If your mead is cloudy there is no need to panic. For some batches of mead it is a normal thing. And some recipes want the mead to stay cloudy.

Some mead makers prefer their mead to stay cloudy. It adds a certain body and depth.

But if you want to get rid of the cloudiness I have some tips for you.

In this next picture there are two different batches of mead. The one of the left is cloudy and the one on the right is clear. So, how do you get from one to the other?

First you should realize that your mead will absolutely start out cloudy! That is normal. You have addee a lot of honey to it and you have pitched yeast in it that is now multiplying at an extemely rapid rate -the batch is fermenting

If the airlock is still bubbling at a rate of more than 1 bubble every 30 seconds there is no need to worry about clearing it up. Let it do it's thing.

(For the particular batch in the picture that cleared up in 90 days I did almost nothing. I just let the batch ferment on it's own schedule. And I racked it every thirty days.)

Racking your mead is the best thing you can do to get rid of the cloudiness. Rack it, removing all the sediment, every thirty days. Or sooner if a thick layer of sediment (1/2 inch or more) forms.

This continuous racking will remove particulates from the mead and that should clear it up.

1. So my first advice is to do nothing if your mead is still fermenting! Just keep an eye on it.

2. My second bit of advice for you is to be sure you rack it regularly. Every 30 days -quicker if it develops a thick layer of sediment.

If the ferment is finished and it still is cloudy

3. Okay, now let's look at it a little differently. Let's assume the ferment is finished. It has stopped bubbling, it has a good alcohol content, and it is ready for bottling. But it is still cloudy. Now what should you do?

4. Now we can use a chemical to clear it up. And you have two choices.

Cloudiness in mead happens because there are lots of particulates floating around. These could be honey, yeast, dead yeast, or pectin from fruits. And we can use a chemical to bond to these floating particulates. When this happens the particulates become much larger than normal and they fall to the bottom of the carboy. Then you can rack it again. It is very effective.

Choice # 1: Did you have fruit in your mead? If yes then your mead probably is hazey rather than cloudy. This is due to the pectins in the fruit. That is the fleshy parts of the fruit. You can add a chemical called Pectic Enzyme. This will break down those pectins and clear up your mead. (Amazon has it here: Pectic Enzyme) It comes with instructions on exactly how to use it, how much to use and how long to wait.

Choice #2: just a plain mead with no fruit

The chemical you use is called Bentonite and it is a standard chemical that has been used by wine makers and mead makers for a very long time. It's very simple to use and it comes with instructions. You mix a small amount with water then add that to the mead. It is available on amazon right here: Bentonite

If you want to get a more in-depth look at using bentonite I have a tutorial for it right here: Bentonite and Mead Making

Watch this 21 second video of two batches of mead clearing up. I took a picture a day of the batches over a 90 day period.