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Do I Need to Get the Mead off the Lees During Bulk Aging?

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M

msheald

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 30, 2015
13
0
0
Hello! I would like folk's thoughts on the need to get the mead off the lees during bulk aging after the first racking.

I made a one-gallon batch of strawberry mead with Red Star Montrachet yeast in a 2-1/2 gallon plastic bucket with distilled water, 3.5 pounds of orange blossom honey, yeast energizer, and nutrient. I added 3 pounds of frozen strawberry fruit about (thawed at room temperature) about 75% of the way into primary fermentation along with pectic enzyme. I did not check the s.g., but estimated how far along the ferment was and when to add the fruit when the gas production went to about a bubble every 25 seconds.

I racked the mead to a glass carboy when there was gas production for about two weeks, using a sieve and funnel to catch the any fruit that made it through as I decanted the liquid in order to leave the lees behind. I Had enough mead to fill the carboy. I replaced the airlock.

This morning, after a day, there is about 1/2 inch of fine sediment on the bottom of the carboy.

Is it OK to age as is for 6 to 12 months? Or should I rack again in a month or so in order to get the mead off the fine lees in order to prevent a change in taste to the mead?

Thank you and best regards.

Mike
 
I'd rack it again in a month to get it off that sediment layer......if for no other reason that eliminating the risk of stirring up that layer accidentally and making your mead cloudy again.

Some yeasts cause no problems when the mead is left on the lees, some don't tolerate it well at all. Do not know of Red Star Montrachet is safe or not.
 
You would not want fruit stuffs siting for too long. It will give of flavors. If you are siting on yest Lee you wil want to read Oskars read on the home page of this Web site
 
I would keep racking until it stops dropping sediment. That's pretty much the goal. From what I understand, there are many more yeasts that you want your wine OFF of rather than on. Sur lie is used with relatively few yeasts as far as I know.
 
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