aging mead

I made a mead in Feb. I used honey,water, some rasins and a cut up orange. 1 gallon batch. I let it sit for about a month then racked it into another 1 gallon carboy and let it sit 3 months. I then bottled in capped them. They tasted kinda like wine with a background of oranges. Dry and a little harsh. How long do they need to sit. I have them in a closet that stays about 68 or so.

Thanks

The longer the better. As a very general rule of thumb the higher the ABV the longer the aging. It all depends on how dry it is... a sweeter wine will taste better younger. I'd say at least 6 months. What was your SG, FG, what yeast did you use?

I didn't take any readings. oops. I think I used nottengham ale yeast. dry

Oh, It was kinda a last minute thing. I have never even tried a mead. But I can't help it I love making things.

Well as that sounds like you've basically used the JAO recipe but without the spices, it would normally have been ready quite quickly if you'd followed the recipe completely.

But, you used an ale yeast instead of the bread yeast recommendation, which will have almost definitely fermented dry. So I'd suggest that you'd be better thinking about ageing for at least a year.

The complete JAO recipe is often ready in about the 6 months mark - but also it doesn't always taste good when a wine (or beer) yeast has been used. It was developed as an easy, straight forward recipe that produces a mead that finishes sweet with "marmalade" sort of back notes (hence the use of the whole orange - pith and all) and a hint of spices.......

Just about all the variants I've tried making (different fruit, different yeast, etc etc) have come out not so good and a friend has run it through his still to recover the alcohol to use for fortifying other meads etc.......

I'd recommend that unless you follow the JAO recipe religiously, then you try a different one, maybe something that uses a type of honey that you can get easily......

regards

fatbloke

Do you remember how much honey you used to make the one gallon batch? That would allow us to get an idea of the OG, but in any case I would think three more months in the bottle and you can start tasting it. Usually the "a little harsh" taste will mellow quickly. It's the ones that taste like rocket fuel that takes a year or more to mellow and blend into the mead.

I don't want to say because I really have no idea. I guess I will just let it sit until Thanksgiving.

By the way, What is your favorite recipe?

So far the Bochect I made is my favorite. I don't do it quite the same as the thread you'll find here at HBT.

I took 3 lbs of cheap honey and boiled it at a low heat. I tasted it every few minutes till it had a strong carmel flavor and then removed it from the heat. After that I added 3 quarts water and 6 oz of maple syrup. I bottled it a while back and it tasted fantastic. I'm sure it'll be a winner once it ages for a while.

My basic go to is simple. 3 lbs honey per gallon, better the honey, better the mead.
Yeast nutrient and DAP, SNA.
Yeast of your choice, ferment, clear, bottle, and forget about it.
Everything else is just icing on the cake as they say.
I made a Bochect, but the jury is still out on it. It's just different.

I finally bottled my Bochet a few weeks ago....tasted the last bit in the bottling bucket.

Tasted very caramelly, border line burnt (kinda like a burnt toasted marshmellow) hoping a year or so in the bottle will mellow everything out and I'll have an excellent Bochet.

I have a 5 gallon batch of Mead that was pretty straight forward, Honey, yeast, water and some nutrient. I'm on the third racking now and it is starting to clear. Will try and bottle it in a couple month and then let it sit for at least a year.

Yeah bochet's are "different". I only spent $5 for the 3 lbs I used so I figured it was not much of a gamble. If any of your try another you may consider only letting it go till it's dark brown rather then black. I got a very good carmel flavor with none of the "burnt" flavor you mention.

Thanks for your input!