Help..I ve got a sick Mead

[Gatoreye]

It's the group brew strawberry mead recipe on here.

It 7 months old and it is in a glass carboy. I racked it last month and everything was looking good, taste good but was still a little cloudy. I was going to let it bulk age for another month or so to see if it would clear up alittle more before I bottled.

I took a peek at the car boy last night and it is turning a dark color. I took a sample out and tasted, the strawberry flavor is still there but in the back ground to a hot off tasting alcohol flavor. I added 4 ground campden tables and put the stopper back in, that all I could think to do. It was topped up to the top so I don't think O2 got to it.

What else can I do.....HELP!!!

 

[MedsenFey]

How about giving the full details of your recipe and process?

 

[Gatoreye]

here's the recipe

Strawberry Pizazz mead

18lbs Wildflower Honey (OG 1.140)
17lbs of frozen then thawed Strawberries
3 crushed campden tablets
4 tsp of nutrient of your choice
Water to 6.5 gallons
5g KV-1116

That's all!

Usual staggered nutrient additions using a nutrient of your choice.
Punch the cap , or use a mesh bag, down 2-3 times per day and aerate for 2 min.
Everything is cold mixed and set on the crushed campden for 24 hours.
Yeast was rehydrated in 100F must for 2 hours

Fements down to about 1.015 - 1.020...then you can rack into secondary and bulk age for at least 6 months. Will be very drinkable young, but 6 months to a year makes it an OMG drink that will be gone FAST!!

 

[Gatoreye]

The last time I racked it had good flavor it was just alittle cloudy.

Now 3 weeks later it taste hot and is getting dark in color, before it was more a rose color.

 

[brewingmeister]

Calm down, it sounds like a mead just doing it's thing. Clear mead will appear darker than mead that still has yeast suspended. As far as losing strawberry flavor, well the earlier you add the fruit the more it turns into fermentables.

-cheers