Cold Conditioning Dry Mead

[Rik van den berg]

After indulging in some mead for the first time at the Texas Renaissance Festival, and seeing all the wild honey vendors along the FM roads in Montgomery County, Texas, I decided that i should probably make some mead.

Planning on a dry show mead, 5 gallon batch, 12lbs of honey, and EC-1118 yeast (with nutrients). Steps:
- no boil
- 4 weeks primary fermentation at the lower end of the yeast temperature (60F)
- 4 (?) months conditioning in secondary (temp ??)
- bottle and age in wine cooler at 58-60F for however long it lasts i guess.

I am trying to figure out where i would store the secondary carboy for 4 months. Seeing that i brew beer, mostly ales, my fermenter will be running mostly around 65F, which is too high i feel for clean conditioning of the mead. My plan is to put the carboy in my kegorator, which runs at around 33/34F, just like I do with my lagers. Is that too cold to condition mead?

By the way, any comments/advice other than my question is always welcome!

Thanks!

 

[Shine0n]

Try finding a good yeast for those temps, I'm not a yeast guru so what I would suggest probably wouldn't be best.

You really can't do primary fermentation by day, you need to use a hydrometer because I have higher abv meads finish before 1 month and I personally like to get it off the lees sooner rather than later.

I rack once I see 1/2" or so of sediment.

 

[bernardsmith]

Not sure the issue is always about getting the mead off the lees. In the first place it takes a few months for any off flavors that might be produced from being produced and in the second place some yeasts produce flavors from the lees that enhance your mead but the bigger issue is not so much about the lees at the bottom of your carboy or fermenter but the headroom at the top. If you ferment in a vessel large enough to allow you to add fruit and large enough to accommodate any froth (krausen applies to beer. Honey has no proteins to speak of) then when active fermentation ceases the space above the surface of the mead is filled with air... and air is full of oxygen .. and oxygen at that point is not your friend.. so knowing when active fermentation is about to end is quite critical for knowing when to rack and the easiest way to know whether there is any sugar remaining or whether CO2 production is coming to an end is to measure the gravity with an hydrometer...So while I may disagree with your argument, Shine0n, I strongly agree with your conclusion.

 

[Rik van den berg]

EC-1118 has a lower temp range of 59. My question was about AFTER fermentation has completed.

Can anyone please comment on conditioning mead at 33F?

thanks!

 

[Maylar]

If you're talking about cold crashing to help the mead clear, then yes just above freezing is good.

 

[Rik van den berg]

No i am talking about conditioning for 4 or so months at 33F (see my OP)

 

[Maylar]

Typically, no. Cold crashing just above freezing to aid clearing is common. Then the mead is racked off the lees and aged (I think that's what you mean by conditioning?) at room temp. If you have access to a "wine cellar", which I think 50-55 degrees is ideal, then even better.

 

[Rik van den berg]

Yeah i guess i am talking about aging lol. So aging at that cold a temperature is a bad idea?

 

[RPh_Guy]

Cold will not harm the mead. It will slow down the aging process.

If your fermentation creates fusel alcohols, you may be aging a lot longer for it to be drinkable/good.

 

[Maylar]

Dunno. I never heard of anyone doing that. I have aged ciders in a keg under pressure (carbonated) at normal fridge temps, like 38-40F, for a few months and they did get better with time. So I guess it'd be OK.