JAOM Question- "A Tale of Two Carboys"

Hi guys,
As an experiment while I'm researching and deciding what to make fror my first "real" mead, I thought that I would make a batch of JAOM. So, I went to the store and bought the honey, yeast, orange, etc. However, I left my list on the kitchen counter and Mrs. Robusto saw my list and added the same items to her normal shopping list. Long story short- we "had to" make two batches...

So, after the first day (today is day 7), I decided to "aerate" one and leave one alone. Now, by "aerate" I mean to shake the bejesus out of it for a minute or so. My question is:
Will shaking- or aerating- or whatever you call it- harm the JAOM in any way?

also, it seems that the one that I have been aerating is lighter in color, some of the fruit is already sinking, and it just seems to smell better... Is this a good or bad thing?

Thanks in advance

the original reciepe says don't aerate it, however comma, i did (because apparently i'm illegitamate) and don't read directions to well. (yes that was meant as a joke). I shook the junk out of mine three times a day for the first week and then every day before work for almost a month.

as it was my first batch ever, and i didn't have anything to compare it to, i think it turned out just fine.

since i have done an elderberry, a pecan (don't advise this one), a strawberry/kiwi, peach/mango, coconut, blueberry, 5 gallon batch of jao and an afeilwein.

Ok- Sounds good. I think that I'll just keep doing what I've been doing. It should be interesting to compare them at the end and see if there is any difference.

I think the point of JAOM, or at least one point, is that you don't have to do some of the usual winemaking best practices for it to work. Of course you have to sanitize, etc, but it works just fine with bread yeast, without aerating, without multiple rackings, and without a long aging time. It's not that any of those things will hurt it, it's just that this particular recipe is designed to come out pretty well without those things.

You wouldn't normally aerate a "proper" recipe that long. The instructions to aerate at the start are about getting some O2 into the mix too allow the yeast cells to multiply properly. The O2 is consumed by the yeasts before they move to the anaerobic stage of fermentation.

While its possible that the brew are fine, its equally possible that you're adding enough O2 so that oxidation of the finished product will spoil quicker. As well as making it ferment drier.......

I'd suggest that the recipe is mainly about simplicity and getting the ingredients from the nearest grocery store. Sticking to the recipe is about consistent for the new brewer.....

Fatbloke-
Thanks for the heads up- I guess that I will cease and desist my aeration and just let nature take its course as I do not want the finished product to spoil faster… Although I would be fine with a drier finish (I actually prefer drier meads).