worlddivides
Well-Known Member
Hi guys. I made my mead almost 2 months ago. The fermentation was done after about 2 weeks (fermented at 66-71 degrees, mainly around 70). After about 3 weeks, I transferred it to a secondary carboy. After I moved it to the secondary carboy, I needed the fermentation bag to make beer, so I moved the carboy to a dark place and left it there for a while. The temperature continually rose (as it's summer here), but mainly stayed in the upper 70s. I went on vacation and while I was gone, it was in the upper 80s, low 90s, and mid to upper 90s, one day even getting over 100. So, after I got back from vacation, the fermentation bag was free, so I thought it would be good to get the temperature down.
When I started out, the carboy was at 80F. Within a day, I brought it down to 72. After another day, I brought it down to 62. After another day, I brought it down to 56. After another day, I brought it down to 52. Right now it's at 50 and slowly going down.
So my question is... How important is temperature when aging mead? Obviously temperature control is of the utmost important for almost any fermented beverage during fermentation, but I've always kind of felt that temperature was quite unimportant for aging.
Everyone says to store beer, wine, cider, and other non-distilled alcoholic beverages in a cool location, but that has never been an option year round, seeing as the temperatures can get quite hot in the summer time. I haven't lived in a place that had central heating/central AC in about 15 years. I also haven't lived in a place that had a basement (or cellar) in almost 15 years.
I'm considering just cooling the mead until the end of summer and then returning it to room temperature and aging it for a little longer before bottling it.
But I really wonder if my cooling has any real benefits. I mean, I've heard that the colder the temperature, the faster the mead clears -- and I certainly saw that when I had a small jar of left-over mead that I put in the fridge and it cleared up within 3 days -- but I'm just wondering about some input on the subject.
When I started out, the carboy was at 80F. Within a day, I brought it down to 72. After another day, I brought it down to 62. After another day, I brought it down to 56. After another day, I brought it down to 52. Right now it's at 50 and slowly going down.
So my question is... How important is temperature when aging mead? Obviously temperature control is of the utmost important for almost any fermented beverage during fermentation, but I've always kind of felt that temperature was quite unimportant for aging.
Everyone says to store beer, wine, cider, and other non-distilled alcoholic beverages in a cool location, but that has never been an option year round, seeing as the temperatures can get quite hot in the summer time. I haven't lived in a place that had central heating/central AC in about 15 years. I also haven't lived in a place that had a basement (or cellar) in almost 15 years.
I'm considering just cooling the mead until the end of summer and then returning it to room temperature and aging it for a little longer before bottling it.
But I really wonder if my cooling has any real benefits. I mean, I've heard that the colder the temperature, the faster the mead clears -- and I certainly saw that when I had a small jar of left-over mead that I put in the fridge and it cleared up within 3 days -- but I'm just wondering about some input on the subject.
