I think I messed up badly ... thoughts?

[elephant]

So I had three jugs of mead going ... two are "flavoured" and one is just straight traditional mead that I use to top up the other two jugs once they've been racked.

Anyway, that traditional mead I just had it lying around outside without an air-lock (it had a cloth tied over it). I just figured it would be okay.

Anyway, I racked them and topped them up and put the air-locks on them. And then I had a taste of that traditional mead ... it wasn't great. It tasted kind of weird.

Apart from maybe not tasting that great is there anything else that I've messed up here? The two-way air coming in and out of that traditional mug couldn't have made it "off" or "poisonous" in any way, right?

 

[Kyzaboy89]

Was it in the sun at all, when did it start fermenting and how long has it been? Why keep it outside? How hot has it been? If you are using it to top off the others how much headspace is there?

 

[CKuhns]

If not actively fermenting then the air very likley would have caused it to oxidize. That would explain the "wierd" flavor, but then so does other stuff bacteria or mold and those would not be good for you.

A traditional mead is similar to wine as it relates to oxidation. Think about what a good wine tastes like immediately after just being open and then left open on the counter for a few days or week.

 

[elephant]

Thanks guys, yeah t was sitting outside for ages. Like a few months. It's been hot the last week, but not before then.

There was a fair bit of headspace in the one I'm using to top off, but the others there's not much.

I'm basically trying to figure out of it might be dangerous to drink.