Can I use old Meade?

[savanah21music]

Hi everyone! I am taking over the family Mead business and have acquired 6 gallons of un-opened Mead that have been sitting in a non temp-controlled lodge kitchen. Is there a protocol for what to do with it? Can I still use it? How do I test it? Any guidance or info would be greatly appreciated - Thank you!

And once I open it does that begin a new timeline? what is the shelf life after it has been tasted?

 

[lumpher]

How was it stored? (bucket, bottles, ferm tank...)

 

[DBhomebrew]

Sniff and taste

 

[Dr_Jeff]

Hi everyone! I am taking over the family Mead business and have acquired 6 gallons of un-opened Mead that have been sitting in a non temp-controlled lodge kitchen. Is there a protocol for what to do with it? Can I still use it? How do I test it? Any guidance or info would be greatly appreciated - Thank you!

Get a glass and give it a taste.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I have bottles of mead that are 8+ years old

 

[An Ankoù]

Hi everyone! I am taking over the family Mead business and have acquired 6 gallons of un-opened Mead that have been sitting in a non temp-controlled lodge kitchen. Is there a protocol for what to do with it? Can I still use it? How do I test it? Any guidance or info would be greatly appreciated - Thank you!

Taste it. If it's good, drink it. If it's "un-opened" I presume it's bottled. it's probably nectar by now.
Wish i could find 6 gallons of "un-opened" calvados lying around somewhere!

EDIT:
Forget all that. Ship it over to me and I'll ensure it's disposed of safely.

 

[savanah21music]

Taste it. If it's good, drink it. If it's "un-opened" I presume it's bottled. it's probably nectar by now.
Wish i could find 6 gallons of "un-opened" calvados lying around somewhere!

EDIT:
Forget all that. Ship it over to me and I'll ensure it's disposed of safely.

How was it stored? (bucket, bottles, ferm tank...)

It is still in the glass carboy where it was fermenting

 

[savanah21music]

I have bottles of mead that are 8+ years old

And once I open it does that begin a new timeline? what is the shelf life after it has been tasted?

 

[lumpher]

Sanitize a siphon of some kind and pull a sample. Smell and taste it. If it was in a carboy, and the airlock is dry, then it's probably bad, but no way to tell except smell and taste.

 

[An Ankoù]

Sanitize a siphon of some kind and pull a sample. Smell and taste it. If it was in a carboy, and the airlock is dry, then it's probably bad, but no way to tell except smell and taste.

True, but mead can stand a little bit of oxidation and still taste good.

 

[lumpher]

True, but mead can stand a little bit of oxidation and still taste good.

Yep, that's why a smell/test taste is necessary. Don't want to dump what may be perfectly good mead without trying it.

 

[JAReeves]

So, how's it taste?

 

[cmac62]

if it's gone bad still it.