Mead is simply honey that is fermented with yeast. It comes in many flavors, called “meads”, like apple mead or ginger mead. There are also three main types of mead: metheglin (made up of spices and herbs), melomel (other fruit juices mixed with honey), and cyser (apple juice mixed with honey).
Mead is not normally carbonated. However, carbonation may be added to it. Mead is uncarbonated because of the slow fermentation that honey undergoes. In general, alcohols contain more carbonation if their fermentation occurs rapidly, which is not the case for mead or wine.
Mead is held in high regard by honey connoisseurs because the ancient Greeks or Romans considered it to be a gift or offering from one god to another. It has even been called “nectar of the gods”. Some people say that drinking mead will grant immortality, wisdom and eloquence. They also say that it will give you the fluidity of language to speak in poetry. Mead has been said to be “sweeter than wine” and was often served at royal feasts.
It is clear that mead can have positive effects when consumed, but what about when it isn’t consumed? How does carbonated mead affect the body? This article will address the question of whether or not mead is carbonated, what it’s called when it does become carbonated and how you can keep it from doing so.
Is mead typically carbonated?
Mead is not carbonated like typical beers because it contains honey. When yeast ferments sugars, such as those of the honey, it produces carbon dioxide as a byproduct. If water is added, as is typical in beer production, the yeast will produce more bubbles since a greater concentration of gases can be dissolved in the liquid.
Without being diluted by water, however, mead ferments at a slower rate and produces very little carbon dioxide. Mead producers accomplish carbonation by adding fresh or dried fruits to the product.
These sugars attract wild yeast, which produce more carbon dioxide but also add flavor and this is how mead comes to be naturally carbonated like wine.
What is carbonated mead called?
Carbonated mead that does not contain honey and has added sugar or corn syrup to give it sweetness instead of using honey is known as braggot, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. Braggots made without these additional ingredients simply contain malt extract and hops for flavor making them beer instead of wine. Carbonation varies depending on the strength of the braggot.
How to keep mead from carbonating?
If your carbonation level is too high you can try the following methods to reduce it:
1. Place a piece of white bread in the bottle and let it sit for two weeks. The yeast will consume the bread producing less carbon dioxide gas which leads to lower carbonation levels. You can also use brown bread or dried bread. Make sure you change it or throw it away after two weeks otherwise the mead will become too acidic.
2. The yeast in over-carbonated mead can often cause a bitter flavor. To get rid of this, you need to reduce the amount of sugar in your recipe by at least 10%. The yeast will eat less and produce less gas which means less carbonation.
3. Keep the bottles in a cool, dark place. If possible, keep them as cold as you can as this will also reduce carbonation levels. In addition to that, it means they’ll last longer – mead doesn’t improve with age like wine does although some people think it gets better after a year or so because of bottle variation.
4. Use a clarifier such as Bentonite to reduce the amount of yeast and improve clarity. You can then further your efforts for lower carbonation by storing your mead in a fridge and serving ice cold. This will also help mask any flavor issues you may have, especially if it’s bitter. A clear wine is always better than a cloudy one.
5. As fermentation slows, carbonation levels will too so if you add more yeast to finish off the fermentation and get rid of residual sugar, then this should help to reduce any remaining carbonation.
6. You can also try adding potassium sorbate which inhibits yeasts from starting new fermentations while leaving those already in progress alone. It can, however, also cause off-flavors so you’ll need to use half the dosage of sorbate for this method to work.
7. Potassium metabisulfite is often used with wine and will help control fermentation as well as producing the desired level of carbonation. Potassium sorbate may be added more than once if required, but only small amounts of potassium metabisulfite are necessary. Always read the instructions carefully before adding any of these chemicals or yeasts to your brew for best results.
8. If you want to reduce carbonation levels in sparkling mead, consider using less sugar, fermenting at cooler temperatures and aging it longer after bottling. This will naturally produce lower carbonation and smaller bubbles so plan accordingly and account for this in your recipe when you’re bottling to get the end result you want.
9. Some people recommend that you can change the carbonation by reducing the quantity of yeast in your mead. Yeast is responsible for the fermentation process which leads to high carbonation. If you reduce the quantity of yeast, the carbonation level will automatically go down.
10. Aging your mead for years can also reduce the bubbles because the longer it ages, the more natural sugars are released which may then be consumed by yeast reducing both sweetness and bubbles to levels that suit your taste. If you do age it, make sure it’s in a proper maturation tank (e.g. stainless steel) rather than the plastic bottles many homebrewers use at home which won’t last long enough for aging to be beneficial.
11. The solution is to add more yeast which will eat away at all of your hard-earned carbonation while fermenting the remainder of the sugars.
12. By following the above processes, you can keep your carbonation in check and brew a tasty, refreshing drink that doesn’t go flat too quickly. Do it right and you’ll have no problems with poorly-carbonated mead ever again.
Why is mead not popular?
1. Even though mead can be made all around the world, it is still not as popular as some beverages such as beer, wine and coffee. It has been reported that there are less than 10 commercial producers of mead (and only one in the United States). If you want to find out more about mead, you can find some through the American Mead Makers Association. It is also easy to make at home by making a Google search.
2. If one wanted to order mead, they would need to know what kind of mead it was first before ordering it online or finding out more information about that particular type of mead. This particular type of mead is what we call a wine, and it would be considered the oldest alcoholic beverage made. However, there are many myths and legends about how and when people started drinking mead. The popular belief that has been widely accepted is that it came from Africa. It was highly popular in Europe until large corporations took over and created laws or policies that made it harder for people to produce or buy mead.
3. It is easy to make at home by making a Google search, but one should consider how much work they want to put into their beverage as well as what kinds of ingredients and equipment they would need in order to make it. There are many different ways that you can go about making mead, so it is important to do your research first before starting.
4. Mead can be made without adding carbonation or adding something that would cause the bottle to explode if left for too long. If one prefers their mead to be carbonated, they should start by researching what kind of yeast or ingredients can help it become that way.
5. Mead is easy to find online, but you must know exactly which kind of mead you want before purchasing it through an online store. If the kinds are not specified, then make sure that you know what you are buying and that it is actually mead. If you cannot find the mead on one of these sites, then try looking elsewhere. You can also look for a company that makes or sells mead in your local area.
6. If someone does not like beer or wine, then they might like to try some other kinds of alcohol such as hard liquor or mead instead. Regrettably, mead is not as popular and there are only a few commercial producers in the United States. However, it does make for a great gift if you can find one of these companies and get it shipped to your door.
Conclusion
Mead may or may not be carbonated depending on how it was made. If you would like your mead to be carbonated, then you would need to look into the different kinds of yeasts and other ingredients that can help to make it. It can be made at home with a few simple steps and instructions. You will also want to consider if making your own mead is something you want to do or if you would rather buy it online or locally.
It is possible to find a commercial producer of mead in your local area, but it is rare. You can also buy or order mead online, but you must know the exact type you want before doing so. Otherwise, try looking offline for a store that carries mead locally. If you cannot find any stores that sell it near you, then try looking in other areas.
If you do not like beer or wine, then consider trying hard liquor or mead because it might be something that you enjoy more. If you are interested in home brewing your own batch of mead, then make sure to look for the equipment and ingredients that would help carbonate it. It is also important to do some research and to familiarize yourself with the process before starting.
