A few questions on mead

[agentgonzo]

I've got some mead that's just come out of the primary (after about 2 months) and I have a few questions.

A friend has a apiary, so I got 20lbs of his honey (fresh with bee bits) to make the mead. I pasteurised it at 70°C for about 30 mins, then strained through a sanitised muslin to filter out the bee bits. I assumed that the residual wax would float to the top or sink to the bottom and separate out.

Firstly, it's incredibly murky (like a weissbier) and you can't see through it. Is there anything that I can do? I'm not sure whether this is the yeast or the fact that I didn't start with farm-clear honey.

Secondly, I'm going to flavour some of it. I've separated it out into demijohns for this purpose (and some into bottles to make sparkling mead). How much fruit/spices should I use to flavour it?

I was planning on adding black cherry to one, and a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, raisins and orange peel to the other. Any ideas on the quantity I should use in a 1Gal batch?

[maxashton]

Mead is a funny old thing to brew, it can take months or years to reach its best, just like a wine. It may clear naturally, or may not. I've never fined any of my meads, so i really don't know if you can use wine finings or isinglass or whatever.

Good to hear you can get a nice haul from your mate's apiary. Not enough people making mead anymore.

When i've added fruit, i've added it in Primary. I think in the last batch i did (1 gallon only), i added 250gms of raisins and enough boiling water to cover.

[CyberPaddy66]

I let mine clear naturally in the DJ's for about 3 months then filter into bottles and leave for another 3 months before tasting

[deepinvader]

Mead is a funny old thing to brew, it can take months or years to reach its best, just like a wine. It may clear naturally, or may not. I've never fined any of my meads, so i really don't know if you can use wine finings or isinglass or whatever.

I used Kwick Clear on a batch of mead and it worked like magic, crystal clear in 24 hours.

[maxashton]

Sweet. Good to know.

[CyberPaddy66]

Mead is a funny old thing to brew, it can take months or years to reach its best, just like a wine. It may clear naturally, or may not. I've never fined any of my meads, so i really don't know if you can use wine finings or isinglass or whatever.

I used Kwick Clear on a batch of mead and it worked like magic, crystal clear in 24 hours.

But it still needs to mature for at least 3 months

[agentgonzo]

Thanks for the advice. What's the active ingredient(s) in Kwik clear? I already have isinglass at home for beer, so could I use that?

[deepinvader]

Thanks for the advice. What's the active ingredient(s) in Kwik clear? I already have isinglass at home for beer, so could I use that?

It's a 2 part treatment, A: Kieselsol Solution B: Gelatin Solution

[Prozac]

I'd be cautious with the cloves!! I put 3 into a bottle of Sloe Gin
It's still drinkable but it's like an alcoholic cough mixture..... very warming, and I like it but probably wouldn't use cloves again.

[Laripu]

I've got some mead that's just come out of the primary (after about 2 months) and I have a few questions.

A friend has a apiary, so I got 20lbs of his honey (fresh with bee bits) to make the mead. I pasteurised it at 70°C for about 30 mins, then strained through a sanitised muslin to filter out the bee bits. I assumed that the residual wax would float to the top or sink to the bottom and separate out.

Firstly, it's incredibly murky (like a weissbier) and you can't see through it. Is there anything that I can do? I'm not sure whether this is the yeast or the fact that I didn't start with farm-clear honey.

Here's a guess. When you pasteurised the honey, you also inadvertently homogenized it. That is, the wax particles became smaller and more regularly dispersed. What you need to fine it is something that will cause the wax to recoagulated on it. I believe gelatin and isinglas do that for proteins; I'm not sure what will do that for wax.

On the other hand, there is probably also suspended protein, so fining with anything won't hurt. I'd try one thing after another, in 1 month increments. I've have used Sparkolloid with good results in mead. See also this.

Next time, I suggest that you filter first, and pasteurise after. One extra benefit is that pasteurisation will then kill any microbes introduced by filtering.

On the other hand, I expect the finished mead will be very good and the murk, while unattractive, will be harmless. Label the bottles "ALL NATURAL", and everyone will take the murkiness as evidence that it really is all natural. American marketing techniques... gotta love 'em!