# Setting the bar high



## Vance G (Jan 6, 2011)

I gave a lady a couple bottles of mead because she was kind enough to pick and give me about thirty pounds of perfectly ripe wild plums. Since she has yeast allergies, I figured she would give it to her sisters but she donated it to a charity auction. My untasted mead brought $40 a bottle! I guess I have a fortune in the basement! What mystique surround our bees and related hobbies! I pray that the folks buying are not disappointed.


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## virginiawolf (Feb 18, 2011)

How long had the mead been aging? Do you use champagne corks? 

When I finally bottle my latest batch I will just use corks I figure but I was reading that if you make it sparkling it is best to use champagne corks. I am tempted to not listen and just use regular corks or even good quality beer caps. 

Do you think it is necessary to get champagne corks provided I add the right amount of honey to get the fermentation in the bottle going for the carbonation? 


Part of what I figure would make mead cost money is the effort behind aging it. 


The last batch that we drank up was 2 years old and I had been keeping an airlock on the carboy all that time. If I had bottled it I guess it wouldn't have been a big deal to age it. Keeping on top of the airlock for two years was a bit much and I don't plan to do that again. Into the bottles it will go after 2 or 3 weeks in the secondary fermenter.


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## Ben Brewcat (Oct 27, 2004)

I would strongly recommend using crown caps: American champagne bottles accept crowns perfectly. Corks are held in by the bail so you need to get the twisty baskets for the corks as well. The only benefit to corks IMO is aesthetic... crowns are cheaper, sanitizable, hold pressure extremely well and are easier to insert.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

Glad you're back, Ben!


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