Awesome (maybe) idea for clearing sediment

[thechemister]

So after fermentation there will be a layer of dead yeast at the bottom of the carboy. I've seen tutorials where at this point you will rack your mead into a new container leaving the bottom layer behind. However a lot of people say you shouldn't rack your mead at all.

My idea is to use a turkey baster (carefully sanitized of course) to extract the sediment. This seems more precise. With a small batch you really don't want to lose more than you have to. Plus a siphon seems clumsy. You have to worry about it not dipping too low into the sediment.

Now, I am new to mead making so I have a question to follow this:

If I use a turkey baster, can I just plug it up with a solid stopper and let it age from there? Or do I have to bottle it to let it age?

Feedback please and thank you!

 

[Yooper]

However a lot of people say you shouldn't rack your mead at all.

Those people, whoever they are, are wrong. I've never heard of a meadmaker saying you shouldn't rack your mead, though!

You'd never get all of the sediment out with a turkey baster. The idea is to remove the mead (or wine, or cider, or beer) off of the lees as they are heavier than the liquid. That's why they fall out. In order to suck up the lees, you'd lose a ton of the mead.

Big wineries and breweries have conical fermenters, and then open a valve at the bottom to dump the trub/lees.

You could rig up a cheap plastic conical (I think called something like V tanks) if you want to do something like that instead of the more common racking done by most home mazers and winemakers.

 

[thechemister]

I see. Actually it was only a couple people who said not to rack. I thought it was weird that they said that too, but the number 1 recipe for mead on this website said not to rack it, but I'm not gunna jump on that bandwagon. So yeah, I'm definitely going to rack my mead. Thanks!!

P.s. Any idea on my last question? If I age it in a carboy, it won't be filled all the way up so will the extra air in the bottle oxidize my product?

 

[Yooper]

I see. Actually it was only a couple people who said not to rack. I thought it was weird that they said that too, but the number 1 recipe for mead on this website said not to rack it, but I'm not gunna jump on that bandwagon. So yeah, I'm definitely going to rack my mead. Thanks!!

P.s. Any idea on my last question? If I age it in a carboy, it won't be filled all the way up so will the extra air in the bottle oxidize my product?

Oh, the Joe's mead is a whole 'nother ballgame, and not a "real" mead in the mead making sense so follow those directions for that mead only.

You have to make your batch size so that you fill a carboy to the top. That's just part of winemaking and meadmaking. Many make a slightly oversized batch so they can top up after racking, and have a full carboy, to just under the bung. It's important.

You shouldn't have any headspace for aging.

 

[biochemedic]

I bottle my cyser directly from primary; if you consider that "not racking" than I guess you can say that you don't always have to rack. I'd be wary of saying that there is an absolute when it comes to any brewing technique.

Yes, you do loose some volume when you rack...a good reason to minimize it in my book... Often though, it does go to your final question of aging. If you do have a mead that you feel will benefit from extended aging, then it may be a good idea to get it off the lees once it's been well cleared, and if you're going to age in bulk, that means racking it. I have bulk aged in a sealed container, but it's probably best to have an airlock, assuming you can remember to keep it filled. If you do have a mead (like my cysers) that clears completely in a very rapid fashion (a month or two after completing fermentation, in general), and you just want to bottle, than I have had good success with that.

 

[Kdog22]

One of the reason to rack it off of the lees/sediment is to prevent off flavors from forming in the mead. I've read numerous times that leaving the mead on the sediment for extended periods of time can be bad and can produce those unwanted flavors. You'd probably have to leave it on the lees for over 3 months before starting to worry.. JAOM recipe calls says to not touch it for 2 months and bottle from the primary which is what I did and it tastes good. The huge Apfelwein thread shows many people letting the wine sit in the primary for 2-3 months, regularly, with great success.

That been said, all of my other wines get racked from the primary after 1-2 weeks, depending on what i'm making. (these are mostly 1 gallon batches, too..)