# Clarification?



## Barry Tolson (May 26, 2004)

I have a batch of mead that is a little over 4 months old. It has been racked once and has no noticable sediment at this time. Is it premature to hope for it to clear at this point?


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

If you are using a Champagne yeast, then this is pretty normal. You could try gradually warming it up a bit, racking it (slashing is O.K.) and then cooling it down again. It will probably clear on its own if given time.


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## Barry Tolson (May 26, 2004)

Yes, I did use a champaign yeast....didn't realize this possibility. I'll just have patience and stop looking at it every day! Thanks for the feedback.


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## Bob_Davis (Sep 1, 2006)

I have heard that cooling it off a bit can help clarify. Try putting it in the garage for a few days and see if the cooler temps help. 

BD


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## Camp9 (Feb 7, 2006)

Mead is a hard one to drop clear unless you make a melomel with fruit. If it get's to be a another 4 months you can try some sparkaloid followed with bentonite. Just keep your meta up in the mean time.

Camp


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

This is very stereotypical of the PDM Champagne yeast, even when I use it in beer. It seems like it is actually not super attenuative so much as a complete non-flocculator. It will clear at bottling (if not sooner), requires no finings and has exceptionally compact lees.


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## Camp9 (Feb 7, 2006)

Aspera said:


> This is very stereotypical of the PDM Champagne yeast, even when I use it in beer. It seems like it is actually not super attenuative so much as a complete non-flocculator. It will clear at bottling (if not sooner), requires no finings and has exceptionally compact lees.


What strain of yeat have you used that settles faster? I've tried a bunch and all seem to drop out a year after primary. Only thing I haven't tried yet are some brewers yeasts. 

Camp


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## Aspera (Aug 1, 2005)

Wyeast 1084 (Sfale 04?) ferments fast, and drops even faster. The chico strain (Wyeast 1056, Sfale 05) is similar but less so. Both stains through off quite a bit of heat and ferment rapidly. The Chico strain ferments very dry and develops an interesting ester profile at high alcohol contents. The 1084 strain does not tolerate alcohol as well and has a very neutral profile. The PDM strain, D47 (lavlin), and Wyeast sweet mead strains are my favs for mead, but almost anything will work.


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## Camp9 (Feb 7, 2006)

Ya, D47 has been my best one too. I like to do my wines in the winter and have a nice slow fermentation, ususlly about 60f to 65f. That's probably why it takes so long for mine to drop out.  I'll give those others a try and see what happens. Thanks,

Camp


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## nursebee (Sep 29, 2003)

Time or chemicals.


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## Barry Tolson (May 26, 2004)

OK...I started my meads last January. They were still cloudly last month and I got impatient, so I put some Bentonite to them. There was a noticable clearing after several days, and there seams to be more clearing each day. 
I'm looking forward to finishing and bottling...hopefully soon.
Anyone else had experience clarifying their meads wth Bentonite?


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Bentonite works great, as do most finings. If it's progressing you might consider making an effort to leave it alone. If you'd like to move it along try an alternately-charged fining like Isinglass (if I remember). Or chillproof it. Don't bottle until you're sure it doesn'y have any more fermentable sugars to address withing the strain's tolerace. But the bentonite should clarify it.


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## Zane (Mar 28, 2008)

What about irish moss? I used it for beer brewing often?


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

Zane said:


> What about irish moss? I used it for beer brewing often?


Yep, and for food all the time. Look for "Carragheenan" (if I remember) or something similar on ingredient lists, you'll be surprised. But it needs to be boiled to actuate it as a clarifier so once a batch is underway it's of less use. Since beer is boiled anyway it's easy to throw in, but it's not much of a mead fining typically.


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## Barry Tolson (May 26, 2004)

I think I'll let is sit for a while since it seems more clear each day. I did try chillproofing it a few months ago...no change in the cloudiness from that
I have made several other grape wines and fruit wines. None of those wines gave me such trouble with clarifying. This is one of the things I enjoy about wine making, though...each batch is a new experience with its own issues. Seems like I learn something new each time a make another batch of anything.


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## Barry Tolson (May 26, 2004)

*Finally Cleared*

The meads finally cleared really nice, so I racked them off the bentonite and finished them. The chocolate mead will be bottled next weekend. The regular mead might get an adjustment before bottling...I may want to sweeten it up a bit to subdue the high alcohol content some. I'll see how I feel about that one next weekend.
Thanks to all for the feedback on this project.


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