Extended aging in bottles (10+ years); Considerations?

[Bradinator]

Hey all,

I have never aged mead beyond a year before, but in celebration of the birth of my son, I whipped up a batch of mead that I plan to enjoy on every birthday he has, and hopefully share some of the 18+ year old bottles with him when he comes of age (unless he sneaks into the basement and steals a bunch for his friends...).

It is still sitting in its secondary (6 months old now) and will stay there for until September.

I am not sure what is involved in extended aging of mead. Do I need special corks? Do they need to be changed every X number of years? What about bottles? Store it on its side in a wine rack?

 

[philrose]

I'm not an expert, but I despise Oxidized Mead.

Anyone else think purging air out of the bottles with CO2 is a good idea for Bradinator's mead?

 

[BBBF]

The recipe is going to impact how it can age. What's in it?

 

[Bradinator]

17lbs of Honey, water and EC-1118 yeast. Oh and a bunch of nutrient, energizer to get the fermentation going.

 

[malkore]

I stopped doing long secondaries when I found them un-necessary for producing a nice clear mead. I also find it easier to avoid oxidation by not bulk-aging.

I would sulfite the finished mead, as this can help stave off oxidation. I would also cap the bottles, rather than cork them. Crown cap seals hold up very well.

I have managed to hold on to a bottle for about 12 years from a batch, and it did have a slight oxidation to it but not enough to ruin it. may not win an award but it was consumed by the brew club without hesitation and only a couple people noted minor oxidation.

 

[Bradinator]

So it may be better to get it into some tall beer bottles, cap'em and forget them sooner then later? Makes sense to me! Thanks

 

[kingboomer]

Not to thread jack, but would the grolsch style swing tops work as well? I ask because I have quite a few of them on hand and was considering doing the same thing.


-Kingboomer

 

[huesmann]

I would think that you would need the kind with silicone gaskets, because the rubber ones do eventually succumb to dry rot.

 

[BBBF]

17lbs of Honey, water and EC-1118 yeast. Oh and a bunch of nutrient, energizer to get the fermentation going.

How many gallons? The higher the alcohol, the better it can age. It's helpful that you do not have any fruit in it. They are more prone to oxidation.

If you are going to use corks, there are different qualities. Some are meant for only 1-2 years and some are meant for much longer aging.

To answer the other poster, I've had swingtop gaskets still holding pressure after 2.5 years, but they will eventually fail.

 

[philrose]

the other thing i wouldn't like about swing top bottles is that bumps to the cap can cause leaks, especially if you plan to carbonate.

 

[kingboomer]

Thanks for the input philrose and huesmann. I need to replace the gaskets anyway, so silicone it is. I don't plan on carbing, just need to use these bottles before SWMBO decides to toss em


-Kingboomer

 

[Bradinator]

How many gallons? The higher the alcohol, the better it can age. It's helpful that you do not have any fruit in it. They are more prone to oxidation.

If you are going to use corks, there are different qualities. Some are meant for only 1-2 years and some are meant for much longer aging.

To answer the other poster, I've had swingtop gaskets still holding pressure after 2.5 years, but they will eventually fail.

It's 5 gallons. I think the idea of beer bottles and crown caps is probably the safest, especially if they last for 18 years like I am planning.