Finishing & Bottling

1 — Gravity is stable

Take a hydrometer reading today, then take another 48–72 hours later. If both readings are identical, fermentation is complete. If the second reading is lower — even by a single gravity point — fermentation is still active. Bottling a still-fermenting mead will result in, at minimum, a burst cork or blown cap; at worst, a broken bottle.

Airlock activity is not a reliable indicator. A mead can appear entirely still while CO₂ continues to off-gas from a very slow fermentation. Confirm with gravity readings, not with the airlock.

2 — Clarity is acceptable

Clear mead means the yeast has settled and any particulate is compacted at the bottom of the vessel. Bottling a hazy mead is fine for personal batches, but it typically means more sediment in the bottle and a shorter shelf life. Cold crashing and fining agents improve clarity significantly if appearance or longevity matters for your batch.

3 — pH is in range

A finished mead should read between 3.7 and 4.0 on a calibrated pH meter. Below 3.5 the mead is uncomfortably tart and may indicate a problem during fermentation; above 4.1 there is a risk of microbial instability in the bottle over time. If pH is outside the target range, investigate before bottling rather than bottling and hoping for the best.

Crown caps

The 26 mm pressed-metal cap used on beer bottles. Applied with a bench capper or hand capper — an inexpensive tool that takes no skill to master. Crown caps form an airtight seal with no meaningful oxygen transmission, making them equally suitable for still and sparkling meads. They are single-use: once removed, a cap cannot be resealed.

Crown caps are the lowest-cost closure per bottle and are the practical default for carbonated session meads and everyday batches where presentation is secondary to reliability. Use with standard beer bottles or thick-walled champagne-style bottles; avoid thin still-wine bottles for carbonated batches.

Flip-top / Grolsch

A ceramic stopper attached to the bottle neck by a wire bail, with a rubber gasket providing the seal. Requires no tools and no separate closures — the stopper is part of the bottle. The bottles are reusable indefinitely; the rubber gaskets degrade over time and should be replaced every 2–3 years, or sooner if cracking or flattening is visible.

Flip-top bottles rated for carbonation are suitable for moderately carbonated meads at homebrewing volumes. They are not ideal for multi-year cellaring — the gasket introduces a potential point of oxygen ingress over long storage periods. Best suited to batches intended for drinking within 12–18 months of bottling.

Regular cork

A straight-sided cork inserted flush with the bottle neck using a bench or floor corker. Standard wine bottles take a 24 mm cork; most wine-style corkers handle them without adjustment. Suitable for still meads only — a corked still-wine bottle is not rated for carbonation pressure, and a sparkling mead will push the cork out or crack the bottle under typical conditioning pressures.

Natural cork allows very slow oxygen transmission, which supports the gradual oxidation that rounds out high-gravity meads over years of cellaring. Synthetic cork eliminates the risk of TCA (cork taint, a musty off-flavour caused by mould in natural cork) and provides essentially no oxygen transmission — it functions more like a rubber stopper than a traditional cork. For meads intended for cellaring beyond two years, natural cork is preferred; for meads to be drunk within one to two years, synthetic cork is reliable and consistent.

Cork & cage (mushroom cork + muselet)

A mushroom-shaped champagne cork held in place by a twisted wire cage (muselet). Requires thick-walled, pressure-rated champagne-style bottles and a champagne corker — a larger, more expensive tool than a standard wine corker. The system handles high carbonation pressure safely and provides the premium presentation associated with champagne and sparkling wine.

Cork and cage is the correct closure for high-carbonation sparkling meads (2.5–3.5 CO₂ volumes) intended for longer cellaring or elevated presentation. The mushroom cork, once inserted, expands inside the bottle neck and is difficult to remove without the characteristic twist-and-pull. For still meads, the format is over-specified — use a regular cork instead.

Temperature

The ideal storage temperature is 10–15°C — cool, stable, and without significant daily or seasonal fluctuation. Chemical reactions that drive ageing (esterification, acid softening, slow oxidation) proceed slowly and predictably at these temperatures. Higher temperatures accelerate ageing, which is occasionally useful for a short period but tends to produce flat, dull character over longer storage. Avoid locations near radiators, in uninsulated outbuildings, or anywhere that swings significantly between summer and winter.

Orientation

Store bottles on their side for natural cork closures. Contact between the cork and the liquid keeps the cork hydrated and prevents it from drying out and shrinking — a dry cork allows oxygen ingress and the mead will oxidise over time.

Store upright for crown caps, flip-tops, and synthetic cork. These closures do not require hydration, and upright storage keeps sediment compacted at the bottom where it is easy to avoid when pouring.

Light

UV light degrades organic compounds in mead and accelerates spoilage. Dark glass provides significant protection; clear glass provides almost none. Store clear bottles in a cardboard box or dark cupboard. Even dark-glass bottles benefit from being kept away from direct sunlight and fluorescent lighting over the long term.