As you know, mead is a tasty and aromatic drink made from honey, water (or berry juice) and yeast. The main advantage and feature of this drink is that it is always prepared in large quantities (apparently this tradition has remained since the times of Ancient Rus', when this product was served at weddings where more than 200 people gathered).
But what should modern people do who take it for medicinal purposes and drink it in very small doses, because preparing a small amount of a product that ferments and infuses for at least three months is simply stupid
. There is a way out, because knowing how long you can store mead and how to do it, you can not only preserve the product, but also improve its taste.
Selection of containers
Mead is a low-alcohol drink made from honey. It was prepared back in Rus' and always in large quantities, since not a single holiday would be complete without it - be it a wedding, christening, birthday or folk festivities.
Nowadays, there are a huge number of homemade recipes for making this healthy drink, but not everyone knows how long homemade mead can be stored and how to properly preserve it. Storing a drink begins with choosing the right container.
Wooden barrels
The ideal container for long-term storage of mead is wooden barrels. Tarred oak barrels for mead have always been used in Rus'. It is best to choose containers made of oak or linden.
Wooden barrels allow the drink to be preserved for a long time (shelf life can be measured in tens of years). The advantage of this container is that it gives the drink a pleasant aftertaste and improves its beneficial properties. During the aging process, mead is strengthened with resins, essential oils, tannins and other beneficial substances.
Metal cans
Since not everyone now has wooden barrels, some people, when preparing mead in large quantities, decide to store it in metal cans. This is a huge mistake, since this container is absolutely not suitable for storing a low-alcohol drink.
Honey contains a huge amount of minerals, amino acids and other bioactive substances. They can react with metals. As a result of this reaction, honey loses its beneficial properties, and even harmful substances can form in the drink, which can cause poisoning of the body.
The importance of temperature and light when storing mead
The shelf life of mead directly depends on the temperature (from 5 °C to 7 °C) in the room where the drinking honey will be stored. People who know a lot about this matter recommend digging a hole in the ground and burying a bottle of healing drink in it. This place, naturally, needs to be marked somehow.
Exposure to sunlight on the container can cause the mead to ferment again, and this will turn the medicinal drink into an ordinary mash. To avoid this, choose a dark and cold room to store it.
What is mead
Mead is a low-alcohol drink, the main components of which are honey, water and yeast. By adding berries, fresh juice, raisins, hop cones, lemon zest or various spices to it, you can significantly change the taste of the drink, but this will not affect its healing properties.
Also, depending on the fermentation method, you can achieve either a light, pleasantly sweet drink, or a strong liqueur, reminiscent of apple wine or cider. This will be influenced by the aging conditions, quantity and quality of products used.
This is interesting
A fairly common question: how many degrees is there in mead? Typically, the strength of mead ranges from 8 to 16 degrees. But, I want to draw your attention to the fact that the classic, ancient recipe required that mead, no matter how many degrees of alcohol it contained (the less, the better, our ancestors believed), should not contain any foreign substances. These substances include alcohol, chemicals, etc.
Preparation of Indian onion tincture
In terms of sugar, for the pleasant taste of the drink, about 10% is needed! Adding ready-made mash to mead automatically increases its strength. But this is considered a deviation from the old recipe.
The mead is spoiled, what should I do?
A spoiled drink can be identified by a cloudy sediment and changed color. A high-quality drink is characterized by a rich amber hue . If after some time a strange precipitate appears, it means that the process of releasing acetic acid has begun, perhaps for some reason air got in or there was contamination at the fermentation stage. The infusion is no longer suitable for consumption.
Some winemakers use their own recipes to make homemade alcohol using transformed mead. For example, they distill it in a moonshine still or add wine concentrate. However, after such manipulations, the original properties of the ancient Slavic drink are completely lost.
Shelf life
As you know, each drink has its own characteristics and shelf life. This rule did not escape mead either. In general, it is believed that such a drink can be stored for a really long time, literally for decades. However, its components are of greatest importance in the current issue.
For example, real Slavic mead, called simply honey at that time, was preserved for forty years. In general, it is possible to repeat the feat of an ancient product even with modern analogues. However, it is extremely important not to open the vessel in which this drink is stored during this entire period of time.
Mead storage conditions
In order for mead to be stored for a long time, it is important to create the right conditions. For this low-alcohol drink, important storage criteria are:
- temperature;
- light.
It is recommended to store the drink at a temperature of 5-10°C. One of the following methods will help you create the correct temperature regime:
- To infuse mead, place it in the cellar. A cool room with no bright sunlight will allow the drink not to spoil for many years.
- If you have your own plot and plan to store mead for a long time (the longer it sits, the tastier), bury the bottle or other tightly closed container in the ground. Just be sure to mark the place so you don’t forget later.
- If you don't have a cellar or only a small amount of mead, the refrigerator is a great place to store it. In this case, it is better to pour the drink into tinted glass bottles.
Suitable container for storing mead
The container for fermented drinking honey is of key importance. The quality of the saved product depends on it. Wooden (especially oak, which cost a lot of money) barrels are most suitable for this. Wood allows you to preserve all the taste and healing properties of the drink.
If it is not possible to purchase such barrels, then it is also possible to use glass containers. This material does not affect mead in any way and its elements do not in any way combine with the substances of the drink. But under no circumstances should metal barrels be used to store mead. Metal can not only “destroy” the quality of the drink, but also lead to toxic poisoning.
As for plastic, mead is also successfully stored in it, but, according to experts in this matter, the shelf life of the drink in this case does not exceed 1 month.
How to store mead
The shelf life of mead depends on many factors.
Tara.
Various metal containers can seriously spoil the taste of the drink. Therefore, I categorically do not recommend storing mead in iron cans. This can harm not only the drink, but also your health. Best suited for storage:
- wooden barrels. Wood does not cause any harm to drinks, and the taste only improves. The most suitable would be oak barrels. When stored in them, mead acquires a delightful aftertaste. Linden barrels can also give the drink a good taste. I would like to note that in wooden containers the fermentation processes are accelerated. With this container, you definitely won’t have to worry about the drink not being fully infused;
- glass bottles. If you brewed a little drink, then this container will be the most optimal. Glass is an excellent anti-reagent that will preserve the color and taste of the drink. Plastic bottles can only be used for short-term storage or transportation of the drink. They are not suitable for proper storage of mead.
Temperature
The optimal storage temperature for mead is 7-10 degrees Celsius. This temperature can be found in the basement or refrigerator.
3.Light
It is undesirable for the container with the drink to be exposed to sunlight. This will definitely affect both the composition and taste. Even if you use dark glass bottles or barrels, still try to move them away from windows or at least cover them with something.
Shelf life
It is important
It has always been believed that mead can be stored for decades. However, I advise you not to forget that the quality and environmental friendliness of the raw materials that existed 200 years ago cannot be compared with today. Therefore, I would not recommend keeping mead for longer than 10 years. You can absolutely safely store mead for 5 years. Just remember that under no circumstances should you open the bottle or barrel. And if you have already opened it, then be so kind as to drink it, at least within a month.
Try making this ancient, tasty and healthy drink. Surprise your guests and loved ones with a traditional, high-quality product.
How to store mead at home
It is better to choose dark places for long-term storage of honey drink, with a moderate humid climate and a temperature from 0 to 10 degrees . Cellars and basements are best suited; the use of a refrigerator or pantries is allowed. Mead in wooden barrels has an unlimited shelf life. In glass containers you can keep the infusion for up to 7 years , in plastic bottles for no more than a week.
Wooden barrels
Wooden barrels are considered the ideal container for storing honey potion. of 7 to 12 liters has the best taste . They must be tarred and treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or iodine after previous storage.
The barrels are filled almost completely, without adding the 5th part, because even after the final pre-fermentation, transferring them to permanent storage can provoke a second reaction. It is advisable to consume uncorked mead within 12 months . It is recommended to store such vessels at a temperature no higher than 7-10 degrees . Partial light exposure is allowed, since the drink itself is reliably protected from the sun by durable material. In this way, honey potion can be stored for 30-40 years .
Glass bottles
There is no special aftertaste from a drink stored in a glass container compared to wooden barrels, but all the beneficial and taste properties are preserved. It is recommended to keep glass containers with mead in the cellar at a temperature of 0 to 10 degrees , out of direct sunlight. Small glass bottles can be placed in the refrigerator on the lower shelves, setting the temperature to no higher than 5 degrees . The shelf life of mead in glass bottles is unlimited.
Plastic containers
Pet containers for long-term storage of homemade honey tinctures are not recommended. It is allowed to use plastic for short-term storage or transportation of the drink.
How to store mead in a plastic bottle:
- Do not use used containers.
- The total period should not exceed 7 days .
- The optimal temperature is from 0 to 3 degrees .
Metal cans
When storing honey potion in metal cans, a reaction occurs with multiple bioactive substances, and the oxidation . The beneficial properties of the infusion are lost, and sometimes harmful substances are formed that negatively affect human health. Therefore, such containers are absolutely not suitable for storing mead at home.
