Very dry Apple mead

[Painted toad]

I am at the 6 month mark of my apple mead. It is very dry! Can I add juice or more honey at bottling to sweeten up the mead?

Thanks
The painted toad

 

[PitBull]

You can sweeten with either juice or honey or both. But you MUST stabilize first or else you will risk having bottle bombs. You also do not want to do back sweeten at bottling time as it will make your mead/cyser very cloudy. You will need to let it clear on its own or add a fining agent. You will likely need at least another month after sweetening. Juice tends to dilute you finished product more than honey does, which is not necessarily bad. Juice will give it more apple flavor. I tend to use a combination of both, typically in the same proportions as the original must.

 

[Marshmallow Blue]

To add onto PitBull, you stabilize with Camden Tabs and Potassium Sorbate. Like he says, without it, it will just ferment what you add and be dry again.

 

[Painted toad]

Thanks Pitbull from Pittburgh, I will try the combination of jucie and honey! Thanks for the advice!!

 

[Painted toad]

Thanks you too marshmallow blue, I do have Camden. If I add the Camden the wine is then done correct?

 

[Medsen Fey]

You need sorbate in addition to the Campden tablets.

 

[Marshmallow Blue]

Thanks you too marshmallow blue, I do have Camden. If I add the Camden the wine is then done correct?

Like Medsen says, and restating what I said, you need both the Camden tab and the potassium sorbate. They work together.

1. One removes the yeasts ability to reproduce
2. The other stops current yeast cells from producing alcohol

If you just used 1, The current cells would continue to ferment new sugar
If you just used 2, The cells would multiply into unaffected yeast and continue to ferment.

Remember the 1, 2, PUNCH! Once you add both in, wait a couple days before back sweetening.