My first batch

Hey everyone im new to this stuff and a few weeks ago I found a recipe on here for mead and decided to try it. I dont have any equipment and just mixed up the ingrediants in a gallon jug and left it to ferment.. Its almost done now (i think) and I was planning on racking it into mason jars... Any advice??

If it has only been a few weeks then you are not near racking yet. Mead is a test of patience. Unless you use a yeast that benefits from racking soon like Lalvin 71B then you should probably let this thing sit for 2 - 3 months before racking to secondary. IMO it should be 95% - 98% clear befor racking. Racking into mason jars will not be bad at all. That will allow you to fill them up pretty near top and reduce headspace. What recipe did you use and what yeast used if you don't mind me asking?

I don't remember where I found it but it said:
3 lbs honey (i put in a little over a quart)
25 raisins
1 orange
1 packet supermarket fleishmann's yeast
Mix together in gallon jug and top off with water leaving about 3 inches at the top

This is the mixture thats been fermenting. It looks like its slowing down but I dont want to bottle until im absolutely sure you know. And please forgive my noobie ignorance but what do you mean by "secondary"? I was going to just wait till the gas production stopped and bottle it lol

Sounds like Joes ancient orange mead. Secondary is when it is racked into another container for a while, usually a few months with mead, before it is bottled. It gets the mead off all the used yeast, pieces of fruit, etc so it is more clear when bottled, without chunks in the bottles. Also keeps from getting flavors from the used up yeast.

The ancient orange mead recipe is a classic and the original wording of the recipe states:

(Don't shake it! Don't mess with them yeastees! Let them alone except its okay to open your cabinet to smell every once in a while.

Racking --- Don't you dare
additional feeding --- NO NO
More stirring or shaking -- Your not listening, don't touch

After 2 months and maybe a few days it will slow down to a stop and clear all by itself. (How about that, you are not so important after all) Then you can put a hose in with a small cloth filter on the end into the clear part and siphon off the golden nectar. If you wait long enough even the oranges will sink to the bottom but I never waited that long. If it is clear it is ready......

Click to expand...

I left the JAOM I did for just over 3 months and then siphoned off into bottles. That recipe is made to leave alone and bottle strait from the primary. One good reason for this is because the yeast you are using does not settle well. When it gets really clear to the point of reading a book behind th glass then move this to where you will be siphoning off. Then leave it there 3 days to a week because that slight movement "regardless of how carefull" will resuspend some yeast. Then siphon it off into bottles. Don't even try to get all the liquid. The last inch and a half above the settled yeast/fruit line should probably be left alone because you will start sucking up yeast with that last bit. Once in bottle resist the urge to try it. Wait till it is about 6 months old and you will be much happier. Be paitent young patawon and you will have sweet golden nectar to taste.

Wow heh thanks guys... Yea il just leave it until its clear and stops producing gas. I actually have been shaking it up but not that often... Il stop that too.. Im also doing some simple pomegranate wine but I dont know what to do to it now either lol. Thanks guys I really appreciate the tips.. Id probly end up making glass grenades in my closet if it werent for this site lol

So its been about two months and its still not clearing up.. Co2 production is nearly stopped and theres a thick layer of sludge on the bottom and the fruit is still floating on top. Should I just wait a few more weeks? So tempted to just rack it lol

Some people have racked at this point to get the mead off te lees and their mead turned out fine. At this point you could bu racking has losses and gives you more headspace and pissibility of oxygen getting to the mead. Personally I still day leave it. But you could rack it, just think about adding like glass marbles to raise the must level and reduce head space or racking to smaller container.