Do you sulfite mead (cyser) when you bottle?

[hroth521]

Recipe:
4 gallons fresh pressed apple cider - sulfite 1/4 tsp metabisulfite /5 gallons
9 lbs honey - added about 1/2 gallon warm water to mix with the cider.
Sweet mead yeast
Step nutrient addition per Hightest

OG 1.110
FG 1.004

Pitched onto 9 pounds frozen raspberries.
Racked off the raspberries after 10 days.

Now clear, thinking about bottling. Do I need to sulfite when bottling? I plan on corking these and aging for at least a year.

Thanks

 

[Randar]

Lots of differing opinions here when it comes to mead vs wine. I am not sure you're going to find a one-sized-fits-all recommendation. Just what various folks do. If you think you are going to age MORE than a year, I think it's a good idea. I use a high PPM sulfite solutions for sanitizing bottles and then some of this will obviously make it into the mead.

 

[hroth521]

Lots of differing opinions here when it comes to mead vs wine. I am not sure you're going to find a one-sized-fits-all recommendation. Just what various folks do. If you think you are going to age MORE than a year, I think it's a good idea. I use a high PPM sulfite solutions for sanitizing bottles and then some of this will obviously make it into the mead.

Thanks. I'm mostly a cider maker, sometimes a little beer but I've never made wine or mead before. I use sulfite for killing off yeast prior to pitching but that's only 50ppm. How high concentration do you use to sanitize bottles?

 

[MedsenFey]

I like to use sulfites, especially if I have added fruit. Those fruits often contain bacteria capable of malolactic fermentation (and apple juice has lots of malic acid) and that can cause fizzy/cloudy/stinky results if it occurs in the bottle. Sulfites also act as an antioxidant and may reduce browning and color loss.

I'm particularly sold on sulfites because I have crappy storage conditions here in Florida and most of my stuff gets aged at room temp. If you will be storing at room temp, I'd high encourage the sulfites in fruit batches because 75F is ideal for growing lactic acid bacteria especially since there is a little residual sugar for them here as well.

 

[hroth521]

I like to use sulfites, especially if I have added fruit. Those fruits often contain bacteria capable of malolactic fermentation (and apple juice has lots of malic acid) and that can cause fizzy/cloudy/stinky results if it occurs in the bottle. Sulfites also act as an antioxidant and may reduce browning and color loss.

I'm particularly sold on sulfites because I have crappy storage conditions here in Florida and most of my stuff gets aged at room temp. If you will be storing at room temp, I'd high encourage the sulfites in fruit batches because 75F is ideal for growing lactic acid bacteria especially since there is a little residual sugar for them here as well.

Makes sense. 50ppm? or do you base it on pH?

 

[CuAllaidh]

I never sulfite my meads. I find that sulfite adds an off flavour that takes a long time to age out. I can see the point of sulfiting when you add fruit, but I have never had an issue with my cysers or other melomels.

 

[MedsenFey]

Makes sense. 50ppm? or do you base it on pH?

I base on pH. I also measure the free SO2 to make sure I have it at the level I want it.

 

[johngalt888]

I do not use them in my brewing I "simply" make certain everything is sanitary
I popped open a bottle of mead I made close to thirty years ago recently and all i can say is it was astoundingly good.
so can you age more than a year or two without sulfites. yes

 

[Dr_Floyd]

Sulfites also help fruit meads retain color and flavor from what I'm to understand, it's not just to stop malolactic fermentation or prevent oxidation.

 

[SkeletorMob]

now when speaking of sulfites, are we discussing the use of campden tabs?

 

[WavePuckRiker]

now when speaking of sulfites, are we discussing the use of campden tabs?

I was thinking that myself.....or using potassium metabisulfite?