Brewing a Crystal Clear Mead: A Guide to Mead Clarification

Who doesn't love a crystal-clear drink?

That moment, when you pour the drink into your glass, and it shines brilliantly! That moment is priceless!

When I made my first batch, luckily I got a pretty clear mead. I was so excited, that I captured at least 100 photos on my phone! But, next time, even after aging it for 2 months, it did not clear up as expected. While I was able to enjoy the taste, I also wanted that clean mead.

And, that is when I put by Research-goggles on!

What causes the cloudiness?

Cloudiness is basically suspended particles which are not able to settle at the bottom.

Most of the times, the mead is cloudy due to the yeast itself. As the fermentation ends, the dead yeast settles down, clearing the mead slightly.

During fermentation, some particles are also created which have a negative or a positive charge. This charge is what avoids the particles from settling down at the bottom. When a particle with a negative charge and another particle with a positive charge come in contact with each other, they stick together and settle down as sediment. But, if particles with one of the charges are significantly higher that the other, these particles remain suspended in the liquid, which results in cloudiness.

How to clarify mead?

Now that we understand the reasons for cloudiness, let's understand how to reduce it.

1. Let it age

   Simplest of all the methods. As time passes, more and more suspended particles settle down at the bottom. As more particles settle, the mead becomes clearer.
   

2. Egg Whites

   The oldest clarifying agent. Egg whites have a positive charge, and bond with the negatively charged particles. It is generally mixed with water and salt, to make it more soluble. One egg is enough to clarify approx. 5 gallons of mead.

   
   

3. Bentonite Clay

   Bentonite is a type of volcanic clay, which hold a negative charge. When added to the mixture, it bonds with the suspended particles with a positive charge and settles to the ground.

   It absorbs a lot of water and leads to a lot of lees. So racking multiple times might be required to remove the lees completely.

   
   
   
   

4. Sparkalloid

   This is made from earth and some algae. It operates similar to the Bentonite clay, except Sparkalloid has a positive charge. Many mead-makers use both Bentonite and Sprakalloid one after the other. While Bentonite bonds with the positively charged particles, Sparkalloid bonds with the remaining negatively charged particles.

   
   

5. Isinglass

   This is made from bladders of the sturgeon fish. Along with the suspended particles, it also bonds with the tannins present in the mead and settles at the bottom. Since it also reduces the effect of tannins, it might affect the flavour profile of the mead.

   
   

6. Pectinase

   Pectin is a soluble fiber found in the cell walls of most fruits and vegetables. This fiber does not settle to the bottom easily. This is where Pectinase helps to break down the Pectin molecules. So, Pectinase aka Pectic Enzyme is used primarily in Melomels i.e. Fruit Meads.

   
   
   
   

7. Cold Crashing

   This is also a pretty simple process. Just store it in a refrigerator. Cooling the beverage helps clearing the mead. But this might not be as effective as the other options.
   

   
   

8. Filtering

   As the name suggests, this filters out any suspended particles out. It requires very fine filters to be able to remove the small suspended yeast/particles. These filters need to be changed frequently, which can be an expensive affair. So this is not a preferred method for home brewers.

Post adding these agents, the mead is racked into another container and the lees is removed. Time required varies depending on the process. It can be as short as 1 days for filtering, or as long as 6 months if it is allowed to age.

All brewers have their own preferences regarding clarifying mead. Some of them like the haziness in the brew, while some prefer a crystal clear mead.

• If time is not a constraint, the simplest way to clarify is to let it age.

• Some of them prefer not using any agent at all, while some use these agents generously.

• Some do not use agents like Isinglass or Egg Whites, which are made from animal products, while some use both Bentonite and Sparkalloid one after the other.

It's upon you to decide the clarfying agent, if you want to use any agent at all. Make sure that the clarifying agent does not affect he flavour profile of you mead significantly.

Now that you've understood how you can clarify your mead, go ahead and make that crystal clear mead!

Cheers!