wmk wrote:I think the only issue people usually have with bottling mead is that it drops so much sediment until it's crystal. If you are happy with the look of it then go ahead and bottle. So long as it's been in a warm location and the SG is static you are good to go.
I've never had bottle bombs with mead, but then I leave it in the primary for months. I never bother racking. I figure it only introduces oxygen exposure as does bottling considering how much each bottle has in head space.
Meh! Traditional meads aren't easy to oxidise. Hell, oxidation isn't a quick process anyway. Think of it like rusting (which is exactly what it's like), some steels will rust quickly and that's like meads with a fruit element - it's not actually the mead/honey part thats happening too, it's the fruit element. Whereas traditionals are more like "stainless steel", they will get affected, but it takes a lot longer.
Bottle conditioning/carbonation will mean (usually), no sulphites or sorbate (both of which help to reduce product damage), so even if it's been racked properly, with nice well sanitised kit, maybe even cold crashed to try and get any sediment to drop out, any addition of extra fermentables to allow any yeast cells to carbonate it, is likely to also form some sediment, which generally looks bloody horrible in the bottle/glass.
Carbonation is really better done as either "methode champenoise" i.e. extra fermentables, a tiny bit of yeast and then "bottle riddling" from upright to upside down, then doing the disgorging part, before corking and wiring, or by kegging a clear mead, and then chilling the hell out of it before force carbonation (if done properly, you should be able to keep enough CO2 in the product and get it into a bottle).
Generally, carbonated meads are like Champoo i.e. dry and light. If it's gonna be sweetened, it's likely gonna have to be sweetened with a non-fermentable sweetener.