If you open a bottle of mead, do you need to drink the whole thing immediately or is it resistant to oxidation? I have one of those systems with the rubber caps and the pump to suck the air out. Would that work to preserve it if I didn't want to drink the whole bottle?
Do you have to drink the whole bottle?
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Thanks nealf. I had my first taste of mead at a homebrew club meeting recently and I'm hooked. I can't believe that I haven't had this before. Why isn't mead more popular?
1. Because honey is really expensive.
2. It takes forever to ferment.
3. +two years to age.
On the other hand, a 12 oz bottle is plenty for a buzz and enough for two after dinner.
OP - the wine saver will help, although mead does everything slowly, including oxidizing.
2. It takes forever to ferment.
3. +two years to age.
On the other hand, a 12 oz bottle is plenty for a buzz and enough for two after dinner.
OP - the wine saver will help, although mead does everything slowly, including oxidizing.
Honey's not ALL that expensive if you buy in bulk.
Sure, my LHBS sells it at like $4/lb, but I can get 5g buckets of it for like $2/lb from an Apiary.
That said, get started now and keep making it so that the pipeline doesn't run out. Unlike beer, once you're out of mead, you're talking almost a year till you're back in stock.
But you can get away with some quicker meads (cysers and hydromels, and sweeter meads) that can be drinkable in maybe 6 months to at least get you started while the pipeline is aging.
I have 6 meads and an apfelwein going at the moment.
Sure, my LHBS sells it at like $4/lb, but I can get 5g buckets of it for like $2/lb from an Apiary.
That said, get started now and keep making it so that the pipeline doesn't run out. Unlike beer, once you're out of mead, you're talking almost a year till you're back in stock.
But you can get away with some quicker meads (cysers and hydromels, and sweeter meads) that can be drinkable in maybe 6 months to at least get you started while the pipeline is aging.
I have 6 meads and an apfelwein going at the moment.
Joe's Ancient Orange can be ready in as little as a couple of months. Joe Mattoli also has a couple of other quick meads. They are handy for filling in the pipeline gaps while your show meads, etc, are aging.
Kauai_Kahuna
Well-Known Member
I have 6 meads and an apfelwein going at the moment.
Hmm, where do you live?
I have been able to make some braggots that are good to drink in around a month and half that are light on the malts and heavy on the honey. Just so long I don't go above 9% ABV.
Of course they just get better with time.
Baltimore, MD - you're welcome to stop in any time you're in our fair city.
of course lighter = faster. Homebrewer99's lemonade mead should be a good quick mead to get in the pipeline and drinkable 2-3 months out, maybe less.
I've tasted direct from the source, and it's wonderful stuff.
I'll be lucky if any of my bottles survive until the 1yr mark, at least until I can get 6-8 batches in bottles and on reserve.
of course lighter = faster. Homebrewer99's lemonade mead should be a good quick mead to get in the pipeline and drinkable 2-3 months out, maybe less.
I've tasted direct from the source, and it's wonderful stuff.
I'll be lucky if any of my bottles survive until the 1yr mark, at least until I can get 6-8 batches in bottles and on reserve.
summersolstice
Well-Known Member
??? The generally non-drinking 100-pound missus can polish off a 12 oz bottle but it'll usually get her pretty buzzed. I almost never leave a partial 750 ml bottle of either wine or mead but when I do I use a Vacu-Vin for up to a week.
Kauai_Kahuna
Well-Known Member
So are these 9% or 18%?
You just have to love the light weights, more you!
That and from the pictures you posted you have a really cute wife!
I have been slowly attempting to build up a long term supply of meads. It helps that my brother does not stop by any more to snag my bottles.
Now I just need to build a large wine rack in my store room, but I would rather spend my time brewing.
summersolstice
Well-Known Member
All of my meads fall in the 12%-15% range and I find one 750ml bottle to be just right. If there are others sharing then I lose track and usually regret it the next morning. I now have at least a couple hundred bottles and usually always have another 10-15 gallons in various stages prior to bottling so I don't need to rush anything any more.
Not drink the whole bottle...now there is an interesting concept.
No mostly you can store it like you do an opened wine. You can also cook with it like you do wine.
The ABV of the mead really depends on the yeast and your starting SG. I usually start somewhere about 1.090 and end at 1.000. Takes about 6 weeks to bottle. They send up in the 13-15% range.
I have taken new wine, still very sour, and my friends insisted on opening it and drinking three bottles. I personally wanted to wait. I've even contemplated telling them that 5 gallons only makes 5 bottles (actually my solution was to show them how to make it themselves).
No mostly you can store it like you do an opened wine. You can also cook with it like you do wine.
The ABV of the mead really depends on the yeast and your starting SG. I usually start somewhere about 1.090 and end at 1.000. Takes about 6 weeks to bottle. They send up in the 13-15% range.
I have taken new wine, still very sour, and my friends insisted on opening it and drinking three bottles. I personally wanted to wait. I've even contemplated telling them that 5 gallons only makes 5 bottles
(actually my solution was to show them how to make it themselves).
