filtering it/etc now will oxidize it and possibly ruin it, but if it's not done fermenting you may not have any other choice. If it's done, but dropping sediment, that's the only issue. Next time you'll know not to bottle any mead until it's been clear and no longer dropping any new lees in a new carboy for at least 60 days.

The mead had the transparency of dark amber colored glasses. I used dark wildflower honey, so I take that as being fine.

Thanks for the advice on taking another FG reading, and for letting me know I shouldn't bottle until the mead goes 60 days with dropping sediment in a new carboy.

 

[Harguf]

I have one more question. Should I rack off the lees into other wine bottles?

 

[Jackal516]

I've made the mistake of bottling my first batch too soon. The mead had been in the secondary for about 8 months. I was able to see through it, but by now means could read a newspaper through it. But it wasn't dropping any lees and just thought that it was a hazy batch. So I bottled.
A couple of months go by and i notice that sediment had started to gather at the bottom.

So what did I do??? Nothing.

It's now clear as a bell with a good amount of sediment at the bottom, but completely drinkable. I just pour gently and open a second bottle, while the first is settling back down. (I have ez-top bottles that you clamp the top back down on.)
My friends don't seem to mind either.

But because of the sediment, I won't want to age this bottled batch for years and years.... It's just a lesson learned.

Side note: I also have used a good amount of this batch to top off my other batches. So it isn't as disheartening using a bottle of mead that you had planned on aging (or had aged) for years.

 

[Harguf]

I took another FG reading. 1.002, which is exactly what it was two months ago when I bottled. (In my above post I left out a 0.)

My mead tastes great, even though it's only been in the bottles 2 months. It's not super smooth, but it's tasty.

I might just let the mead sit there in the bottles for another couple of months and then re-rack some of the bottles into new bottles. I'd like to have a few bottles age for a long time. What I'd really like it to keep at least a bottle or two from every batch for several years.

You kept your mead in the secondary for 8 months? Wow. Is that normal?

I thought the protocol was you do successive rackings after fermentation has seemed to stop. Wait 60 days, if sediment has fallen, re-rack. Wait another 60...repeat.

Though my concern with doing the above protocol is that I lose an inch or so of mead each time and head space grows in my carboy, which is bad, isn't it? What do you do in that case? Sanitized marble to displace the volume?

 

[Yooper]

I have some wine (not mead, but sort of the same procedure........) that's been in carboys since fall 2013. That's longer than I usually go- but 8-12 months is not uncommon. Typically, I bottle when the mead is about 6 months old but sometimes time gets away from me. Luckily, its a great hobby for procrastinators!

To solve the dilemma of headspace with each racking, I top up with some similar wine/mead/cider. I usually also make a bigger batch. If I want a 5 gallon finished batch, I'll start with a 6.25 sized batch, and put the extra in a smaller container. I have an assortment of carboys and jugs (those "Carlo Rossi" 4L jugs are great, and fit a #6 stopper and airlocks) just for topping up. It's hard when it's your first batch, but sometimes a commercial wine or mead can be a good fit it it's not too much to top up with.

 

[Harguf]

Wouldn't topping off with a different mead alter the flavor of your current batch? I did read about topping off with other meads in Schramm's book, but seems to me that the flavor would change.

With my next batch I will make a larger amount. I have a six gallon carboy. Guess I will get some smaller carboys and jugs.

When you go from a 5 to 6 gallon recipe do you scale up the the common 5 gallon recipes in terms of yeast and honey by a multiple of (6/5)?

Thanks for answering all of my questions.

 

[Vex3521]

8-12 isn't uncommon at all like Yooper mentioned. I'd leave them be if gravity is still the same so you don't risk oxidization trying to filter it out now and would just strain when it's going to a glass!

60 days is a good rule of thumb and I absolutely go longer if it's not newspaper clear. With topping off, if I didn't make a bigger batch for that purpose I go with a traditional as close to the mead that I'm topping so it's marginal. If I don't have one in the same honey or sweetness I go with what I have that is closest.

My spice clementine, I had an OB honey one that slightly lessened the spice profile but it actually enhanced the honey notes, My amber I had extra so no difference really, my top off amber was a little drier but that one had good results.

 

[Yooper]

Wouldn't topping off with a different mead alter the flavor of your current batch? I did read about topping off with other meads in Schramm's book, but seems to me that the flavor would change.

With my next batch I will make a larger amount. I have a six gallon carboy. Guess I will get some smaller carboys and jugs.

When you go from a 5 to 6 gallon recipe do you scale up the the common 5 gallon recipes in terms of yeast and honey by a multiple of (6/5)?

Thanks for answering all of my questions.

Generally, you don't scale up the yeast, as you should have enough for 1-6 gallons in one package, but everything else scales up just fine.

Topping off a little doesn't change the flavor since it's such a small amount. I also have smaller carboys- 1, 3, 5, 6 gallon sizes plus growlers and wine bottles that are 1.5L, etc. I don't usually need to top up much