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This manual is designed to set you up for success with mead-making. It will walk you through all the basic ingredients and process to start making mead. We have tried to make this manual as comprehensive as possible for beginner brewers who have never tried brewing mead, wine or beer before. That being said this guide is quiet information heavy. If you don’t understand something straight away that is completely fine. Mead and brewing in general is a learning process. As you try more different batches you will get more comfortable with the long list of things to try and the quality of your meads will absolutely improve over time. The best way to learn is to simply have a crack. Mead brewing is much more forgiving than most people think, as long as you follow the basics, which we will cover in this manual later, you will be producing a drinkable product.
Mead is an alcoholic beverage made with honey as the primary fermentable ingredient. It can include other ingredients such as fruits, herbs, spices, etc. Mead comes in many shapes and forms. It can be low in alcohol and carbonated like beer or cider, it can be strong and still like a wine, it can be tropical and bursting with fruit character, or spiced like a Mulled wine. Honey can come in all of these forms and anything in between. The only limiting factor is your imagination.
Mead at its core is quiet a simple product to make. It involves mixing honey with water or juice, adding yeast and nutrients (essentially like supplements that we take for health reasons but for yeast) then allowing the yeast to turn this sugary liquid into a honey wine. Fruit or other spices can be added as well as more honey once fermentation is finished and stabilised to augment the mead even more.
Wildflower honey: Produced by bees that collect nectar from unknown sources, this could be a huge list of local flora. If its not listed that its a mono floral honey its usually a wildflower honey. Because its usually cheap it works well as a base honey for fruited mead (melomels) or spiced mead (metheglins). When used in a traditional, plain honey mead usually it usually isn’t overly expressive and lacks the complexity that you can find with mono floral honey meads.
Mono-floral honey: Made predominantly from a single source of nectar. The precise percentage varies. It is produced from hives that have access to only one overwhelming source of nectar for weeks at a time. Some mono-floral honeys are very well-regarded for making consistently great mead. Others require a careful hand, if they're suitable at all. All except the biggest crops of monofloral honey are considerably more expensive on average than wildflower honey.
Regardless of the type of honey, it is a good idea to always select honey that is minimally processed. Most honey sold in stores is pasteurised and filtered, which makes the honey look more appealing to customers when it sits on the shelf but leads to the honey being less complex and flavoursome. Heavily processed honey won’t crystallise. We would opt for a minimally processed honey, if you see crystallised honey usually that’s a good bet that its minimally processed. The colour of the honey also loosely relates to the flavour intensity of the honey, darker honey typically produces a mead with a more intense and complex flavour.
|
Honey Dose (kg/L): |
0.52 |
0.468 |
0.416 |
0.364 |
0.312 |
0.26 |
0.208 |
0.13 |
|
Approx ABV: |
20% |
18% |
16% |
14% |
12% |
10% |
8% |
5% |
Yeast selection is a major part of making mead. Different strains have different fermentation requirements and produce different flavours (such as esters or thiols), which in turn results in different characteristics in mead. Yeast manufactures will usually give you a list of characteristics such as alcohol tolerance, flavour, attenuation, flocculation, nutrient requirements (only readily available for wine strains), killer status and other strain information. These can be found on the manufacturers website or on a supplied product spec sheet. You will often see mixed reviews and beginner recipes using bakers yeast. Bakers yeast can be used in a pinch however results and mead quality can vary significantly. Generally wine and beer yeast can be purchased for as little as $3.00 and will almost always have better fermentation characteristics and flavour out outcomes. We also suggest avoiding turbo yeast. We won’t be diving into wild yeast in this article as it is an advanced technique that has a wide variance in flavour outcomes. If you’d like to read more we’d suggest checking out the milk the funk wiki.
Alcohol Tolerance: How much alcohol the yeast can tolerate before it stops being able to turn more sugar into alcohol. If your producing a strong mead use a wine yeast that can tolerate high (>12% ABV) alcohol concentration.
Nutrient Requirements: Yeast strains that have a high nutrient requirement are more likely to stall, ferment slower, or just produce off-flavours unless the nutrient requirements are addressed properly and meticulously. You’ll have an overall easier time using yeast strains with low nutrient requirement when just starting out.
Temperature: This is the temperature the yeast wants to be during the fermentation process. Fermenting within the yeasts ideal temperature range will almost always produce a better tasting mead. Targeting the lower end of the fermentation range is the safest choice. Active fermentation also produces heat, usually a small batch (5L) will produce about 1-2°C of heat, larger batches (23L or larger) can produce 3-8°C of heat. Keep this in mind when selecting a yeast strain.
Flavours: When yeast ferment the sugars in your mead they will also produce flavour compounds such as esters, thiols, tertiary alcohols, organic acids and more. These will absolutely impact the flavour of your mead. Flavours can range from fruity to citrusy to spicy to clove like. Opt for a strain that suits the mead style your making, or, if in doubt select a neutral-flavoured strain such as Lalvin EC-1118.
Attenuation: Attenuation is the percent of total sugars in the mead the yeast will eat. When making mead this can be ignored. Even yeast strains that wouldn’t normally eat a high percentage of sugars will eat almost all the sugar in a mead fermentation, given that the alcohol concentration doesn’t exceed the yeasts maximum alcohol tolerance.
Killer Factor: Yeast strains with a positive killer factor (most wine yeast) express a protein that kills killer sensitive yeast strains. If you pitched two strains of yeast, one killer, one killer-sensitve, the killer sensitive yeast would be outcompeted by the killer yeast, essentially rendering it useless in the ferment.
Yeast Type: There are different strains and types of brewers yeast. Over time they have been selected for different properties. To keep it simple we will use the distinction between wine yeast and beer yeast. We typically recommend wine yeast for higher ABV meads that will be aged for a longer period of time and beer yeast for meads where the ABV is a little bit lower and the ageing time will also be shorter. Other organisms such as pediococus and brettomyces can also be used but the outcomes are much more variable and should be reserved for more advanced mead-makers.
Most of the yeast you will encounter for making mead is dried brewers yeast. Pack sizes vary from 5g to 12g. Dried yeast doesn’t store particularly well once opened. As a general rule we would recommend pitching the entire sachet instead of just using half.
Generally the water you use won’t take a mead from being ok to being amazing. Poor quality water can lead to negative flavour outcomes in two cases though:
To ensure your water is free from chlorine, chloramine and microorganisms you can do a few things:
This is arguably the most important component in mead making. Nailing nutrient additions is generally the defining factor for brewers who make great tasting mead. Nutrients to yeast is the equivalent of fertiliser for your garden. If your garden is lacking essential vitamins and minerals the plants develop disease and/or die. This is no different to yeast. Honey itself is nutrient deficient and fermenting without adding any nutrient to the must can lead to stalled ferments, increased H2S production (rotten egg or burnt match sticks), long fermentation time, increased diacetyl, increased fusel alcohols (harsh alcohol bite) and more. You may see simple recipes that use raisins as a nutrient source, however this is a poor source of nutrients and has very little nitrogen.
Nutrient demand is dictated by the yeast strain and the alcoholic strength of the mead. As we spoke about in the yeast section earlier some yeast strains can handle lower nutrient environments well while others have a very high nutrient demand. Its always a good idea to check this before brewing. Mead makers usually add nutrient in a ‘staggered’ approach. Essentially adding the nutrients a small amount at a time, usually on day 1, 3, 5 and 7. Each nutrient source is different, we would suggest referring to the nutrient sachet to get an idea of dosage.
If you prefer to use a cheaper source of nutrient bakers yeast can be used. It does not add flavour to the mead, its cheap, and its easy to make and the nutrient additions do not need to be staggered and can be added all at the start. Use the chart below to calculate your nutrient requirements using the following process.
|
Starting Gravity |
Low Nutrient Need |
High Nutrient Need |
|
1.040 |
1g |
2.5g |
|
1.060 |
1.5g |
4g |
|
1.080 |
2g |
5.3g |
|
1.120 |
2.5g |
6.6g |
Mead that incorporates fruit or fruit juice into the recipe is called a mellomell. Fruit can be used in fresh or frozen format. Frozen fruit is usually our choice as it is cheap, and the freezing and thawing process breaks open fruit cells yielding more juice, and therefore more flavour. The way the fruit is processed will also change the flavour of the final mead. For example chopped fruit, pulverised fruit, blended or boiled into a puree will all taste different. Experiment with different ways of fruit processing and see which is your favourite. As a general rule as the fruit is chopped up or mashed up more you will tend to get more bitterness and astringency, as well as flavour to a point. This astringency and bitterness can be desirable in some recipes and distracting in others. Fruit juice can also be used and is widely accessible in grocery stores. This juice is usually pasteurised and shelf stabilised so it can be added directly to the mead without sterilising.
Fruit added after fermentation to back sweeten tends to give more of a fresh fruit character while fruit added to the main fermentation tends to give a more muted fruit character.
Fruit should be sterilised unless the fruit is going into a high strength mead (higher than 12% ABV). To sterilise the fruit you have two options: using heat to pasteurise it or adding campden tablets to chemically sterilise it.
Heat Treating:
Using Campden Tablets:
A mead with herbs and spices incorporated into the recipe is called a metheglin. This is one of the main mead categories. There are a wide range of herbs and spices that can be used successfully. Like fruit its a good idea to sanitise your herbs and spices prior to adding them to your mead to minimise the risk of introducing spoilage microbes. Sanitising herbs and spices is generally easier than fruit products.
Its always a good idea to add small amounts of herbs or spices at a time to not impart too much flavour into your mead.
Making a tea:
Alcohol tincture:
Now your probably wondering what herbs and spices work well when making a metheglin. The truthful answer is almost anything that is pleasant, given that the herb or spice is not poisonous. Some of the most popular options are listed below.
Herbs:
Spices:
When it comes to writing general instructions for mead this poses some difficulty. There are so many different ways to make mead, and so many different sub-categories of mead. This brewing procedure aims to give you a basic, easy to follow guide that can be built upon as you progress in your mead making journey.
|
Honey Dose (kg/L): |
0.52 |
0.468 |
0.416 |
0.364 |
0.312 |
0.26 |
0.208 |
0.13 |
|
Approx ABV: |
20% |
18% |
16% |
14% |
12% |
10% |
8% |
5% |
Fermentation is the biological process in which yeast turn the sugars present in honey into alcohol and carbon dioxide, along with a range of minor byproducts that contribute to the aroma and flavour of mead. The way this process unfolds is influenced by several factors: yeast strain, sugar concentration, oxygen, nutrients, temperature, and pH. The combination of all of these factors determine the final character and quality of the mead. Yeast selection is critical; each strain has its own alcohol tolerance, preferred fermentation temperature, and nutritional requirements, all of which affect performance. Original gravity, measured with a hydrometer or refractometer, indicates the sugar concentration in the must and helps estimate potential alcohol; higher gravities produce stronger meads that require longer aging to mature. Oxygen is another essential element during the early stages of fermentation, as yeast require it during the lag and growth phases to build healthy cell walls and reproduce effectively. The must should be aerated by stirring or vigorously shaking thoroughly at yeast pitch and during the first few days of fermentation. Repeat this process once or twice daily until roughly one-third of the sugars have been consumed.
Because honey is naturally low in nitrogen and other micronutrients, supplementing the must with yeast nutrients is vital to avoid sluggish or stressed fermentations that can create off-flavors. Most mead makers add nutrients in staggered doses, starting at pitching, and again at 24, 48, and 72 hours. This aspect is covered in more detail in the nutrients section.
Fermentation temperature also plays a major role; maintaining it within the lower third of the yeast’s recommended range produces cleaner, more refined flavours. For many wine yeasts, an ambient temperature of 15–18°C works well, keeping in mind that fermentation produces heat and the liquid inside the fermenter will be a few degrees warmer than the room. A stable and appropriate pH further supports healthy yeast activity, with an ideal starting range between 3.8 and 4.6. If the must is too acidic, it can be adjusted upward with potassium carbonate, potassium bicarbonate, or calcium carbonate before fermentation begins. We would suggest not adjusting pH unless you are an experienced brewer, pH is a complex and doesn’t follow a linear relationship.
Fermentation typically progresses through several overlapping phases. The lag phase, lasting roughly 0–12 hours after pitching, is when yeast adapt to their environment and begin absorbing nutrients. The growth phase follows, lasting up to about 72 hours, marked by rapid cell reproduction and increasing activity. During this time, visible bubbling begins and nutrient additions and aeration are most beneficial. The main fermentation phase then takes over, generally lasting one to four weeks, as yeast steadily convert sugars to alcohol. Mead makers often refer to one-third or two-thirds “sugar breaks” as points of reference for aeration and nutrient additions, though terminology varies. Once fermentation slows and the gravity remains stable for several days, primary fermentation is complete, and the mead can be racked off the lees into a clean vessel for clarification or aging. Post-fermentation aging can last anywhere from a few weeks to several years, depending on the style and strength of the mead. Bulk aging allows flavours to integrate and harshness to mellow, but this same conditioning also takes place in bottles, although this can leave sediment in the bottles if not conditioned for long enough in bulk first.
Aeration and degassing are closely related techniques that support a clean, efficient fermentation. Aeration introduces oxygen into the must, essential in the first few days while yeast are reproducing. This can be achieved by vigorous stirring by hand, using a drill-mounted mix-stir, or with an oxygen stone. After about one-third of the sugar is consumed, oxygen should no longer be added to prevent oxidation. Degassing, by contrast, removes dissolved CO₂ that can inhibit yeast metabolism and cause nutrient additions to foam violently, just like a bottle of coke reacting to mentos. Degassing is best done before each nutrient addition or whenever excessive CO₂ buildup is suspected. Stirring or using a wine whip works well for small batches. Shaking, however, should be avoided, as it can trigger uncontrolled foaming and messy eruptions.
When fermenting melomels or other meads with fruit, herbs, ect a floating cap on top of the liquid will often form that traps CO₂. This can put extra stress on the yeast and potentially lead to off-flavours or a mess. To prevent this, the cap should be punched down or stirred daily, ensuring proper gas release and even fermentation. Fruit should be sanitised before use, as outlined in the earlier using fruit section. Pectic enzyme (Pectinase) can be added to help prevent haze in pectin-rich fruits.
Stabilising mead is a key part of ensuring it remains safe, consistent, and shelf-stable after fermentation. A stable mead will not restart fermentation once packaged, meaning it won’t build pressure or risk bottle bombs, and its flavour profile will remain more consistent over time. Stabilisation also allows a mead-maker to safely back-sweeten (essentially adding honey, fruit or juice to the mead to make it sweeter after fermentation has finished) without restarting fermentation, and helps protect against spoilage or infection during storage. The process should be carried out once fermentation is fully complete and the mead has begun to clear. Though not necessarily perfectly clear, as clarity can improve again later. Stabilising too early can interfere with the yeast’s natural cleanup phase, where it metabolises unwanted byproducts made during fermentation. In some cases, stabilisation occurs naturally. Usually with very dry meads or high-alcohol meads where yeast have reached their tolerance limit. Chemical or mechanical stabilisation methods are far more reliable. Before packaging or sealing bottles, it’s essential to confirm stability by taking gravity readings one week apart, particularly after any back-sweetening. If the gravity remains stable, fermentation has truly ceased.
The most common and reliable approach to stabilisation involves chemical additives, primarily potassium metabisulfite (K-meta) and potassium sorbate (K-sorb). Used together, they prevent yeast from resuming fermentation. Potassium metabisulfite acts as an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent, removing oxygen and reducing yeast activity, while potassium sorbate prevents any remaining yeast from reproducing. The combination is highly effective at preventing renewed fermentation in a finished, dry mead, though not strong enough to stop an active fermentation. It’s crucial to only use these chemicals once fermentation has naturally ended, confirmed with stable hydrometer readings. For best results, stabilisers should be added at least 24 hours before introducing additional sugar for back-sweetening, as racking or adding sugar too soon may kick-off fermentation again. Note that potassium sorbate is less effective above 14-15% ABV, where alcohol alone contributes to stability.
Potassium metabisulfite: Often sold as Campden Tablets or powder, plays a dual role as a preservative and antioxidant. It binds oxygen molecules, protecting the mead’s color and flavour during aging and limiting oxygen available to yeast and spoilage organisms. Campden Tablets are pre-measured, convenient for those without a precise scale, with one tablet containing roughly 0.44 grams of potassium metabisulfite which is sufficient for about 4L of mead. Powdered potassium metabisulfite, on the other hand, allows for precise dosing but should be handled carefully, as the dust is irritating to the lungs and nose. The compound rapidly breaks down into sulfite, bisulfite, and sulfur dioxide (SO₂), the active agents that neutralize oxygen and microbes. However, excessive sulfites can create a sharp, sulfurous bite or cause sensitivities in some people. To avoid overdosing, it’s best to tailor sulfite additions to the mead’s pH and desired free SO₂ level. Lower pH meads require less. If pH or SO₂ testing tools are unavailable, the standard package dosing that is found on the campden tablet bottles can be used. To mix, crush tablets or dissolve powder in a small sample of mead, then stir it back into the full batch. If stabilising during racking, place the powder in the destination vessel and rack the mead onto it to ensure even distribution. Use the Doodling table below to work out the dosage of potassium metabisulfite or campden tablets you need to add to your finished mead. If you’re unsure of the final pH of your mead or not able to test this we would assume the final pH is approximately 3.4. We would highly suggest to never increase the pH of your mead without a deep and thorough understanding of how pH works, accidentally increasing the pH of your mead above 4.5 can pose a serious health risk due to pathogenic spore forming bacteria such as clostridium botulinum which is frequently found in honey.
|
Post fermentation pH |
Target Free SO2 (PPM or mg/L) |
Potassium Metabisulfite Powder Dose (g/L) |
Campden Tablets dose (per litre) |
|
2.9 |
7-11 |
0.01-0.02 |
0.03-0.04 |
|
3.0 |
8-13 |
0.01-0.02 |
0.03-0.05 |
|
3.1 |
10-16 |
0.02-0.03 |
0.04-0.07 |
|
3.2 |
13-21 |
0.02-0.04 |
0.05-0.08 |
|
3.3 |
16-26 |
0.03-0.04 |
0.07-0.10 |
|
3.4 |
20-32 |
0.03-0.06 |
0.08-0.13 |
|
3.5 |
25-39 |
0.04-0.07 |
0.1-0.16 |
|
3.6 |
31-49 |
0.06-0.09 |
0.13-0.20 |
|
3.7 |
39-63 |
0.07-0.11 |
0.16-0.25 |
|
3.8 |
49-79 |
0.09-0.14 |
0.2-0.31 |
|
3.9 |
62-98 |
0.11-0.17 |
0.25-0.39 |
|
4.0 |
78-123 |
0.14-0.22 |
0.31-0.49 |
Potassium sorbate, by contrast, does not kill yeast outright. Instead, it prevents them from reproducing. This makes it effective only when yeast populations are already low, such as in fully fermented meads. When dissolved, it forms sorbic acid, which acts as an antimicrobial agent. However, because sorbic acid doesn’t inhibit all microbes, it must always be used in tandem with potassium metabisulfite. In alcoholic environments, sorbic acid can gradually form ethyl sorbate, lending subtle fruity or celery-like notes that may or may not complement the mead. Potassium sorbate’s effectiveness decreases as alcohol content rises, and it may become redundant in meads above 15% ABV. It doesn’t dissolve easily, so it should be mixed into a small sample of mead before being returned to the batch to ensure its thoroughly dissolved. See the chart on the next page for dosage rates.
|
Mead ABV |
Sorbic Acid (ppm or mg/L) |
Potassium Sorbate Dose (g/L) |
|
10% |
150 |
0.2 |
|
11% |
125 |
0.165 |
|
12% |
100 |
0.135 |
|
13% |
75 |
0.100 |
|
14% |
50 |
0.065 |
An alternative to chemical stabilization is managing fermentation through yeast alcohol tolerance. By using a yeast strain with a known tolerance and carefully monitoring sugar additions, a meadmaker can effectively make the yeast work itself into submission, allowing the yeast to reach its alcohol limit naturally. This approach is often used for sweeter meads, as the fermentation halts with some residual sugar remaining. It requires precise control over nutrient levels, pH, and fermentation temperature. Once the yeast ceases activity, the mead should remain stable so long as conditions don’t change significantly. However, this method is not entirely foolproof; even at high ABVs, some yeast can remain dormant and reawaken later. To minimise risk, it’s wise to let the mead age for at least a year before bottling, keep it stored cool and stable, and consume it sooner if carbonation begins to appear. Alternatively you can use finings to completely drop all yeast out of the mead prior to bottling, or even consider sterile filtration, however this is not a common approach for small scale mead makers.
Finally, pasteurization offers a traditional yet risky method of stabilisation, especially for sweet or carbonated meads. It works by heating sealed bottles to kill remaining yeast, but it must be done with caution to avoid explosions from pressure buildup. Typically, bottles are pre-warmed in hot tap water to prevent thermal shock, then submerged in a 63-71°C water bath for 10 to 20 minutes. Using a sous vide setup can make this process safer and more controlled. Pasteurisation is effective but should only be attempted with uniform carbonation levels and sturdy bottles, and full safety gear including gloves, goggles, and long sleeves. After pasteurisation, bottles should cool slowly and be stored in a safe place for a few days to confirm stability. This method is extremely dangerous and we would avoid it if you’re just starting out.
Fining is the process of adding clarifying agents to a mead after fermentation to remove suspended yeast, solids, haze-forming proteins, excess tannins, colour compounds, or other undesirable elements. While many meads will clear naturally with time, fining can accelerate this process and produce a cleaner, bright looking mead. The goal is to enhance clarity and stability without stripping flavour or aroma (unless desired). Cloudiness in mead can come from residual yeast, proteins, pectins (especially in fruit meads or melomels), or colloidal complexes that refuse to settle on their own. A properly fined mead will not only look professional but also taste better as a general rule.
The simplest and most natural fining agent is time. After fermentation, the yeast begin to flocculate, yeast cells bind together and fall to the bottom as sediment. CO₂ bubbles trapped in the mead can keep particles suspended, so it’s important to allow the mead to fully degas before evaluating clarity. This natural clearing can take weeks to several months, and the process is accelerated by cool temperatures and minimizing disturbance. However, if the mead remains persistently cloudy even after months of conditioning, or if the haze is pectin or protein-based, additional fining may be required.
Before using fining agents, it’s crucial to understand what kind of haze you’re dealing with. Pectin haze is common in melomels and other fruit meads. It’s caused by pectin, a structural polysaccharide that remains soluble in alcohol and resists normal settling. No amount of fining agent will settle pectin, it requires pectic enzyme (pectinase). This enzyme breaks down the long-chain pectin molecules into smaller fragments that can fall out of solution. It should ideally be added at the start of fermentation (at yeast pitch) at a rate of about ½ teaspoon per gallon of must or following the dosage indicated on the packet. Enzymes are most effective before alcohol is produced, as ethanol inhibits their activity. If pectin haze persists post-fermentation, you can still add pectic enzyme, but it may take several weeks to show results. Always allow at least 24 hours after enzyme addition before using any other fining agent, as fining can deactivate enzymes.
If the haze is due to proteins or tannins, traditional fining agents are more appropriate. Fining works through a combination of chemical and physical mechanisms. Primarily charge attraction and adsorption. Most haze particles in mead carry either a positive or negative electrical charge. A fining agent with the opposite charge binds to them, forming heavier particulate that sinks to the bottom. Because no single fining agent works on every type of particle, many meadmakers use a sequence of finings: one negatively charged and one positively charged, to capture as much haze material as possible. Common pairings include bentonite (negative) followed by gelatin, chitosan, or isinglass (positive). The chart below shows the most popular fining agents and indicates wether they are positively charged (work on negatively charged suspended solids) or negatively charged (work on positively charged suspended solids).
|
Positive Charge |
Chitosan |
Egg White |
Gelatin |
Isinglass |
Casein |
|
Negative Charge |
Bentonite |
Kieselsol |
- |
- |
- |
Bentonite: A naturally occurring clay (primarily sodium or calcium montmorillonite) and one of the most widely used fining agents in winemaking and meadmaking. It carries a strong negative charge, which allows it to bind positively charged proteins that can cause haze. Sodium bentonite is preferred for most mead applications due to its greater swelling capacity and effectiveness across a wide pH range. To prepare bentonite, mix 5 parts hot water about 60°C with 1 part bentonite by weight (e.g. 50 grams bentonite to 250 mL water). Stir vigorously until smooth and let it hydrate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best results. Once hydrated, add 1 to 2 grams per litre (about ½ to 1 teaspoon per 4L) of mead. Stir thoroughly to ensure even suspension, then let the mead rest for 7 to 10 days before racking off the sediment. Excessive use can strip colour and body, or impart an earthy note.Once proteins have been removed, positively charged agents can polish and refine the mead.
Gelatin: Derived from collagen (making this unsuitable for vegetarians), carries a mild positive charge in acidic environments (like mead). It is excellent at binding excess tannins and polyphenols, which can cause bitterness or astringency. Use gelatin at a rate of ½ teaspoon per 20 litres, dissolved in about 250 mL of warm (not hot) water (around 45°C). Stir gently into the mead, then wait 3–5 days for settling. Gelatin can over-fine easily, dulling flavour and colour if used in excess, so start conservatively. If the mead remains cloudy, it can be followed by a negatively charged agent like bentonite or Kieselsol to compact the lees and stop the gelatin’s action.
Isinglass: Another protein-based fining derived from fish collagen. It’s extremely gentle and typically used on mostly clear meads. It removes minor haze and softens harsh tannins, leaving a supple mouthfeel. Isinglass should be hydrated in cool, slightly acidic water before use, most preparations come pre-mixed as a liquid suspension. The recommended dosage is around 1 mL per liter. It forms loose, fluffy lees, so it’s best followed by another fining such as Kieselsol for compaction or by a careful racking after a week.
Chitosan: A derivative of chitin (found in crustacean shells and fungi), is a modern, highly effective positively charged fining agent. It’s often used in combination with Kieselsol, a negatively charged colloidal silica suspension. The two-part system marketed under the brand name Turbo Clear is one of the most effective and predictable fining methods for home meadmakers. The usual process is to first add the Kieselsol (negative charge) at 1 mL per litre, stir thoroughly, and wait 12 to 24 hours before adding the Chitosan (positive charge) at the same dosage. The two interact to flocculate suspended material and form a dense, compact lees bed. Clarity can often be achieved within 24 to 72 hours, producing brilliantly clear mead without stripping flavour.
Other fining agents serve specialised purposes. Casein, derived from milk protein, is used to reduce browning and remove oxidised phenolics that give a stale or flavour. It’s typically used at 1 gram per liter, mixed in a slurry and added with gentle stirring. Egg whites, though less common in mead, are traditional in red wine fining for softening aggressive tannins and can be used in strong, oak-aged meads at roughly 1 egg white per 20 litres. Activated carbon is occasionally used as a last resort to remove stubborn off-odors or colour, but it is non-selective and will strip flavour and aroma compounds along with faults. Use it only in small quantities (0.25 -1 gram per litre) and always start with less and work your way up.
Temperature and timing also influence fining effectiveness. Most agents work best between 10 - 20°C, where yeast and proteins are stable. Cold crashing, a drop in temperature near refrigeration range can enhance sedimentation, though it can cause oxygen suck-back through airlocks if not monitored. Always ensure fermentation is completely finished before fining, as yeast activity can resuspend settled material. After fining, give the mead adequate time to clear. This can take anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks depending on the agent used, monitor it to make sure. Once settled rack the mead off the lees.
Bottling marks the final stage in making mead, at this point the mead is clear and stable, and it’s ready either for immediate enjoyment or extended aging. Even once sealed in bottles, mead continues to mature and change. Chemical reactions proceed slowly in the bottle: acids soften, flavours come together, esters form, and harsh alcohol notes mellow. The way you package and seal your mead, whether with cork, crown cap, or swing-top determines the speed of these maturation processes.
Oxygen plays a subtle but important role here. In cork-finished bottles, trace amounts of air slowly pass through the cork, introducing a gentle oxidative environment that helps complex meads develop depth and nuance over time. In contrast, meads bottled under crown caps or airtight swing-tops remain free from oxygen; while this preserves freshness, it also slows aging and can lock in a ‘fresher’ or ‘bright’ character to the mead. Both approaches have value but your choice depends on whether you want your mead to evolve or to remain as it was the day it was bottled.
Temperature, headspace, and closure quality all influence how gracefully a mead matures. Cooler, stable storage is ideal. Warm conditions accelerate both oxidation and degradation of corks or liners. Always minimise headspace before sealing; even a few millimeters of air above the mead can contribute to oxidation over years of storage, although potassium metabisulfite that is added to stabilise the mead can minimise this.
For still meads, natural cork are the classic closure. It is a renewable, elastic material harvested from the bark of cork oak trees, and its microscopic structure allows minute oxygen exchange that promotes graceful aging. Standard. wine bottles typically accept either a #7 or #9 cork as well as vintners harvest VHA corks that we sell. Cork quality directly determines how long a bottle can be stored. Agglomerated corks are composed of cork granules bound with food-safe resin. These are inexpensive and perfectly serviceable for short-term aging (up to 2 years and potentially longer), but they will begin to degrade thereafter. High-grade natural corks, cut from a single solid piece, can last 7 to 20 years depending on grade. These premium corks are much more expensive but essential if you plan to cellar bottles for a decade or more.
Inserting corks properly matters as much as selecting the right type. Corks should be driven fully flush into the neck of the bottle. A handheld double-lever corker can manage this. Be sure to leave minimal headspace. Store corks properly before use and plan to use them within six months of purchase to prevent drying or contamination.
Even with good corks, remember that they are an organic material with natural variation. Some may allow slightly more oxygen ingress than others. If a bottle ages poorly, it’s often due to the cork, not the mead itself. For long-term stability, keep corked bottles upright for two to three days after bottling so the cork can expand fully, then store them on their sides or upright according to your preference.
Crown seals can also be used to seal the wine. Crown seals usually do not allow oxygen to pass through them and minimise oxidative flavours that can change the meads flavour over time. Crown seals will require a sealing machine, either a bench capper or a twin lever capper. Champagne bottles require a non-standard 29mm bell and use triage crown seals with a 29mm diameter while most standard capping machines will work off the shelf with 26mm crown seals that are found across the globe on standard beer bottles.
If you are making a carbonated mead you will need pressure rated bottles, this could be beer bottles, champagne bottles, or flip top beer bottles (similar to grolsh). Do not bottle carbonated mead into non pressure rated bottles or they will explode which can cause injury or death. It is extremely important that the mead has absolutely finished fermentation before bottling, if fermentation is still taking place pressure will build in the bottles.
Another option is to put your mead into kegs in the same way that commercial beer is packagied into kegs. The equipment and process is basically the same just using slightly different equipment that is easier to manage for the home user. Kegging offers speed and convenience for larger batches or for carbonated meads. Transferring mead into a sanitised keg eliminates the need for dozens of bottles, minimises oxygen exposure, and allows precise control over carbonation via CO₂. Meads can also be bulk-aged in kegs under a protective blanket of CO₂ or nitrogen, with samples drawn periodically without disturbing the rest of the batch. However, the initial cost of setting up a kegging system is much higher than bottles. We would only really suggest looking at this option if you plan on dispensing session carbonated meads.
Step by step bottling:
Even the most experienced mead makers encounter challenges, and for those making their first few batches, fermentation surprises are practically a rite of passage. Mead is remarkably resilient and forgiving, yet because it relies on honey it requires a certain precision in yeast care, nutrition, and environmental control. This section walks through the most common issues and how to fix or prevent them. Whether your fermentation is sluggish, your mead won’t clear, or you suspect infection, most problems can be traced to a few key factors and resolved.
Stalled or stuck fermentation: Before assuming anything is wrong, confirm that fermentation has indeed stalled. The only reliable way to do this is by taking two specific gravity readings with a hydrometer several days apart. If the readings are identical and remain above 1.000, fermentation may truly have stopped. Airlock activity, on the other hand, is not a dependable indicator. Buckets and carboys often leak slightly around lids or stoppers, and airlocks themselves can become clogged or faulty. Always trust your hydrometer, not the airlock activity. If you call us or your local homebrew store the first thing we will ask is if you have taken hydrometer readings.
Once you know fermentation is sluggish or stuck, begin a systematic evaluation. Sometimes, a mead simply reaches the maximum alcohol tolerance of its yeast. For example, US-05, commonly used for session meads, has a typical tolerance of around 10% ABV. If you start your must at a very high gravity (around 1.120) the yeast may ferment only down to around 1.030 before alcohol toxicity halts further activity. Restarting fermentation at that point is extremely difficult unless you pitch a higher-tolerance yeast such as EC-1118 and gradually acclimate it to the alcoholic environment.
Other times, yeast are rendered nonviable by improper rehydration or pitching temperatures. Always ensure both the must and the rehydration water remain below 110 °F (43 °C). Beyond that, cell membranes can rupture and kill the culture before fermentation begins. Similarly, fermenting outside your yeast’s preferred temperature range can cause problems. Too warm and fermentation may proceed rapidly but yield harsh fusel alcohols and solvent-like aromas; too cold and the yeast may slow or stop entirely. Check the yeast manufacturer’s data sheet and verify that your fermentation temperature remains within the recommended band.
Nutrition deficiencies are another leading cause. Honey is nearly devoid of yeast-available nitrogen (YAN), vitamins, and minerals, and unless you supplement with nutrient blends yeast quickly starve. If you followed a recipe, confirm that it included a proper nutrient schedule; if you devised your own, cross-reference yeast requirements with the manufacturer’s documentation or consult advanced nutrient protocols.
Separated Honey: Occasionally, honey may appear to have settled at the bottom of your fermenter, creating a distinct layer. Before assuming that this is indeed honey, confirm that it’s not yeast sediment or “lees.” True honey separation usually occurs if the must wasn’t thoroughly mixed before fermentation began. The fix is simple: you can gently stir or swirl to reincorporate the honey, or leave it be the yeast will eventually dissolve and ferment it. If you do mix it yourself, do so slowly. Agitating an active fermentation too vigorously can cause dissolved CO₂ to escape explosively, creating foam geysers and sticky ceilings.
Hazy Mead: Patience is key when waiting for mead to clear. Young mead often remains hazy simply because suspended yeast and proteins haven’t yet settled. If fruit was used, pectin haze may also be responsible. In that case, adding pectic enzyme (pectinase) can help, though it’s best added before or at yeast pitch. Once fermentation has finished, the alcohol present inhibits the enzyme’s activity. If haze persists after aging, you may use fining agents as outlined in the earlier section.
Weird Smells: An unusual smell is one of the most common causes for alarm. If your mead smells of rotten eggs, you are likely dealing with hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), a clear sign of nitrogen starvation. Adding a nitrogen source such as DAP, Fermaid K, or even yeast hulls will usually clear this up quickly. Conversely, if this is your first batch and the smell is merely yeasty or mildly sharp, don’t worry. Fermentation aromas can be surprisingly pungent but entirely normal. Only truly putrid, mouldy, or solvent-like odours should cause concern.
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