Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1618, 21 January 2013 Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2013 13:00:16 -0700 (MST) From: mead-request@talisman.com Mead Lover's Digest #1618 21 January 2013 Mead Discussion Forum Contents: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1617, 16 January 2013 (Wayne Boncyk) making aged mead (Steve Ruch) NOTE: Digest appears whenever there is enough material to send one. Send ONLY articles for the digest to mead@talisman.com. Use mead-request@talisman.com for [un]subscribe and admin requests. Digest archives and FAQ are available at www.talisman.com/mead#Archives A searchable archive is at http://www.gotmead.com/mldarchives.html Digest Janitor: Dick Dunn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1617, 16 January 2013 From: Wayne Boncyk Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2013 08:39:42 -0700 > I was wondering if anyone has made a mead that will intentionally be aged > for 10+ years? What tricks and tips do you have? I know show meads age > that long, but I'm leaning towards a traditional with 1.138 OG, 1.030 FG, > rhst yeast, fortified with 0.75L 151 proof everclear. > > ----------------------------- Bob, there really isn't any special trick to producing a mead that can hold for a decade or longer, other than to be sure that whatever you bottle is stable, perhaps consider adding sulfite just before bottling - more as an antioxidant than an antimicrobial - and use the highest quality seals (corks, etc.) that you can afford in those bottles that you want to put down for an extended period like that. Meads, especially traditionals and show meads that have no fruit/vegetable adjuncts, tend to be more tolerant of a little exposure to oxygen than any fruit wines, so with good bottling and storage practices (keep those bottles in a cool place where the temp doesn't fluctuate very much) storage of a decade or longer is possible. I had one traditional mead that I made back around 1980 that I kept a bottle of to celebrate the new millennium. It held up surprisingly well for nearly 2 decades - and I didn't even handle it as carefully as I should have, since it got packed into several non-climate controlled moving boxes along the way. Wayne ------------------------------ Subject: making aged mead From: Steve Ruch Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2013 16:06:26 GMT I've made meads to lay down for my three oldest grandkids, I'll be doing one for the youngest later this year. Other than being very carefull about sanitation the only thing I've done is go for high ABV. Steve "We ALL put the yeast in." Larry, Moe & Curly ------------------------------ End of Mead Lover's Digest #1618 *******************************