What happens if you rack JAOM...

Mr. Nice Guy · 04-05-2009, 09:43 PM

Here is some information I thought I'd share.

I racked my Joe's Ancient Orange Mead two months after fermentation had started, it had been clear for a month. I racked it over against the advise of the recipe and topped with some boiled water. I wanted to get it out of the plastic "milk" jug it was in. After a few days it cleared even more to a super clear state and formed some lees then re-started fermentation. It has been going now for a while yet remains clear. It coud be off-gassing but seems way too strong for that. No hydrometer reading as I don't want to steal a sample, it woud take too much from my gallon and maybe oxidize.

Maybe it would have re-started if I had bottled it, but I have to wonder what would have happened if I just followed the recipe.

socalamcor · 04-05-2009, 09:56 PM

I allowed mine to sit for several months before even touching it. After the initial burst of fermentation i continued to have a slow fermentation, more than just offgassing. If you had bottled it early you may have ended up with a bottle bomb or two. The meads I have done have all had long fermentation times. Ive gotten into the habit of putting meads in a place that I wont look at them. Out of sight out of mind.

Mr. Nice Guy · 04-06-2009, 07:07 PM

Cool, thanks...

Sum1Stu · 04-08-2009, 07:47 AM

How the heck was it still fermenting after 2 months ? Do you use a hydrometer ? Because there really is no point in racking until the ferment is finished. Unless you want a stuck fermentation.

I made a JAO and deviated from the recipe big time. I didnt want to use bread yeast, I added cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg. I ended up with a "hot" alcohol taste, with a subtle bitter taste probobly due to the orange peels being ON the oranges while the ferment was taking place.

I drank a little bit of it, but I was advised to age this at least 6 months before tasting it. Apparently this "hot" taste is from a quick ferment, which wouldnt have happend with bread yeast.

Funny thing also it is not clearing very well, I never used any chemicals, only sulfite when I racked.

Mr. Nice Guy · 04-09-2009, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sum1Stu

How the heck was it still fermenting after 2 months ?
I thought it was done, there was no airlock activity and you could read a newspaper through it. Do you use a hydrometer ? NoBecause there really is no point in racking until the ferment is finished. Unless you want a stuck fermentation.

I made a JAO and deviated from the recipe big time. I didnt want to use bread yeast, I added cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg. I ended up with a "hot" alcohol taste, with a subtle bitter taste probobly due to the orange peels being ON the oranges while the ferment was taking place.

I drank a little bit of it, but I was advised to age this at least 6 months before tasting it. Apparently this "hot" taste is from a quick ferment, which wouldnt have happend with bread yeast.

Funny thing also it is not clearing very well, I never used any chemicals, only sulfite when I racked.

It is funny I tasted it at racking and it was great, tasted finished unlike any other meads I have had at that age.

I think the racking made the bread yeast settle, re-colonize and then start back up.