raw alchohol carboard like flavor?

[Sourcheese]

any ideas what this might be? I just bottled after 8 months a 5 gallon batch of mead. crystal clear, beutiful color, but omg just in your face raw alcohol carboard life flavor. is that just age or something else?

Thank you

 

[Golddiggie]

Cardboard flavor typically means it's oxidized (at least with beer it is). So, depending on how you racked, it happened there. I don't believe there's a cure for that (one of the few things that cannot be fixed with time). Other, more veteran mazers might know of a trick, and could post up.

The 'hot' aspect (in your face alcohol) can be aged out. At 8 months old, depending on the strength, it's barely an infant (in mead life). I typically go 12 months before bottling batches at/under 14%. If yours was 18%, and finished dry, I would have gone 18-24 months before bottling. It will age MUCH better in bulk form.

 

[Sourcheese]

Thank you for the info! I didnt realize that 2 years woulf be when u bottle mead. I made a 5 gallon batch with 2.5 lbs fresh shredded ginger thats 8 months old as well... but the harsh in your face alchohol flavor works with the ginget bite. Next batch I make ill look into those co2 canisters. I also know I got extra air into it during the racking process. Way to much so next batch will be better. Thanks for the tips. Next 5 gallon might be mead and a bunch of tea bags in secondary and made to be sweet. Thank u

 

[icedmetal]

One correction: aging in bulk is no better than aging in the bottle.

The difference between the two is, if you age in bulk and don't like the result, you can always make modifications before bottling. Once it's in the bottle, it tends to stay in the bottle.

 

[Intheswamp]

My impression was that bulk aging created a more consistent product and that bottle aging would result in possible variations from bottle to bottle. I've also seen it noted that the mass involved in bulk aging helps to moderate temperature swings. And, as icedmetal stated, changes can be made to the mead aging in bulk much easier than mead aging in bottles...and most of the time nobody goes to the trouble of "tweaking" bottles.

How these to aspects affect the final product is yet to be seen by me being as I haven't produced a finished product yet, but it makes sense that they would affect the product.

Ed

 

[Medsen Fey]

... I also know I got extra air into it during the racking process. Way to much so next batch will be better...

Usually with normal racking you won't create oxidative damage. Meads are fairly resistant to oxidation. Can you provide the recipe details?

 

[mfalenski]

any ideas what this might be? I just bottled after 8 months a 5 gallon batch of mead. crystal clear, beutiful color, but omg just in your face raw alcohol carboard life flavor. is that just age or something else?

Thank you

Always make sure you use SO2 during bulk aging (25-50 PPM should be OK.) Add the proper amount (based on pH levels) every few months to keep the free SO2 level consistent. Also make sure carboys have the least amount of headspace possible. 8 months isn't that long, so the initial dose of SO2 should have been OK. You can also blanket carboys with CO2 to help protect from oxygen. The oxidized taste can also be due to contamination.

If it does taste oxidized, you could try some powdered skim milk or Polyclar. The alcohol taste will have to age out or you could blend with another mead. It's much tougher once it's in the bottle but I know of a few people who have uncorked and poured back into a bulk container to treat.