Mead Glossary

A comprehensive glossary of mead-making and tasting terminology.

ABV (Alcohol by Volume): The standard measure of how much alcohol is contained in a given volume of mead, expressed as a percentage.
Acidity: The "brightness" or "sharpness" of a mead, typically derived from the honey, fruit, or added acids (like malic or tartaric).
Aeration: The process of introducing oxygen into the must before or during the early stages of fermentation to help yeast health.
Aging: The process of allowing mead to sit (in a tank or bottle) to mellow flavors and allow complex chemical reactions to occur.
Aromatics: The smells or "nose" of the mead, ranging from floral honey notes to complex fermentation esters.
Astringency: A drying, puckering sensation in the mouth, usually caused by high levels of tannins.
Back-sweetening: The act of adding honey or another sweetener to a mead after fermentation has finished to achieve a desired sweetness level.
Balanced: A term used when the sweetness, acidity, alcohol, and tannins in a mead are in harmony with none overpowering the others.
Body: The perceived "weight" or thickness of the mead in the mouth (light, medium, or full).
Bung: A stopper (usually silicone or rubber) used to seal a carboy or barrel.
Carbonation: The presence of dissolved carbon dioxide, resulting in bubbles. Can be natural (bottle conditioned) or forced (CO2 tank).
Carboy: A glass or plastic vessel used for fermenting or aging small batches of mead.
Clarification: The process of making a mead clear and transparent, either through time (settling) or the use of fining agents.
Clean: A tasting term for a mead that is free of "off-flavors" or unintended fermentation byproducts.
Cold Crashing: Chilling the mead rapidly to near-freezing temperatures to encourage yeast and sediment to drop to the bottom.
Degassing: Stirring or agitating the mead during active fermentation to release dissolved carbon dioxide.
Dry: A mead with little to no residual sugar, resulting in a lack of sweetness.
Esters: Fragrant compounds produced by yeast during fermentation that can smell like fruit or flowers.
Fermentation: The biological process where yeast converts the sugars in honey into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Final Gravity (FG): The specific gravity of the mead once fermentation is complete, used to calculate ABV and sweetness.
Fining Agents: Substances (like bentonite or sparkles) added to mead to help clear out cloudiness.
Finish: The flavors and sensations that remain in the mouth after a mead has been swallowed.
Fusel Alcohols: "Hot" or harsh-tasting alcohols often caused by fermenting at temperatures that are too high.
Gravity: A measure of the density of the liquid relative to water. Used to track sugar content.
Headspace: The pocket of air left between the top of the mead and the seal of the vessel.
Honey-to-Water Ratio: The proportion of honey used relative to water, which determines the potential alcohol and sweetness.
Hydrometer: A tool used to measure the Specific Gravity of the liquid.
Inoculation: The act of adding yeast (pitching) to the must to begin fermentation.
Lees: The sediment—consisting of dead yeast, fruit pulp, and other particles—that collects at the bottom of the fermenter.
Legs: The droplets of mead that crawl down the side of a glass after swirling; an indicator of alcohol or sugar content.
Mouthfeel: The physical sensation of the mead on the palate (e.g., creamy, thin, sharp, oily).
Must: The unfermented mixture of honey, water, and nutrients before it becomes mead.
Nutrients: Compounds (like nitrogen) added to the must to ensure the yeast stays healthy and active.
Off-Flavors: Unintended tastes (like wet cardboard, vinegar, or rubber) caused by poor fermentation or contamination.
Oxidation: Damage caused by exposing mead to too much oxygen after fermentation, often resulting in a "stale" or "sherry-like" taste.
Pitching: The technical term for adding yeast to the must.
Primary Fermentation: The initial, most active stage of fermentation where the bulk of the sugar is converted to alcohol.
Racking: Siphoning mead from one vessel to another to separate it from the lees.
Residual Sugar: The sugar remaining in the mead after fermentation is complete.
Secondary Fermentation: A quieter stage of fermentation or aging used for clarifying the mead or adding secondary flavors.
Sediment: Solid particles that settle at the bottom of a bottle or fermenter.
Semi-Sweet: A mead that falls between Dry and Sweet on the sugar scale.
Sessionable: A term for lower-ABV meads (Hydromels) that are easy to drink in larger quantities.
Specific Gravity (SG): The density of the liquid at any given point during the process.
Stabilizing: The process of ensuring fermentation does not restart, usually through chemicals (sulfites/sorbates) or filtration.
Still: Mead that is not carbonated.
Sweet: A mead with a high amount of Residual Sugar.
Tannins: Naturally occurring compounds that provide structure and a drying sensation (often from fruit, oak, or tea).
Terroir: The characteristic taste and flavor imparted to the honey by the specific environment (soil, climate) where the bees forage.
Yeast Strain: The specific variety of yeast used, which can significantly impact the flavor and aroma of the final mead.