First batch of mead

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ArkansasRed

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I started homebrewing with cider and apfle wein, but this go around I thought I'd try my hand at mead. So I found a recipe Yooper posted for Joe's Ancient Orange. I must say after reading some posts about bread yeasts I had my doubts about how the yeast would do... Yeah I'm retracting my thoughts on that! I didn't think it was going to be so active that it popped the airlock off. :rockin:


As normal I have no shortage of volunteers willing to do quality control. Will let you know how it turns out in a couple of months.

:mug:
 
I started homebrewing with cider and apfle wein, but this go around I thought I'd try my hand at mead. So I found a recipe Yooper posted for Joe's Ancient Orange. I must say after reading some posts about bread yeasts I had my doubts about how the yeast would do... Yeah I'm retracting my thoughts on that! I didn't think it was going to be so active that it popped the airlock off. :rockin:


As normal I have no shortage of volunteers willing to do quality control. Will let you know how it turns out in a couple of months.

:mug:
If you can leave it until the fruit drops (all of it, not just the orange), you'll find it much easier to rack off the clear part.

Then when you get close to the sediment, you can rack the last bit with any sediment that you pick up into a 2 litre pop/soda bottle - one with the moulded feet.

If you cut the top off first, rack the last bit into that, then cover with cling wrap and gently put it in the fridge over night. It should normally settle any sediment into the feet of the bottle so you can then just carefully take it out the fridge and rack down to the top of the feet/centre part of the bottle.

A bit of a pain, but it minimises racking loses that are considered inevitable when you've got so much fruit debris in the bottom of a carboy/demi-john amongst the yeast....... So worth the effort
 
A lot of people will leave some head space to allow for the early stage foaming, then once its settled they top it up.

If the liquid level is close to the airlock base there'd be little point in gently stirring to remove some of the dissolved CO2 as youd likely end up with an eruption.

Of course you can alway siphon out a litre or two into a soda/pop bottle and put that into the fridge until the ferment dies down some then you can put the reserved bit back in.

Or you can just keep an eye on it and keep cleaning the airlock if it foams out.....
 
I must have got a bit premature with it. After the second the airlock pop I figured it was done and add a little water to the top. Next time I will just be patient.

I must say i did sip the foam out of the airlock and that is really good. Hopefully the end result is just as awesome.

Thank you for the advice. :)
 
I must have got a bit premature with it. After the second the airlock pop I figured it was done and add a little water to the top. Next time I will just be patient.

I must say i did sip the foam out of the airlock and that is really good. Hopefully the end result is just as awesome.

Thank you for the advice. :)
Da nada.

JAO is rather weird anyway. It always seems to turn out fine. Yes, generally sweet, but Joes method/technique seems to be quite tolerant of small mistakes.

My first ones were made as per the recipe, except for local equivalents (the yeast - it seems to be a US only brand). Yet I automatically made it to 1 imp gallon, not 1 US gallon (4.55 litres instead of 3.78 litres) and it still turned out good.

As you learn about meads etc, you'll follow that it's some what unconventional, but hey, if it turns out good, and is repeatable, without having to worry about modifying various elements, then fine...... it does what it says on the tin i.e. an easy recipe, suitable for the new mead maker and pretty much guaranteed to come out good :cross::mug:
 
If you cut the top off first, rack the last bit into that, then cover with cling wrap and gently put it in the fridge over night. It should normally settle any sediment into the feet of the bottle so you can then just carefully take it out the fridge and rack down to the top of the feet/centre part of the bottle.

Why didnt I think of that?!
 
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