Question:
How long does it take for a pure honey/water mead to clear, anyway? I started one on Oct 29/97, racked a couple of times since then, but it doesn’t seem to want to clear. O.G. was about 1.1, it’s about 1.00 now. Any ideas? Should I force it with gelatin or some other clearing agent?
A classic, honey/water/yeast mead, without benefit of nutrients, can often take more than a year to finish and clear. With nutrients, ferment times can be drastically reduced, but I understand that it can often take quite some time to clear completely, even after the ferment is practically over. This may <speculation have to do with the fact that honey ferments much more slowly than malt under even the best of conditions, so there may be some minor fermentation keeping things stirred up for some time to come </speculation. Let it be in a cool, dark place. Jo3sh Malt does more than Milton can To justify God’s ways to Man. – A. E. Housman
Response:
Greg Mennie writes: Should I force it with gelatin or some other clearing agent?
I wouldn’t worry about it. I let my meads clear naturally (I let them sit for a year) however, I see nothing wrong with using a clarifier. I have used sparkalloid from time to time, it works well. If you’re in a hurry, use it, otherwise, let it age, and clear naturally Ron Barnes Bible Belt Brewers Abilene Texas
Response:
I used a couple tablespoons of gelatin to clear mine after 8 months in the carboy. DO NOT BOIL THE GELATIN!!! disolve it in some hot n`, not boiling , water and then add to the mead. Should take a month or so.
Response:
How long does it take for a pure honey/water mead to clear, anyway? I started one on Oct 29/97, racked a couple of times since then, but it doesn’t seem to want to clear. O.G. was about 1.1, it’s about 1.00 now. Any ideas? Should I force it with gelatin or some other clearing agent?
I started a traditional mead on Sept. 97. It’s not completely clear either, but has cleared since I bottled in January. (Had to empty as many carboys as possible for the move- still moved with 2 full carboys- carefully placed in wooden crates) I reccommend waiting some more. If you think it tastes great now, wait until next Sept or Oct! And it should be completely clear by then. -georg non ani sunt permittendi
Response:
I used a couple tablespoons of gelatin to clear mine after 8 months in the carboy. DO NOT BOIL THE GELATIN!!! disolve it in some hot n`, not boiling , water and then add to the mead. Should take a month or so.
Thomas; You don’t have to worry about boiling the gelatin/water mixture. Gelatin is collagen extracted by prolonged boiling or steaming of animal tendons, hooves, bones, hides etc. The long collagen protein strands (MW approx. 130,000) are denatured into a mixture of shorter length molecules that won’t be affected by brief boiling. I wonder how much Jello that Kraft Foods would sell if they had to tell kids and parents that it is made from boiled-down cow and horse carcasses!! ;- — Bruce Ritchie Tel: (514) 937-6011 Ext:4530 Fax: (514) 937-6961 Montreal General Hospital Room C10-133 1650 Cedar Ave, Montreal Quebec, Canada H3G 1A4
Response:
How long does it take for a pure honey/water mead to clear, anyway? I started one on Oct 29/97, racked a couple of times since then, but it doesn’t seem to want to clear. O.G. was about 1.1, it’s about 1.00 now. Any ideas? Should I force it with gelatin or some other clearing agent? It tastes great, I’d hate to ruin it! Thanks in advance…. Greg
Response:
How long does it take for a pure honey/water mead to clear, anyway?
I’ve only made mel-o-mel, or fruit mead, so I can’t say. I know thatfruit meads can easily take 8 or 9 months in the carboy to properly clear. In fact, I have a low-bush blueberry mead in the basement for about 8 months, and it’s just starting to clear. I started one on Oct 29/97, racked a couple of times since then, but it doesn’t seem to want to clear.
That’s only 5 months, so chill :-) O.G. was about 1.1, it’s about 1.00 now. Any ideas? Should I force it with gelatin or some other clearing agent?
Patience. Again, I don’t know about pure-honey, but judging by my 50/50 honey-fruit meads, I’d say you’re right on course. cheers, -Alan — "Brewers make wort. Yeast makes beer". -Dave Miller’s Homebrewing Guide http://www.magma.ca/~bodnsatz/brew/tips/
Response:
I’ve only made mel-o-mel, or fruit mead, so I can’t say. I know thatfruit meads can easily take 8 or 9 months in the carboy to properly clear. In fact, I have a low-bush blueberry mead in the basement for about 8 months, and it’s just starting to clear.
This post prompted me to go down to the basement and check my blueberry mead : IT’S CLEAR AS A BELL! (And tastes some fine!) cheers, -H Lupus — "Brewers make wort. Yeast makes beer". -Dave Miller’s Homebrewing Guide http://www.magma.ca/~bodnsatz/brew/tips/
Response:
How long does it take for a pure honey/water mead to clear, anyway? I started one on Oct 29/97, racked a couple of times since then, but it doesn’t seem to want to clear. O.G. was about 1.1, it’s about 1.00 now. Any ideas? Should I force it with gelatin or some other clearing agent? It tastes great, I’d hate to ruin it! Thanks in advance…. GregI started a vanilla mead around the first of October 1997. It finally
fell clear the first of April 1998. From what I have read about meads its best to just let it clear on its own. BTW I bottled the mead on April 15. I never thought it was going to clear on its own. Hang in there, Pat
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