Is my mead safe to drink?

[Calenk]

hi there. I started a batch of mead 10 months ago. first fermenting got stuck so I restarted it with 1118, I ended up kind of forgeting about it so it has been in the glass carboy with the yeast for 10 months, it also wasn't filled right to the neck. I filtered it down to 0.5 micron in hopes to still drink it. would this be safe.

thanks

 

[bernardsmith]

It'll almost certainly be safe. Hard to think what kinds of pathogens can survive in alcohol. The bigger question is will it be enjoyable. Oxidation can play a terrible toll on flavor (though it can make some wines taste like sherry). What was the starting gravity? What is the gravity today?

 

[TasunkaWitko]

As Bernard says, protection from oxygenation is very important. At the very least, keep your airlock filled.

I bottled a mead last week that had been sitting undisturbed for several months (since late September or early October). It looked incredibly beautiful, and also tasted very, very good. I expect it to get even better as it ages.

The only "fly in the soup" was that it was just starting to get an off-aroma from sitting on the yeast; the smell isn't exactly like soy sauce, but that's the closest thing I can think of. Luckily, it did not affect the taste; but if I would have waited much longer, it might have. Hopefully, yours won't have this problem.

The moral of the story, in my mind: Make bloody-well sure that you rack it at least once, after a couple of months, to get it off the major portion of the yeast etc. Even better, try not to forget about it, like I did.

 

[Calenk]

Starting gravity was 1.078 and now its 0.994

 

[Lefou]

Starting gravity was 1.078 and now its 0.994

I would say it's ready.
If you have several bottles, save a few for later.

Long before I knew how to make mead, I'd purchase a few bottles of good honeysuckle metheglin at a time from a meadery that used to be in Sperryville, Virginia. I wasn't very good at saving them ....

 

[koniowsky717]

As Bernard says, protection from oxygenation is very important. At the very least, keep your airlock filled.

I bottled a mead last week that had been sitting undisturbed for several months (since late September or early October). It looked incredibly beautiful, and also tasted very, very good. I expect it to get even better as it ages.

The only "fly in the soup" was that it was just starting to get an off-aroma from sitting on the yeast; the smell isn't exactly like soy sauce, but that's the closest thing I can think of. Luckily, it did not affect the taste; but if I would have waited much longer, it might have. Hopefully, yours won't have this problem.

The moral of the story, in my mind: Make bloody-well sure that you rack it at least once, after a couple of months, to get it off the major portion of the yeast etc. Even better, try not to forget about it, like I did.

how much yeast was it sittin on? i have the slightest bit of yeast, not even a 1/32 of an inch.. been 2 months so far

 

[bernardsmith]

This is about 11% ABV. I think with that level of alcohol you have nothing to be afraid of in terms of safety. The only concern might be a poor quality finish - but taste the wine. Proof of the pudding is always in the eating.

 

[Calenk]

thanks guys. it tastes pretty good actually.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

how much yeast was it sittin on? i have the slightest bit of yeast, not even a 1/32 of an inch.. been 2 months so far

Hi - this was a 1-gallon batch, so it might not be a fair comparison; however, it seemed to me that it was sitting on about half an inch, after "cold-crashing" a few day, maybe a little less than half an inch. I used 3 pounds of honey and D47.

 

[bernardsmith]

Some yeasts produce off flavors when they start to break down and other yeasts are known not to. Sur lie (allowing wine to age on fine lees ) is a well established wine making practice that works with some yeasts and not others and in any event sur lie applies to fine lees and not the gross lees that are produced during the first weeks