Bottling Mead: Tips, Tricks and techniques

[conduct623]

I'm new to the whole mead making world, (regulary brew beer). First can I use a clarifyer, like Sparkloid to clear the mead. Second, can I use beer bottles and oxygen absorbing caps to bottle the mead.

[epicfantasy]

@conduct623 Clarifying agents are quite ok for mead. People have used beer bottles and caps successfully but I generally don't recommend it. I dont think they are secure enough.

[Spooninbrian]

you should make a playlist for your mead making

[tatt2edsportsman]

If I wait longer than two weeks to bottle my mead after the airlock stops bubbling would that be a problem. P.S I do like the way you put your videos on here really a good help. I have been studying this for a while. I am getting hives this next year. went through studying on building and taking care of hives for the last three years. now I am researching on what I can do with my hives if able to keep them live and well. lol.

[epicfantasy]

@tatt2edsportsman Sounds to me like you are having a lot of fun. The learning and the research is a lot of fun for me. The mead is very flexible. Should be fine to sit in the airlocked container for quite a while beyond the two weeks. As long as the airlock still has water in it.

Amazing how beees will take care of themselves. Some basic info is all you need. The bees will do the rest.

[ahiJabo]

Hi... what kind of yeast do you use...? May I use bread yeast... or is any special yeast for mead... thanks.

[epicfantasy]

@ahiJabo You can use bread yeast. Its fine. I have used it many times. But if you can , spend the dollar and get a real wine yeast like a lalvin d47. or a champagne yeast.

[homepie64]

regarding the physical bottling would it be possible to use beer bottles (obviously sanitized) and caps, such as oxygen absorbing caps? or are corks absolutely necessary? I've also heard that screw caps can be used is this true?

[epicfantasy]

@homepie64 Yes, i am a purist and love corks. But lots of people have used screw-on and beer bottles successfully.

[murray821]

So if you want it to re-ferment, you cant add preservative chemicals to it?

[epicfantasy]

@murray821 You really shouldn't. You run the risk of killing or stalling the yeast. Then you get no ferment.

[Vitaliy711]

Yeah, I'll be sure to send you a picture of my mead! ;) HAHA

[lockon]

Should I bottle dry, clear mead that is only a month old if it has stopped fermentation? It has been over a week since it last showed signs of fermenting. Its pretty clear. It only takes beer about three weeks to be done. Whats the difference if its a dry mead?

[epicfantasy]

@lockon A dry mead will usually age pretty quick. But wine yeast is different than beer. They keep wine in caskets for very long periods of time. it needs time toferment slowly. I recommend once that airlock goes completely still you wait at least 2 weeks before bottling. There is no harm in waiting longer. So, you probably can bottle in another week. Just monitor for signs of activity. We don't want exploding corks on your bottles!

[MarkPope29]

I'm very interested in mead making! I made my first batch today and it is fermenting! I'm really excited! I heard from a guy that if you use regular bread yeast the mead turns out with a fuller and richer taste. Does that sound right?

[Anbhas55]

@MarkPope29 Bread yeast, based on my early brews can create a lot more sediment, be much harder to clarify and can leave a bitter taste

[afghanmarine1983]

Just finished bottling my first batch of honey liquor thanks to you and some other online sources. It turned out great (smells and taste fantastic,) but I notice a very yeasty flavor...I let it ferment in the primary for 27 days exactly, and the carboy for 85 days exactly I then had my first taste and bottled. I tasted yeast while first tasting but thought it would go away with aging in the bottles, it didn't. Any suggestions, starting another batch this week.

[epicfantasy]

@afghanmarine1983 it is still young, you should let it age for at least another 3-6 months. It will make a big difference. For the next batch you can rack it more often. that will reduce the yeast flavors. I like to rack twice, at the one mark month then again around the 3 month mark.

[deaconbomb303]

can i use mason/jam jars?

[epicfantasy]

@deaconbomb303 I am not sure, probably.

[Zodomir]

Please recommend a site to buy all this equipment since most of it I cant get it in my country

[Pawnbroker00]

@Zodomir You don't need any of this equipment if you know what your doing.. hes going overkill on most of this.

[IsilmeRobur]

Small question. If you want to add the potassium sorbate or other things before bottling, you stir everything up again. How long do you need to wait before you can bottle then?

I am now waiting for my first batch to clear! I am so looking forward to tasting it! Thanks for your site and video's, they are great.

[epicfantasy]

@IsilmeRobur You don't have to wait at all. Generally though I wait 24 hours just to be sure! Good luck with your mead. You can hasten the clarification with bentonite if need be, Me? I like to wait and just let it clear on its own with racking every month or so.

[IsilmeRobur]

@epicfantasy I am also planning to let it clarify on it's own without adding chemicals (I used organic honey so it would be a bit strange to put chemicals inside it!). I placed it in a cold room (above freezing t but a room without heating-> it's winter here). It's my first batch so I am really anxious to taste it (although I did get some mouthfuls racking it!). Making mead is really an exercise in patience :-)

[Evological]

just curious, are you from Long Island?

[epicfantasy]

@Evological Quohog Rhode Island. Peter Griffin lives next door :)

[captianusa]

How much Potassium metabisulfite per gallon do I use.

[epicfantasy]

@captianusa It should come with instructions. It will be a very small amount for one gallon.

[captianusa]

@epicfantasy

I bought a 4 oz bottle of

"Crosby & Baker"

Potassium metabisulfite.

No instructions.

I Google them, hoping they posted instructions, Nothing !

[bushinarin]

I have a question. How much potassium metabisulphite should I add per five gallons? I'm going to add that plus some potassium sorbate and how long do you think I should let it sit before I rack it after that?

I also kind of want to add bentonite and rack it again before I bottle it. Do you think that a second rack will help before I bottle or am I being superfluous?

[epicfantasy]

@bushinarin metabisulfite will come with directions, could be 1/4 teaspoon per five gallons. After adding the bentonite you will have to wait a while and then you absolutely have to rack it again to get it off all the bentonite.

[KitMason3]

how much potassium metabite sulfite do you put in a 5 gal batch and where can i get it??

[defiythelie]

They need to make a plastic hydrometer, I have only been brewing wines and beer for about a year and a half and have went through 10 hydrometers, I just always seem to break them.

[epicfantasy]

@defiythelie This is a good idea!

[merddyn2002]

hey man, great tutorial video. Would have been nice to see you talking rather than just starting at a bunch of bottles. :) One think you're a bit off on with your information though, Potassium Sorbate doesn't preserve color. It inhibits yeast mitosis which means the yeast can't multiply.

[louisvpeople]

alright thanks man appreciate the help, and the taste is different from what i normally have, but not too bad

[louisvpeople]

one more question please, are there any dangers to this like in making moonshine? i usually just go buy my drinks but thought it might be nice to try making them myself .

[epicfantasy]

I have never heard of any dangers. Smell and taste it. If it is bad you will know it. Occasionally a batch will go bad. You avoid this by being sure to sanitize everything from jug to siphon hose and bottles.

[m6dm90]

@louisvpeople per gallon batch you distill chuck away the first 2 fl oz

its methanol and with kill you or make you blind and for give you kidney failure

[louisvpeople]

i just finished fermenting and bottled four .75 ml bottles of honey wine i added raisins and apples to help the yeast and flavor, do you have any idea what the avg. alc vol is per bottle? also can you please tell me if you can bottle with plastic corks? as well as why you don't just put them in regular bottles?

thanks louis

[epicfantasy]

Generally the alcohol content is 10-12 percent, depends on recipe and yeast. I don't use regular bottles because they are not very strong, regular metal caps same. wine bottles and corks are stronger to prevent breakage or popping. Don't bottle tooo early.

[BabmerChan]

send me a picture of your meat?

huh wha?

[stickmymasta]

pear cider?

[Mctavish94]

so is mead alchoholic or what?

[McPfoot]

Lol I thought you where saying meat all the way through. Meat shampain?

[LEESSKK]

Thanks for the vid I was actually about to send you and email asking about bottling!

[HerDarkestHour]

Question. I used your recipe on the website to make a gallon of mead. I make beer so I have all the equipment to bottle beer... can I use bottle caps instead of corks?

[dtmbcorp]

Caps will work fine

[sci0nparag0n]

But nothing interesting to say! Your an idiot !!!!! W00T W00T!

[vairocana23]

Thanks for these tips, I made a play list just on your Mead making videos. Excellent work!

[boxman4prezz]

what the heck is mead? lol

[tobiasbeith]

mead is pear cider

[guildwars85]

what is mead

[djtron1x]

Mead is honey wine / fermented honey, and quite tasty if you do it right.

[magicbuskey]

Very nice. I've always wondered about this. Another great video! Thanks again!