Racking mead multiple times

[Richelle]

I'm about to start my first batch of mead and am reading up on the subject. The information out on the internet is very similar but there is one thing that I cannot understand :

Why do you rack mead so often?

I noticed many of you rack once from primary to secondary but why would you rack 3 -4 times?

Is there a method to your madness???

Thank you for your time :fro:

 

[SerifSansSerif]

Some recipes I've seen (and some comments) seem to indicate that with mead they DON'T rack as often.

But as a general practice, racking your brew off of the lees is a way to keep it "clean" and to get rid of the dead yeast, and the nasty leftovers of your fermentables which would further decay and cause off flavors. It allows your brew to clarify as that sediment drops, and typically racking is done on an "as needed" basis.

In other words, if it looks like you have (in your opinion) a fair amount of sediment, then rack it. If it has been sitting on the lees for long enough that it worries you, rack it. If the brew seems like it is slowing, developing problems, or having issues, try to diagnose it, but the first step you'll always get is to rack it.

 

[dmtaylor]

I rack often in order to slow down the fermentation and try to maintain a bit more sweetness. If you keep in primary the whole time, it will tend to dry out to around 0.994 or lower -- very dry. Racking removes 95% of your yeast so that the 5% that remains moves a lot more slowly, until they tire and drop out.

 

[Richelle]

Thanks for the information. It makes perfect sense!

My yeast has been ordered at my local shop. Now all I have to do is wait for it to arrive. I'm so excited to start!