How long do you age your mead?

[xloserxdrummerx]

Thanks for the confirmation! I've also been wondering what the best way to age is. Right now I'm working on a 3 gallon batch of sack mead that so far tastes great. Fermentation slowed drastically, but I made sure to de-gas and add more nutrient and it picked right back up. I'm planning on bulk aging for a month or so, then add finings and bottle in some flip-tops. Thanks for the info everybody!

 

[MeadFan]

I would say age as long as possible! If u taste the mead and it taste mad good, then a year later it will be even greater(provided it is stored correctly).

 

[frydogbrews]

D47 creates a mess at 75 F.

yup
yup
yup
i have a cyser that should have been ready months ago and it is barely drinkable now and only then if it is ice ice cold (and who wants to drink it that cold?) probably another 2 months and it will tasty.
the cyser i made right next to it, same recipe, procedures and conditions, but used k1-v is crazy delicious.

 

[frydogbrews]

bubbachuck,
So whats that recipe for a quicker mead and how quick are we talking? <3-months?

not sure what his recipe is, but this mead is drinkable and tasty in 3.5 months from mixing. lots have commented on it, i even sent some to total strangers on this website for impartial opinions and they liked it.
its a very simple recipe, the key is the yeast and proper yeast care:
15 lbs honey
top up to 5.5 gals water
k1-v1116 lalvin dry yeast
go ferm rehydration nutrient
fermaid o nutrient
do not ferment any warmer than 70 F
use staggered nutrient additions, so add 3 grams fermaid o (mixed in a little water) at 1/3 sugar depletion, and 3 grams at 1/2 depletion.
also, degas daily for the first 7 days of ferment, it's just a gentle stir to release bubbles.
will probably finish around 1.000, (still can't tell why, something with the k1-v yeast) will taste sweeter than that though.
primary one month
secondary 2.5 months
bottle
be hungover

 

[BBBF]

You can have a tastey mead with a few months of aging, but it might be amazing after 1+ years.

If you're a first time mead maker, I think it is fine to drink a few bottles, but I think you should also set some aside so that you can see how it improves with age. I enjoyed my young mead, but after tasting my 1 year old mead, I wish I had saved more of it. This experience convinced me to wait 9 months before I even bottle.

The next lesson is to keep a pipeline going so that you always have some aged mead ready.

 

[mr_y82]

Hey there. I'm still really new to mead so my answer could be totally off, but from what I've been reading on here (and numerous other sources), it doesn't look like you really need to worry about the darker bottles for mead. They seem to be primarily for beers where the hops will get skunky if exposed to too much light. Since (most) meads will not have hops added to them, it doesn't look like a clear bottle would cause any problems.

P.S. Sorry in advance if I'm totally on the wrong page and thank you to whoever corrects me.

Thanks to you and the others for the responses. I actually did put a few hops in my first batch (had some leftovers from a batch of homebrew I was working on at the same time...). It was still good when I tried it and I have it in the dark now, so I suppose I'll bulk age it for a while longer. I should have thought of the hop thing myself, but I was having a slow moment (as I often do).

 

[kicknbrew]

I want to make my first batch of mead and I'm curious how long it will take to age completely.

I've made about 20 gal of mead in the last little bit, my latest batch was brewed in February, bottled in April, and is only now smooth enough to drink. at three months it tasted like a harsh sake (I used a lot of honey!), but now it's starting to smooth out and taste like a soft(er) wine.

AFAK, mead is one of those things that has a very, very long and slow upward climb to greatness.

 

[MorenoFamilyBrewers]

So I know it has been a couple of years since this thread went dormant, but I wanted to thank you all for the wealth of knowledge I've gained. I started two variations of a mead recipe on 02 January this year and just moved them to secondary. I tasted both during the transfer and they are GLORIOUS. One is a cucumber/jalapeño and the other is a mango/habanero. Each has 6 pounds of local honey.

I have read so many posts encouraging a year plus in secondary. Guess I'm in this for the long haul. Each batch is 2.5 gallons. Figure a year in secondary, then bottle and forget about it for 6 months before trying it out? Thoughts?

Oh, one last thing. I put extra produce in with the must when I racked over to secondary. Would it stay in there the whole year? If not, at what point would I remove it? Thanks again!

 

[gratus fermentatio]

I don't think I'd leave it on the fruit/veggies any longer than 4 months, but you should taste 'em every month or so to see if they've reached the flavour profile you want. You can always rack onto more produce if you feel the need. I've left melomel on plums as long as 7 months with great results.
Regards, GF.