Joe's Ancient Orange Mead

gator_brewer said:

I've seen a couple people talk about using a milk jug for their primary, does this work? Just cut a hole in the lid, and make a blow off tube?

If so, then I know what I'll be doing tonight!

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I wouldn't use a milk jug- the plastic may "hold" some milk flavor. An old wine jug (like from Carlo Rossi wine) would work great.

what about a water jug? that seems like it would hold any flavors. I don't have an empty wine jug or any large gallon sized glass jugs.

gator_brewer said:

what about a water jug? that seems like it would hold any flavors. I don't have an empty wine jug or any large gallon sized glass jugs.

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I don't know. I never tried it.

gator_brewer said:

what about a water jug? that seems like it would hold any flavors. I don't have an empty wine jug or any large gallon sized glass jugs.

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My local HBs sells 1 gal glass jugs for 3$ and I have seen similar online. It is very worth it imo to spend the extra couple dollars.

I agree, except my 'local' HBS is about 2 hours away. And I just went over the weekend to get a double brew set up for Friday

So it's going to be another 3-4weeks til I'll head over again. I was just looking to get this going tonight so its that much less time til I get to taste it.

Edit: I've moved for the summer for a job, i'm not in FL anymore... before I had a shop about 10minutes away... oh how I miss that

gator_brewer said:

I agree, except my 'local' HBS is about 2 hours away. And I just went over the weekend to get a double brew set up for Friday

So it's going to be another 3-4weeks til I'll head over again. I was just looking to get this going tonight so its that much less time til I get to taste it.

Edit: I've moved for the summer for a job, i'm not in FL anymore... before I had a shop about 10minutes away... oh how I miss that

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You can order them online without outrageous shipping costs I am sure.

knipknup said:

I did a champagne yeast mead. It finished at 17% abv but was like turpentine for the first two years. It has been around four years now and is reasonably good. I expect in another 5 years, it will be great.

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Hmmm.... Yeah. I used Montrachet yeast. I just bottled it yesterday after 2 months of fermentation, it tasted like an alcoholic eating oranges threw-up in my mouth. Granted this was the remainder of dead yeast, orange zest, and other crap.

I made this per recipe (with cranberries instead of raisins, allspice and 1 clove) for a one gallon batch. It s has been 6 months now and it is delicious. I wish I would have made more earlier. That one clove was overpowering up until this point. Now it is awesome.

if you dont have the glass jug you can do what I did for a batch... while your at walmart getting the honey and raisens go to the jugs of water and get the Absopure 1 gallon water (check and make sure that it is PET) and use that water. The water is only like $1.07 and you get a mini Better Bottle out of it.

They sell apple juice and cider in glass jugs at the store.

sub-zero said:

They sell apple juice and cider in glass jugs at the store.

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I buy Carlos Rossi wine it is a 4 liter jug giving you a little head room for a full gallon.

How do you clean your fruit before putting it in a mead? I have a little brush that is for potatoes and I just use that on the skin of an orange. Is that good enough?

We made two gallons using cranberries in the place of raisans. Very easy to make! Curious how the bread yeast is going to taste. How long should I wait to drink after bottling?

Has anyone made this with lalvin d47? I want to start some mead, this looks pretty straight forward and was wondering if it would turn out comparable to the original dryness wise? i only ask 'cause its what i have on hand.

craigbrew said:

How do you clean your fruit before putting it in a mead? I have a little brush that is for potatoes and I just use that on the skin of an orange. Is that good enough?

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Sure, that would be fine.

calbrew said:

We made two gallons using cranberries in the place of raisans. Very easy to make! Curious how the bread yeast is going to taste. How long should I wait to drink after bottling?

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Just until it's tasting good! I guess you could sample one in 6 weeks and see. If it's "hot", then it needs more time.

Rudder said:

Has anyone made this with lalvin d47? I want to start some mead, this looks pretty straight forward and was wondering if it would turn out comparable to the original dryness wise? i only ask 'cause its what i have on hand.

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It'll be drier, since bread yeast isn't very attenuative. The bread yeast leaves it pretty sweet, and the d47 has a much higher alcohol tolerance and may take it dry. It'll still be really good, especially if you don't like sweet meads anyway.

Thanks for the quick post! You the man Yoop!

hey yooper. I just through this mead together and added the bread yeast. Went back online, started reading other forums when it dawned on me. I haven't taken an opening gravity yet. It was at 1.140. omg! I only had a 5 pound jug of honey. I didnt weigh, but it looks like there is atleast 2 pounds left. At best 1.5 lbs left. So I figured the bread yeast will die quickly and Ill be left with a very sweet undrinkable mead. So I added a small amount of champange yeast, in hopes they will ferment out some of the sweetness. Did I ruin this batch? should i toss and redue?

Rudder said:

Thanks for the quick post! You the woman Yoop!

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there - fixed that for ya!

I made a batch in January and it's really good!

Rudder said:

Thanks for the quick post! You the man Yoop!

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AZ_IPA said:

there - fixed that for ya!

I made a batch in January and it's really good!

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Haha- I didn't see that. I'm so glad to know I'm da man! That will make my husband very happy.

ananimity said:

should i toss and redue?

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That's just crazy talk!

By the way, I entered this one into the first ever legal Utah Homebrew competition and scored a 37 and a 35. I entered it as a melomel and the consistent feedback on both scoresheets was that it is more of a metheglin than a melomel - so keep that in mind if you plan to ever enter this one...

I did up a batch of this on Friday and, like the OP states, it started up within an hour of pitching!

Here's a picture (I hope, first time using Photobucket).

Well, I guess I need some practice using photobucket!

Let's try this again.

Here's my attempt. I doubled the recipe, except the yeast, and put it in a 5 gallon carboy.

I've never tasted mead, much less made any. This should be an experience.

Ok I have a ??? made this and it has gone nice and clear pulled it out of the closet to rack it and a cloud lifted from the bottom. I didnt shake it just from moving it. Do you cold crash it or just let it sit untill it clears up again? What do you guys do? Thanks

malkore said:

I updated this recipe and brewed it today.

Omit the raisins and crappy bread yeast.

use wyeast sweet mead yeast. just hand squeeze the orange . . .

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well then it's a different recipe. joe made this one to be an easy mead for beginners. i've made about 10 batches of it, won two awards and it is pretty consistent. i've tried to modify it and change parts to more normal mead recipes, but that hasn't worked yet. enjoy experimenting but don't complain if it becomes compost.
(it does work pretty well with red raspberries and extra spices though)

sub-zero said:

Ok I have a ??? made this and it has gone nice and clear pulled it out of the closet to rack it and a cloud lifted from the bottom. I didnt shake it just from moving it. Do you cold crash it or just let it sit untill it clears up again? What do you guys do? Thanks

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bread yeast is not designed for beverages. it doesn't flocculate well. whenever i move the carboy, it immediately swirls up in clouds of yeast. even the lightest nudge will do that. when i'm ready to bottle, i move it to the bottling counter a week or two ahead of time to let it settle.
i've racked to a fresh carboy once or twice to let it settle. once it was very hazy(blueberries if i recall) i should have used pectic enzyme in the beginning, but some fining stuff helped it clear.
several of the bottles developed their own sediment, so i chill and decant into a fresh bottle before drinking or taking anywhere.
btw, i always make 5 gallons. the labor is the same as one gallon. i would hate to find out how good a batch is on the last bottle!

Bottled this up today. It needs to age but taste great already. Great recipe!!

After a couple weeks in the primary mine has slowed down to a bubble every thirty seconds or so. Is there any reason why I shouldn't rack it into a secondary? If I do, should I add fresh oranges?

Devon said:

After a couple weeks in the primary mine has slowed down to a bubble every thirty seconds or so. Is there any reason why I shouldn't rack it into a secondary? If I do, should I add fresh oranges?

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I think you should let it go. let it do it crazy thang!!! Itll settle, clear and those oranges will drop and its good to rack then and drop in some sparkaloid then bottle it up!
You did'nt mention if your fermenting it in a glass carboy or pail. Hopefully a carboy so its easier to watch the progress....

Yeah, it's a carboy. I like being able to watch the process unfold.

Devon said:

Yeah, it's a carboy. I like being able to watch the process unfold.

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Oh hell yeah, me too! Just let it ride man, when those oranges drop and it clears, your good to go.

I let mine go 2mths and only 1/2 the oranges ever dropped. How long you letting yours go for them to do that? It did come up cryatal clear though.

sub-zero said:

I let mine go 2mths and only 1/2 the oranges ever dropped. How long you letting yours go for them to do that? It did come up cryatal clear though.

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Letting the oranges drop is NOT a sure sign, but when its clear and still, its a done deal...rack the clear Mead into another carboy. It may still be a bit murkey possibly, if it is then use some sparkaloid on it, thatll clear it right up.

I just tried a sample of my 1st mead (I've never had mead before) that I made on 8/7 and it tastes aweful! VERY strong alcohol flavor and extremely dry (virtually no flavor) (gravity was at 1.013, I forgot to get a starting gravity). I'm really disappointed with this. Any suggestions?

Blackhawkbrew said:

I just tried a sample of my 1st mead (I've never had mead before) that I made on 8/7 and it tastes aweful! VERY strong alcohol flavor and extremely dry (virtually no flavor) (gravity was at 1.013, I forgot to get a starting gravity). I'm really disappointed with this. Any suggestions?

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You didnt say how much you made...a gallon or 5 gallons...but what it needs is to be simply back sweetened with honey...first you want to make sure its "still" no fermentation if there is your going to need to add some Potassium Sorbate (per instructions) to prevent any further fermentation...once thats done slowly stir in some honey...start witth a cup and work your way until your happy with it....then bottle and let it age!...it will mellow in time and you should have some very nice stoney Mead!

Thanks ruger. It's a 1 gallon batch. I also mis-read my hydrometer, the gravity reading was 1.003. So, I think it's done. Would you recommend I transfer to a secondary to backsweaten with the honey?

It would be a good idea to go ahead and transfer it into another clean container...you want to hopefully not lose much but you want it off the lees at the bottom...try not to disturb those it makes it easier to clear with sparkaloid. Youll prolly fine once youve got it dialed in as far as your method that youll be sorry you didnt make it in a 5 gallon batch! ;-D

Blackhawkbrew said:

I just tried a sample of my 1st mead (I've never had mead before) that I made on 8/7 and it tastes aweful! VERY strong alcohol flavor and extremely dry (virtually no flavor) (gravity was at 1.013, I forgot to get a starting gravity). I'm really disappointed with this. Any suggestions?

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My first mead tasted like paint thinner. Now, 3 years later-ish, it is good. In another 10, it should be great.

Give it some time. One month is almost too short for beer. Mead needs age.