Bottle issues

[Dorkusmalorkus]

What is the ideal type of glass bottle to use for bottling mead?

I am aware that beer and red wine usually use a tinted glass bottle that is green or brown. I heard this has something to do with keeping the beer or wine in the best condition.

What about mead? Is it better to get tinted glass bottles or would regular clear glass bottles be the best choice?

 

[kakistos_uk]

People use tinted bottles because UV light is bad for yeast. That's why people say to put fermenting products in a dark place. When it's finished fermenting and bottled I don't think it really matters. Mead looks really cool, put it in a clear bottle so you can see it but that's just personal preference.

 

[Maylar]

Beer spoils in light because of the hops. Mead doesn't care (unless you use hops there too).

 

[BeerSmith]

I like to package in 375ml bottles - usually the tall bellisima ones as they are attractive. If you want to get fancy, cork them, wax the tops and label them. I believe wines and beers can get "light struck" by exposure to too much light and I think its also possible with meads so I go with brown or green bottles.

While the meads don't have the hops issue that beers have they do (like wine) still have compounds that are photo-sensitive and the flavor and character can be altered by too much exposure to direct sunlight.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

As long as you don't store the bottles where light is hitting them, it really doesn't matter if the glass is tinted or not. I usually bottle in either clear or brown bottles, simply because that's what was available at the time. I do like to bottle at least a few in a batch in clear glass, just so I can show off the lovely color. I always store my beer/wine/mead/cider in a dark place, so no worries about anything getting light struck.
Regards, GF.