• Mead Faults

    Characteristic Possible Solutions
    Acetic Acetic acid, vinegar-like sourness Check for infection. Check yeast strain. Check for oxidation sources (acetobacter is aerobic). Fruit additions.
    Acidic tart, sour, low pH Acid additions, acid level in honey, use of fruit, infection.
    Alcoholic/Hot spicy, vinous, warming from Ethanol and higher alcohols Lower fermentation temperature. Let mead age longer before consuming. Use less fermentables. Use a less attenuative yeast strain. Check yeast health. Check for possible infection.
    Cardboard Stale, papery, wet cardboard Check for oxygen being introduced into mead post-fermentation. Don't splash when racking/bottling. Check caps and/or keg seals for good fit. Purge bottles/kegs with CO2 prior to filling. Store mead cool. Drink mead when fresh.
    Chemical Nutrient, chemical, vitamin Use less nutrient additions, check water supply and chemical additions.
    Cloying Overly sweet, flabby Ferment more completely (check pH, nutrients, viable yeast, oxygen), use less honey, add balancing acid and/or tannin.
    Floral Flower, blossom, perfume Honey variety choice.
    Fruity/Estery Fruity (strawberry, pear, banana, apple, grape, citrus) Lower fermentation temperature. Try a cleaner yeast strain. Oxygenate must sufficiently. Reduce original gravity. Pitch a sufficient quantity of yeast (avoid yeast stress). Bottle condition and age mead longer at cellar temperatures to reduce esters. Try a different variety of honey.
    Metallic Iron, copper, coins, blood Check water for metallic ions. Reduce water salts. Reduce nutrient additions. Check equipment condition for rust. Make sure stainless steel equipment is properly passivated. Fully rinse sanitizer. Try using RO water and add salts as needed.
    Moldy Stale, moldy, cellar-like, corked Avoid oxidation (see Oxidized). Check sanitation. Check water for freshness and taste. Use fresh ingredients.
    Phenolic Spicy, smoky, plastic, band-aid, medicinal Check for infection. Check yeast strain and health.
    Sherry Sherry, nutty, almond Check for oxygen being introduced into mead post-fermentation. Don't splash when racking/bottling. Check caps and/or keg seals for good fit. Purge bottles/kegs with CO2 prior to filling. Store mead cool. Drink mead when fresh.
    Solvent/Fusel Hot burning on palate, harsh Lower fermentation temperature. Pitch a sufficient quantity of healthy, active yeast. Check for infection. Try a different yeast strain.
    Sulfury Rotten eggs, burning matches Check for infection. Check water for excessive sulfates. Check yeast health. Check for yeast autolysis (mead left on yeast too long at warm temperatures). Try another yeast strain.
    Tannic Astringent, mouth-puckering, lingering harshness, grape skin Avoid use of raw spices, fruit pith and fruit skins. Tannin additions.
    Vegetal Cooked, canned or rotten vegetables (cabbage, celery, onion, asparagus, parsnip) Encourage a fast, vigorous fermentation (use a healthy, active starter to reduce lag time; this is often due to bacterial contamination of must before yeast becomes established). Check sanitation. Check for aged, stale, or old ingredients.
    Waxy Wax-like, tallow, fatty Try a different variety of honey. Filter honey. Avoid oxidation.
    Yeasty Bready, sulfury, yeast-like Use a more flocculent yeast strain. Allow yeast sufficient time to flocculate. Filter mead or use clarifying agents. Avoid carrying over as much yeast. Age the mead longer. Try another yeast strain.