Temperature control during aging

[chillaxis]

Hi all,

I'm planning on starting my first solo meadmaking experience this weekend, and I have a question about temperature control. I'm planning on brewing* with Lalvin D-47 which has an upper temperature limit of 68 degrees F. I do have a fermentation chamber that I use for beer brewing, so I can easily keep it at a controlled temperature.

However, I do want to use that space for beer as well. Would it be significantly harmful to the mead if I removed it to room temperature (which is consistently 71-75 in my home) after a month or two, once active fermentation is completed? Or is it critical that the mead age at the same temperature it ferments at?

Thanks for your help!

* is this the right term to use when making mead instead of beer? ???

 

[K5MOW]

I thinks after the primary fermentation it would be ok.

Roger

 

[kuri]

I have the same question, but with wider temperature swings and a temperature tolerant yeast. For now I have the mead taking up half of the fermentation chamber so I can only have one beer in there at a time. (Which I do, of course.) Come mid fall I hope to change that, though, which will mean much less temperature control for the rest of the year it sits. Are there general guidelines for how high and low you can let a mead go once it's finished its primary fermentation? (I'm using Red Star Premier Cuvee for this one, which has an extremely wide temperature range, so I know I should be ok in that respect. Something like 4-34C (too lazy to look it up again). However, I've seen people comment that it's best to keep the mead at a constant 16C or so while it ages. I haven't seen anyone comment on what changes if you don't do that, though.)

 

[Medsen Fey]

If I had the option, I would age all my meads in a nice stable-temperature cellar environment at about 57○ F. They might age better and last longer. However, the Fusel Shack sits in a semi-tropical swamp, so I have to age everything at room temp. Having done this for several years I can say that meads made with D47 will do fine aging at room temperature if they were fermented at an appropriately cool level. I have aged some stuff up to 7 years, and they've mostly done quite well at room temp.



sent from my THINGAMABOB with WHATCHAMACALLIT

 

[danr]

I am running into the same problem as kuri, so I am glad to see Medsen's reply. I have a refrigerator in the garage that I can use to control temperature for primary fermentation (except when my wife needs the refrigerator for Thanksgiving), but there is not enough room for bulk aging everything that I want to make.

I think I will take my chances with room temperature. After all I am sure that room temperature aged mead is better than no mead at all. :cheers:

Dan

 

[mannye]

If I had the option, I would age all my meads in a nice stable-temperature cellar environment at about 57○ F. They might age better and last longer. However, the Fusel Shack sits in a semi-tropical swamp, so I have to age everything at room temp. Having done this for several years I can say that meads made with D47 will do fine aging at room temperature if they were fermented at an appropriately cool level. I have aged some stuff up to 7 years, and they've mostly done quite well at room temp.



sent from my THINGAMABOB with WHATCHAMACALLIT

HAHAHAAHA Fusel Shack! Good one.

I've had the privilege of tasting some of Medsen's mead and take it from me, there's NO PROBLEM AT ALL in aging at room temp if the results are what Medsen makes. Yummiest mead ever.