white film on mead??

[therecyclingviking]

I made A Pumkin mead almost a year ago and have been bulk ageing it in a big food grade plastic jug (which was a mistake it has a slight plastic taste to it other than that it is great. My problem is has that it has this thin whiteish film here and there on the top is this something to be worried about? Thanks for your help.

 

[wayneb]

Generally a thin white film that does not otherwise affect the smell or taste of the mead is no big problem. It often occurs as the remaining yeast die and autolyze (break down) and some of the yeast proteins float to the surface of the mead. It should be easy to eliminate by racking the mead once or twice, but with only a gallon to work with, I'd probably let it be. The proteins will eventually link into longer, heavier chains, and precipitate out.

I'd be more worried about the long time that this mead has spent in a plastic milk jug. Those thin-walled jugs are not impermeable to the air, so eventually they will allow enough introduction of atmospheric O2 to oxidize your mead. If you can, I'd rack it into a sanitized glass container as soon as possible and either get it under an airlock, or seal the container until you are ready to drink it.

 

[therecyclingviking]

The jug it is in is not a milk jug its a 4 gal jug kind of like the ones for water coolers but the walls are thiner.

 

[wayneb]

Ahh - I read your first post too fast!

Nevertheless, my comment is still applicable. Unless you invest in a thick-walled poly carboy specifically designed for fermentation and aging (check out "Better Bottles" if you want to go that way), you will have enough air infiltration through the thin walls to eventually oxidize the mead. Especially if you have a lot of airspace above the liquid in one of those large plastic carboys, oxidation will eventually affect your mead.