Mead

The same rule applies. If it has residual sugar or sugar added after fermentation finished, it should be stabilized. You might want to visit the rec.crafts.meadmaking site as well.

There are two schools of thought on this... some mead makers do not like to add any chemicals, perhaps other than yeast nutrient, to their meads. If you ferment dry, and allow to bulk age (6 to 12 months), I've found it is not really necessary to sulphite your mead. Everything has to be sanitized and clean. As Ray mentions, if you are making a sweet mead, then it may be wise to stabilize your mead. Having said that I still have a couple of bottles of sweet mead that are going on 7 yrs., I did not stabilize these, or add sulphites, I did bulk age until I was certain that fermentation was complete.

Steve

I have never stabilized my mead. I bulk age for 1-1.5 years , then put up in bottles and age for at least another year.

Frank NC