Necessary to age mead?
- Thread starter tlasch771
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jwalk4
Well-Known Member
Most of the mazer's I know will age their meads for an average of 12-18 months. But I guess you can always make a small batch, bottle it early, and see what happens.
You can drink it anytime you want. Normally, meads are higher alcohol like wine, and can be very "hot" and boozy tasting until it mellows with some time. If that doesn't bother you, then you can drink it anytime.
Normally, you wait for fermentation to be finished and for the mead to be clear before bottling so there is no sediment falling out before bottling. I don't want floaties or sediment in my bottles. That may take some time.
Once it's clear, and no longer dropping any lees at all after at least 60 days, then it's ok to bottle it.
If sediment and cloudiness aren't a concern and you don't mind that, then you don't have to wait.
Normally, you wait for fermentation to be finished and for the mead to be clear before bottling so there is no sediment falling out before bottling. I don't want floaties or sediment in my bottles. That may take some time.
Once it's clear, and no longer dropping any lees at all after at least 60 days, then it's ok to bottle it.
If sediment and cloudiness aren't a concern and you don't mind that, then you don't have to wait.
Xanatos903
Member
Depends on a couple of factors, I think. Like Yooper said, sometimes you've got to wait for the heat to die down. But what I'm dealing with on my most recent batch are some very strong, bitter flavors from the orange peel that I put in my mead. It's been a month, so I cracked open a bottle last night and found that the flavors have mellowed a little bit. It's looking like another couple months of waiting are ahead of me.
