Mead is one alcoholic drink that is enjoyed by so many points in the world. To make mead, you have to ferment water, honey, different fruits, hops, spices, and grains. The alcoholic content of mead is between 3.5% ABV and 18% ABV. You should learn how to store and age mead correctly if you are a homebrewer.
If you consume mead a lot or you brew mead, and you are wondering if you can age it in the fridge, then you should read on. You can age Mead in the fridge. In general, you should not allow sunlight to contact the bottles of mead directly; if you do, the mead in the bottle would have an unpleasant taste.
Apart from wine and other alcoholic beverages, you can store and age mead for a very long time. It would help if you always store mead in a cool, dry place like a refrigerator.
What does it mean to age Mead? Just like wines are aged, meads are also aged, so the mead’s quality would be improved. Aging of mead means leaving mead to stay untouched for some months so it can become clear and ready to drink. It generally takes about six months to three years for mead to age and be ready for consumption. There are different kinds of meads–light and dark mead. It usually takes more than one year for darker meads to get ready for consumption. So, the lighter the mead, the shorter the period of aging it requires. Classic mead is an example of a dark mead; it takes about one year to age.
People store mead after purchasing it, as a way of aging it to make it more delicious. A cool, dry place far from direct sunlight is the best place to store mead. Direct sunlight will oxidize mead and give it an awful taste in the bottle. That is why you should only use dark glass bottles for storing mead after brewing it.
Always keep mead indoors; keep it far from anywhere that will expose it to sunlight. If you want to keep it in your garage, make sure you keep it in a sealed container. It is also best you store mead with bottles standing upright. The range of temperature that is good for storing mead is between 40 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
How long does mead last in the fridge?
Mead can last for up to one year or more years in the fridge. Like we said earlier, there are different kinds of meads, the alcohol content in these various types of meads varies, and so also are the brands.
For lighter meads, the alcohol by volume is usually between 10 to 12 percent, while for classic meads that are generally darker, the alcohol by volume is generally between 15 to 18 percent. One thing about meads is that the more alcohol a mead has, the longer it lasts and the more stable it is.
If you store mead in the fridge, you don’t have to worry about it getting bad, especially if it is a classic mead. You can also store mead in a wine cellar or a pantry.
Classic meads last longer than lighter meads. Even opened classic meads last longer than unopened lighter meads. The significant difference between classic and lighter meads is that classic meads have more alcohol content in them.
About opening meads and drinking them later is that the taste may not be as great as they were when you first consumed it, especially if you didn’t close it tightly after drinking some amount from it.
That is why many manufacturers of meads always advise you to drink your mead within 24 to 72 hours after opening it. Mead won’t go bad after the number of recommended hours, but the taste and flavor will no longer be great.
A classic unopened mead can for up to more than five years in either the pantry or fridge. A classic opened mead can last for up to three to six months in the pantry and four to eight months in the refrigerator. A lighter unopened mead can last for up to six months in both the pantry or fridge. A lighter opened Mead can last for one week in both the pantry or fridge.
You should know that the shelf life of meads is different amongst different producers. If you intend to store your mead for a very long time, you should check the expiry date the manufacturers recommended.
How to tell if your Mead is bad?
Most times, mead will get bad if it is infected with bacteria due to poor hygiene when you were fermenting it. If your mead gets bad, you will notice a change in its color; it will be cloudy, it will have a bitter flavor, and it will have a bad aroma.
After storing mead for a long time, and the time for consumption is ready, it is always good you pour a small quantity first and taste it to make sure it has the original taste it should have. If it does not, do well to discard it.
Seeing sediments at the bottom of your bottle of mead is not a sign that it has spoiled. It is very typical for you to find sediments at the bottom of your mead when it is aging. Make sure you filter the residues in mead out before drinking it.
Should Mead be refrigerated after opening?
For classic mead, you don’t need to really bother about keeping it refrigerated after opening it. You can keep it in your pantry or cabinet. But you need to make sure you seal the bottle tightly to prevent air from entering and tampering with the quality of mead.
If you plan on finishing your mead immediately when you open it, you don’t need to stress yourself about refrigerating it. Still, if you know you won’t be finishing your mead after opening it, your refrigerator is the best place to keep your mead.
Whether mead is light or classic, always keep it stored in your refrigerator before or after opening it.
Conclusion
It is always best you age mead in your fridge. You can also store it in a pantry. Just make sure the place you choose to store your mead is in a cool, dry place that is far from direct sunlight.