Can anyone point me towards an article that discusses the pros/cons of different bottling options for mead? I’ve never done mead before and would like some guidance before attempting it, even though I know I could make that decision weeks, if not months, into fermentation. Does using 22 oz. ale bottles with pry-off crown caps create a sub-par flavor? Can you create any carbonation by bottle conditioning this way? Same questions with wine bottles, please. I’ve not force-carbonated by keg yet, and would be hesitant to start that the first time with my first mead. Thanks all,
Really don’t know the answer because I’m fermenting a couple of first attempt meads as we speak. But I know I want to use a clear bottle. I don’t plan on carbonating but if you do you might consider champagne bottles and cork Belgian style
Thank you both. I just had a bit of a sampling last night of carbonated versus non-carbonated mead, and I think I’ve made up my mind to go with non-carbonated, so it’ll be wine bottles and corks for me. Unless, that is, you think non-carbonated bottles with pry-off caps would yield a good product. Thoughts? Thanks.
I think there’s something inherently unsatisfying about using a pry-off cap and not getting the hiss of carbonation. For a non-carbonated beverage, corked wine bottles all the way. If you get good quality corks, it should keep just as long if not longer than pry-off caps, provided you’re storing the bottles on their side. The corks will also allow some micro-oxidation, which can provide some long term benefits in flavor.
So my first batch of mead went into corked wine bottles a little over a week ago. I had let it stay in primary for three weeks and then 9 weeks in secondary. I generally follow a standard 2-3 week time for beer, but know that that flavor profile can change the longer it’s bottled and ages. I assume the same thing happens with mead, but what I’m concerned with is what the minimum number of weeks to bottle condition mead is before I can expect to have a decent bottle of mead, knowing that it will continue to age with time. Any thoughts? Thanks,
Grant
Unless your carbonating you don’t need to conditionn the Mead. I’ve been making them in 1 gallon batches and just drinking them as needed saving one or two from each batch. If you use tight corks they should last for years not sure how much they will change or if for better or worse.
Uncarbonated mead doesn’t need to bottle condition, but it can experience bottle shock.
Wines often have this problem; the flavor takes a strange turn after it is bottled, but then recovers after 2-4 weeks. Meads are basically wines, and often respond like them. So don’t be surprised if it has a funny taste during the first month after bottling, but then comes back the the taste it had just before bottling.
And it will continue to get smoother and richer over time. A couple years from now it might turn amazing.
Thanks, rebuilt. That certainly turned out to be the case this last weekend. The bottle I opened was generally rejected by each taster, though I thought it was okay. Another bottle I gave away to a fellow brewer was also summarily rejected, and he said he thought I had gotten a yeast contamination. I’m not pouring it out, not by any means, so I’ll just wait to see how it ages over time and see if in 1-2 months, it’s better, and then again a couple months after that… Thanks, all, for your help.
