Several-year-old mead: Can it be salvaged and is it safe?

[FlavorSeeker]

My brother has a batch of mead he bought as a kit at a craft fair several years ago. He can't recall the variety and has no documentation. After the primary fermentation, he poured it through a coffee filter to strain the sediment (is it called lees with mead?) and dumped it back into the one-gallon primary. It has further fermented and there is sediment in the bottom, as well as some on the sides of the bottle. The airlock (S-type) has long since gone dry.

I smells OK and there is no film or other signs of infection. Is it safe to drink and should anything, beyond racking, be done before bottling?

 

[Wade E]

Honey in itself is a preservative and since it has been fermented then that also is a preservative. Id be willing to try it myself. Id rack it off any sediment and add sulfite if you plan on keeping these bottles for longer just incase as its had its share of 02 already, i usually dont use much sulfite in my meadws but this is a little different as its been sitting for quite awhile subjected .

 

[fatbloke]

As per Wade's suggestion plus.........

Take a little taste to see if you like it. If there's any sherry/port type hint to it then it's oxidised a little - which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

I'd have thought it'd be fine to drink, though with no notes or other info, it could have some slight off flavour if the sediment is from a yeast that starts to break down as it ages.

With Wades suggestions, it should be fine to drink etc.....

regards

fatbloke

 

[FlavorSeeker]

Thanks gents. I've forwarded the link to this thread on to my brother. I'm looking forward to trying it. Cheers!

 

[Malkore]

with the coffee filter straining and long aging, i wouldn't be surprised if it has gotten very oxidized. if it just tastes stale/bland/cardboardy...that's why.