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How do I get my mead clear?

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  • How do I get my mead clear?

    Hello, my first attempt at mead (well, metheglin) has hit a snag, cloudiness.

    The recipe (1 gal): 4lbs local clear honey in 4pts hot water, raised to 80° C for 30 mins with the following added: 0.25 tsp tannin, 1.5 tsp yeast nutrient, 3 tsp tartaric acid, 1 tsp dried agrimony (in a tea infuser), 1 vanilla pod (split & de-seeded), 1 clove, 6 large mace blades. Added 1 pint water. SN9 (champagne) yeast from starter.

    All has gone brilliantly. Started on 21 Nov (OG 1.110), 4th-8th Jan steady at FG 1.020 and stopped. 8th Jan racked off heavy sediment, shaken like billy-o, added 0.5tsp pot sorbate & 1 tsp campden powder.

    left in cool for 4 weeks, remaining cloudy so 6 Jan (yesterday as I write) KwickClear A & B added as per instructions, 1ml each. I can see the KwickClear has dropped but the body is still very cloudy after 24hrs. I added KwickClear to a gallon of Dry White (Scarborough 1989) at the same time, here are the two brews for comparison:

    mead1.jpg

    You can see the white wine has cleared and thrown a deposit. The mead, you may be able to see the deposit but it doesn't look good.

    I don't believe it's a pectic haze, as I don't think any of the ingredients have pectin (I can do the meths test if you think it may be). Should I filter it? Or leave it another 4 weeks? Or is there a mead-makers secret for getting clarity?

    It tastes like nectar!

    Thanks for looking
    Now bottling 20DJs of 2013 red and making room to rack 5 carboys of 2014 red to the DJs where they can wait for another winter.
    Thank goodness for eBay! (local cache of DJs)

  • #2
    Give it a couple more days and see what happens

    regards
    bob
    N.G.W.B.J.
    Member of 5 Towns Wine and Beer Makers Society (Yorkshire's newest)
    Wine, mead and beer maker

    Comment


    • #3
      Some meads can be a bit stubborn and need a second hit of kwik clear. Some need to be cold crashed for a week, if you back sweetened you can get a haze that needs to be hit with amylase (protein hazes) and some you need to just put away and leave as only time does the trick.....
      Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

      Some blog ramblings

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      • #4
        And yes you could also try filtration, but make sure its fully de-gassed first.....
        Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.

        Some blog ramblings

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        • #5
          put it somewhere real cold for a couple of weeks - if it clears rack it while cool.
          Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

          Comment


          • #6
            Thanks chaps... into the front porch (North facing) it goes!
            Now bottling 20DJs of 2013 red and making room to rack 5 carboys of 2014 red to the DJs where they can wait for another winter.
            Thank goodness for eBay! (local cache of DJs)

            Comment


            • #7
              Good choice. Never use chemicals if there is another more natural way and a cold front porch is cheaper too.!! (please insert honorary Yorkshireman points)
              Gluten free, caffeine free, dairy free, fat free – you gotta love this red wine diet!

              Comment


              • #8
                Please be aware if you are using finings, they will only work at room temperature.......

                give it a couple of days, to see what happens.


                you used 1ml of kwik clear...thats a very very low dosage, let the wine sit (at room temp) for a couple more days, then try another (2ml of A and 2ml of B) shot of kwik clear, and see what happens after that.

                regards
                bob
                Last edited by lockwood1956; 08-02-2012, 10:39 PM.
                N.G.W.B.J.
                Member of 5 Towns Wine and Beer Makers Society (Yorkshire's newest)
                Wine, mead and beer maker

                Comment


                • #9
                  ah. In from the porch (a balmy 8°C) and a couple more days of luxury before it gets 'the treatment' again.

                  Merely exposing my ignorance for your amusement: So there's 1ml of a&b in there. When I put in 2ml more and shake it all about is that OK, or should I first rack it off the existing sediment?

                  Thanks for all this attention to my faltering steps, from the sip I had at racking, I do think it's worth the trouble; besides, all those bees worked jolly hard, it would be a shame to let them down.
                  Now bottling 20DJs of 2013 red and making room to rack 5 carboys of 2014 red to the DJs where they can wait for another winter.
                  Thank goodness for eBay! (local cache of DJs)

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks all - mission accomplished.

                    I followed Bob's advice and after a couple of days gave it another 2ml shot of kwik clear after syphoning of the lees of the previous attempt:

                    clr meade.jpg
                    Now bottling 20DJs of 2013 red and making room to rack 5 carboys of 2014 red to the DJs where they can wait for another winter.
                    Thank goodness for eBay! (local cache of DJs)

                    Comment

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