JAOM....yet another thread

I started a batch of JOAM on June 19th and a few days ago I noticed that it was clear, I could see right through it. It's dark because I used a dark honey, but it's clear nonetheless. I just re-read the instructions and it says that it will take two months, maybe a few days more; then it says that if it's clear, it's done. I haven't bottled or tasted but I'm going to assume it's done. My question is, if it IS done, how come it only took just over a month? Excuse me if this is a basic question but I'm new to brewing.

June

Has the fruit fallen? You could have held it at a nice temp for the yeast, unknowingly.

Mine cleared in about the same time.

2 to 3 months is about right for the start to when its clear and the fruit has dropped.

The main reason for letting the fruit drop is because you get a layer of yeast on the fruit too and as soon as you start poking about with a racking cane the yeast comes back into suspension.

Hell thats about the biggest hassle is that bread yeast doesn't flocculate very well. It'll stir up into suspension if it thinks you've given it a sly look ......

When the fruit has dropped you may find that it still needs racking to another carboy/gallon jug/whatever and cold crashed for a day or two to get the yeast to settle again.......plus you'd find you still have to move it to where you're gonna rack it ready to bottle so it can settle out from where you've chilled.......

No, the fruit has not dropped even though the liquid is clear.

Cold crash it. Fruit will drop in a day. Be very careful, any movement can cause the sediment to rue loud your beer.


I would suggest just leave it. The mead needs to age any way.

You can cold crash if you would like, but leaving it seems the best to me.

Let it sit until you forget about it and the fruit has fallen. Then like fatbloke said, rack to a bottling carboy, let it settle again and bottle. That bread yeast has a real yearning to be suspended in your mead. Treat it like dynamite sweating nitro in the 1800's; don't even look at it cross.

Thanks for the suggestions! I've moved it to the counter in the butler's pantry, where it's out of they way and in a good position for racking later on. I'll wait for the fruit to drop.

I did a search and I couldn't find the answer. Does anyone know what the ABV for JAOM ends up being? I forgot to do a gravity reading at the beginning.

JuneHawk said:

I did a search and I couldn't find the answer. Does anyone know what the ABV for JAOM ends up being? I forgot to do a gravity reading at the beginning.

Click to expand...

Dunno for certain, never bothered to test myself but some over at Gotmead have and it seems about the 1.025 or so mark....... YMMV....

OK, fruit dropped and I just bottled the stuff. I tasted it and it's horrible! First, it's REALLY strong, which isn't the issue; the issue is a funky, not in a good way, aftertaste. It is also not sweet at all, which it's supposed to be. I still bottled it and I'm gonna see what happens. Someone, please tell me this stuff gets better because what's all the rave about otherwise?

I scaled down from the one gallon because i only had 2 pounds 14oz of honey. I used less water to compensate a little bit less yeast.

It gets better with age. In fact you'll be amazed at what it becomes. The hotness dies down and sweetness appears. Give it at least 6 months. More if you can stand it. The longer you wait the better.

JuneHawk said:

OK, fruit dropped and I just bottled the stuff. I tasted it and it's horrible! First, it's REALLY strong, which isn't the issue; the issue is a funky, not in a good way, aftertaste. It is also not sweet at all, which it's supposed to be. I still bottled it and I'm gonna see what happens. Someone, please tell me this stuff gets better because what's all the rave about otherwise? I scaled down from the one gallon because i only had 2 pounds 14oz of honey. I used less water to compensate a little bit less yeast.

Click to expand...

Mine is the same way - hot and strong, spicy and overpowering - after 2.5 months. I just racked it off the yeast and oranges and into a new gallon jug. Am going tO let it bulk age for a few more months in there (I topped up with water to reduce headspace, about a pint) before bottling. I'm gonna forget about it for awhile, and then keep my fingers crossed it'll taste much better when I bottle it...

And to answer your original question, mine measured 1.034 last night. Which, with an SG of 1.31 (75% attenuation), gives it an ABV of 12.7%... Or right about what everyone else is saying (12%) the bread yeast will give you.