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bdarby

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I recently bottled my first batch of mead and made two mistakes. First, I didn't fill the bottles up far enough. They are filled to just under the neck of the bottle. Secondly, when I saw how much liquid was left at the bottom of the carboy, I got greedy and tried to siphon too much out, leading to one lee-filled, cloudy bottle.

My first question is, how long should the mead stay good for if I keep it in the fridge? I imagine the extra headspace is going to be bad for aging.
My second question is, can I drink the lee-filled bottle? Would pouring it through a coffee filter help?

Thanks!
 
The lees should settle to the bottom of the bottle. If you are careful not to shake the bottle when you open and pour, you might not be able to tell it from the others.

I am not a mead brewer, so I do not know about the aging.
 
Mead even with the amount of head space in the bottle you mentioned shouldn't be too much of a problem and can age for a good long time. (Years)

Yes lees will settle to the bottom of the bottle. I have found if you chill the bottle for 24 - 48 hours before pouring it will help compact and settle the lees. Then be very careful not to shake them up while opening and decant by pouring very slowly until you see the sediment at the lip and stop. You may loose an ounce or three.

NOTE - A coffee filter will allow most of the lees to pass through it. The pores in the filter are just too large for most of the lees to be captured.
 
Mead even with the amount of head space in the bottle you mentioned shouldn't be too much of a problem and can age for a good long time. (Years)

Yes lees will settle to the bottom of the bottle. I have found if you chill the bottle for 24 - 48 hours before pouring it will help compact and settle the lees. Then be very careful not to shake them up while opening and decant by pouring very slowly until you see the sediment at the lip and stop. You may loose an ounce or three.

NOTE - A coffee filter will allow most of the lees to pass through it. The pores in the filter are just too large for most of the lees to be captured.
That's great to hear, thanks for the advice! I was worried I'd wasted all that time. Thanks!
 
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