Is my mead ready?

[RossleberryMead]

Hi guys,

I've had my mead in secondary for a few weeks now and honestly, there appears to be very little action in the bubbler and I can even read a newspaper through it. It's looking golden and delicious, absolutely great but this is my first brew and I dont want to end it prematurely before backsweetening.

It spent about 10 days in primary where it was bubbling like no tomorrow, literally 4 seconds between bubbles. Took it off when bubbles were every 5 mins or longer. I know this isnt foolproof, next time I will get gravity measurements. It has now been in secondary for about 3 weeks and looking overall very good with very little sediment at the bottom, clear as anything.

Any advice greatly appreciated, thanks.

 

[ShadesManna]

Wow that's a great looking mead! Nice clarity, golden color, and sparkle.

It's a little tricky without measurements to know for "sure" if it's all finished. If you have a hydrometer, you could measure how much sugar is left in there, even without knowing the starting point. Then, gauge how much sugar (honey) might still be left unfermented. That will help you decide if you'd like to try bottling or not.

For taste preferences, I let my meads age at least six months after they are finished fermenting. It's also an opportunity for any latent fermentation to get out of the way, and avoid popping corks and bursting bottles. Keep experimenting, and good luck!

 

[RossleberryMead]

Wow that's a great looking mead! Nice clarity, golden color, and sparkle.

It's a little tricky without measurements to know for "sure" if it's all finished. If you have a hydrometer, you could measure how much sugar is left in there, even without knowing the starting point. Then, gauge how much sugar (honey) might still be left unfermented. That will help you decide if you'd like to try bottling or not.

For taste preferences, I let my meads age at least six months after they are finished fermenting. It's also an opportunity for any latent fermentation to get out of the way, and avoid popping corks and bursting bottles. Keep experimenting, and good luck!

Thanks ! That's some great advice, and you've instilled (distilled??) Some confidence in me on the look of the mead.

I'll be sure to get a hydrometer soon, although I didnt take a reading of OG so how would I be able to measure sugar in the mead? Is this just effectively measuring the presence of any solids present in the mix? And if so, would residual lees/yeast affect this reading?

I'm very tempted to wait the 8 weeks af6er primary that I've been recommended, then rack off again before stabilising and backsweetening with more honey, although I've read that both adding in more sugar than the yeast can handle and bulk aging can give more intense/deeper flavours. I may also rack off 5 litres or so to bulk age as as an experiment.

I made about 20 litres this time and I have four 5 litre carboys so I'm considering doing the same again next time and aging them separately with various fruits. I feel an unhealthy obsession coming on.

I'm quite impatient, which is the worst attribute to have when home brewing lol.

Many thanks for the advice! I'll post results once I've tasted and bottled!

 

[CKuhns]

so how would I be able to measure sugar in the mead? Is this just effectively measuring the presence of any solids present in the mix? And if so, would residual lees/yeast affect this reading?
A hydrometer measures the Specific Gravity (SG) of your mead against the reference value of 68 Deg F water at a SG of 1.000. Sugars in the mead will indicate a higher SG. Example a SG of 1.005 will mean that you have .005 sugar remaining in your mead.

Is this just effectively measuring the presence of any solids present in the mix?
Yep kind of - SG changes when dissolved solids like sugar are present. Other dissolved solids will also impact the SG as well. Consider that Ocean water (Dissolved salt and minerals) has a SG of roughly 1.025

And if so, would residual lees/yeast affect this reading?
Yes they could, but only if in suspension and or a lot of them. But in a liquid that is pretty clear to the eye the effect is not measurable with a hydrometer.

 

[Mtrhdltd]

That is beautiful! It very well could be done fermenting, but I recommend waiting. Bulk aging is the way to go with mead, be patient and you will be happier. At least 3 months in my experience. Good luck!

 

[RossleberryMead]

so how would I be able to measure sugar in the mead? Is this just effectively measuring the presence of any solids present in the mix? And if so, would residual lees/yeast affect this reading?
A hydrometer measures the Specific Gravity (SG) of your mead against the reference value of 68 Deg F water at a SG of 1.000. Sugars in the mead will indicate a higher SG. Example a SG of 1.005 will mean that you have .005 sugar remaining in your mead.

Is this just effectively measuring the presence of any solids present in the mix?
Yep kind of - SG changes when dissolved solids like sugar are present. Other dissolved solids will also impact the SG as well. Consider that Ocean water (Dissolved salt and minerals) has a SG of roughly 1.025

And if so, would residual lees/yeast affect this reading?
Yes they could, but only if in suspension and or a lot of them. But in a liquid that is pretty clear to the eye the effect is not measurable with a hydrometer.

Thanks for such a concise and informative response! Definitely going to need to get a Hydrometer.

And thanks Mtrhdltd for the advice, I might well leave it another month just to be sure... just in time for Christmas