Good clarifier?

[Geosomin]

Hello,

My apple spiced malomel is coming along nicely and has been clarifying a few months but is still not completely clarified. I would rack it and then continue to ignore it for a few more months but I would like to take a few bottles with me overseas when I visit a friend as a gift in a month (I can't figure out how else I would get it to them...). Is there a decent clarifier I could use on the mead to get it nicely cleared up in a few weeks so I can bottle the mead? I'm a beer person normally so I don't have any experience with this clarification whatsits.

I was thinking of using bentonite and letting it sit a week before bottling. Would you all recommend this or something else?

 

[dummkauf]

personally I've only used bentonite once and wasn't too impressed. Sparkloid has worked on a couple of stubborn meads that wouldn't clear, but I usually just wait it out.

That said, make sure you check into the legalities of transporting alcohol over seas. I know the airlines have no issues with it domestically, but I'm not sure about going through customs, plus make sure to check the laws regarding your destination as well. Would hate to see your mead go down the drain(literally).

 

[Kittyfeet]

I normally use bentonite pre fermentation, but it's been used post ferm as well. Post ferm, it may take a while for the thick layer of sediment to compact. Not exactly sure how long, though.

Have you looked into Kieselsol and Chitosan yet? You can probably find them at your lhbs. Should clear in a few days and compact nicely so you can rack and bottle.

Is it possible (read: legal) to mail them overseas? Not sure if there's a cost benefit there vs throwing it in your luggage and being over the 50 pound mark where they can charge you extra. Maybe your chosen airline doesn't do that, tho.

Either way, hope the friend likes your mel.

 

[huesmann]

K & C work like magic. But it makes your mead non-kosher, if that matters to you.

 

[user 117016]

I have read that plain unflavored grocery store gelatin works great for clarifying in secondary. 1 oz is enough for 10 gal of mead. Dissolve in hot water and let it cool a bit, then sprinkle into secondary.

 

[fatbloke]

If I do use finings, it's usually "Kwik Clear", which I believe is the same as the K&C stuff.

No-one seems to have thought to ask, it's a melomel, so did you add any pectolase/pectic enzyme, as jam/jelly making pectin is often derived from apples, so the haze might not be yeast based, it could be pectin hazing (or if you've back sweetened with honey, then it could also be protein based).

As for the "shipping overseas" is concerned, I believe the OP is in Canada, which has different rules from the US - and us lot here within the EU don't have so much of a problem as we're allowed a modest amount (usually a certain amount of litres from outside the EU - before excise duty is charged).

To my knowledge, the US is the place that's the biggest PITA for shipping booze. Because not only are there federal limits, there's the state limits/regulations to cater for as well - it's usually the "within the USA" bit that's a nuisance.........though I did manage to send "Mad Keith" a half bottle of Absinthe (it was 90% ABV) - but it was labelled "flavouring concentrate - commercial sample" and had a value of 0$'s

 

[huesmann]

Gelatin works on negatively-charged particles. You might need another agent to clear positively-charged particles.

 

[Geosomin]

Thanks for the tips everyone...I think I'll hunt down some K&C and give it a go. I didn't add any pectic enzyme when I started (forgot) so it may not completely clarify, I'm just concerned about it still settling out in the bottles while it sits until christmas...if it's a wee bit hazy I'm OK with that.
It's stupidly expensive and complicated to courier wine/mead to the UK from Canada (illegal to mail), but you can take it in your checked luggage as long as it's labelled, so that's my cunning plan.
Never bottled mead before....this should be fun

 

[Geosomin]

I have added both (followed instructions) on the weekend and it is now way more cloudy than when I started....I do hope it will settle out...
Please tell me it will settle out soon...