Joe's Ancient Orange Mead - JOAM
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Patience Grasshopper. 
I used to rush JOAM. It's better if you let it sit for a few months. It will be fine. My yardstick (meterstick?) at this point is to let it sit until the oranges have sunk. Usually 3 mo. Bottle and let it age for a few more months. JOAM can't be rushed.
I used to rush JOAM. It's better if you let it sit for a few months. It will be fine. My yardstick (meterstick?) at this point is to let it sit until the oranges have sunk. Usually 3 mo. Bottle and let it age for a few more months. JOAM can't be rushed.
Made the version of this using the linked recipe below - bottled after a month of fermentation - it's got a bit of alcohol burn but wow, love the rich orange and spice flavor! Bottled in 6oz bottles which look really cool...
Edited to add the link - duh.
https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/JAO-bomm/
Edited to add the link - duh.
https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/JAO-bomm/
Let it age. It mellows out.
Give it 6 mo.
Bender check out the linked recipe (it's different from the original recipe) and doesn't need 6 months to age. It's a BOMM which is designed to be drinkable in 1 month...
Deafmeadmaker
Deafmeadmaker
Second batch of JOAM and I decided to experiment a bit. First I peeled Mandarin oranges and ran them through the mead making process. Bottled them in March of '16 and opened one last week to see where it was taste-wise. It was a very subtle orange flavor, in other words, not orange enough for me. I'm thinking of opening the bottles into a five gallon bucket, adding five to six lbs. of navel oranges, then treating the mead as if it were in secondary stage and re-bottle it after a month or two.
My second option: mix with orange juice at the time of serving and have some mimosas.
Anyone ever open a bottle to add flavor to it before?
My second option: mix with orange juice at the time of serving and have some mimosas.
Anyone ever open a bottle to add flavor to it before?
How long does it take for the oranges to fall to the bottom? It cleared up just like you said it would and this was a fun experiment but I am trying to wait so it smooths out t before this summers camping trips. Thank you for this recipe and I hope it is as good as I have been told it will be. Under the sink and forget about it is my kind of brew
Deafmeadmaker
Deafmeadmaker
Orange slices can fall anywhere between 3 and 6 months. YMMV. Depending on when you started can make all the difference between serving it in the summer, fall, or even next summer. Try as we might there is no way to hurry the process. I still have a bunch left from my Mandarin orange experiment. All I can say is the flavor improves over time. When in doubt, make a mixed cocktail. Mimosa mead is actually pretty good.
RPh_Guy
Bringing Sour Back
This is a duplicate thread of https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=49106
If that's for 1 gallon you'll never get it to ferment. JAOM is not dry if you follow the recipe exactly.
GeneDaniels1963
Well-Known Member
My JAOM has been in the bottle for 6 months. I just opened one and I was not impressed. Still too much of the orange peal taste. Is that just the way this batch will be, or should I wait another 6 months before opening another?
I leave it in primary for 6 mo. Secondary (to clear) for a few weeks and let it age in the bottle for a year or more.
A typical JAOM takes about 70 days for the fruit to fall and is clear enough to bottle at 90-100 days. This was mine at 65 days -
Fresh from the fermentor it's all orange and clove. After 2 months it mellows enough to be drinkable and keeps getting better with age. At 8-10 months it's an awesome mead.
Fresh from the fermentor it's all orange and clove. After 2 months it mellows enough to be drinkable and keeps getting better with age. At 8-10 months it's an awesome mead.
RPh_Guy
Bringing Sour Back
I'm pretty sure temperature changes are the diving force for dropping the fruit. Higher temps drive the CO2 into the headspace, and lowering the temp allows the CO2 bubbles on the fruit to dissolve. Differences in day/night temperature variation likely accounts for why people's fruit drops at differing lengths of time.
I followed the recipe exactly including fermentation temperature and mine is clear as glass after about 30 days. I moved it from mid 70s ambient to mid 60s and the fruit dropped within a day. Still waiting for full 2 months to bottle.
I followed the recipe exactly including fermentation temperature and mine is clear as glass after about 30 days. I moved it from mid 70s ambient to mid 60s and the fruit dropped within a day. Still waiting for full 2 months to bottle.
Racked mine over off the fruit and gunk after it was done to allow it to bulk age a bit before I bottle. Plus, I wanted to taste it and see if it was sweet enough (I accidentally did 3lbs honey instead of 3.5lbs). It's good, but next time I think I am going to leave out the clove, add a vanilla bean, and add the entire amount of honey. Thoughts? The clove makes it taste like a Christmas ornament a bit. I'll see how it tastes as it ages I guess. Maybe that'll change my mind, but I'd definitely like to try the changes I mention.
When I racked it over, it kicked up a bit of junk. It was crystal clear. I'm assuming this is expected? As mentioned previously, the bread yeast lees are very fine and easily agitated. I did remove a lot of stuff tho.
When I racked it over, it kicked up a bit of junk. It was crystal clear. I'm assuming this is expected? As mentioned previously, the bread yeast lees are very fine and easily agitated. I did remove a lot of stuff tho.
The clove mellows with age.
View attachment 404285 this is my JAOM that I used 5lbs of honey on. Looks good to me.
Deafmeadmaker
Deafmeadmaker
It sounds like a lot, but it dissolves into the water fairly quickly. There are recipes out there that call for 19-20 lbs. of honey for a 5 gallon recipe.
I use 18 lbs for 5 gal. 19 or 20 lbs wouldn't be outrageous. I also use a wine degasser and drill to get the water and honey into a solution.
And don't throw out the raisins.
rlmiller10
Well-Known Member
If you put all the pith in it might just be that way. I grate off the zest, then peel off the pith before putting the zest and just the meat back in the fermenter.
All this talk about mead... I just made 5 gal.
smishylyn
Member
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Pitched January 17, 2017 and bottled July 3, 2017
All in all it was a success! Tastes wonderful. Definitely an acquired taste, though. Many mixed reviews from friends, but not that unexpected as many of them are not "fans" of mead.
The fruit never did fall on my batch but I think it was because the oranges kind of wedged together and prevented each other from falling. Looking forward to making my next batch!
All in all it was a success! Tastes wonderful. Definitely an acquired taste, though. Many mixed reviews from friends, but not that unexpected as many of them are not "fans" of mead.
The fruit never did fall on my batch but I think it was because the oranges kind of wedged together and prevented each other from falling. Looking forward to making my next batch!
My first batch finished, and I'll definitely have to put down another one soon. Great way to make something with decent flavor out of relatively cheap ingredients (store-bought bulk clover honey).
Also happened to finish clearer than anything I've made with honey closer to raw, relying only on time+gravity to clear.
Also happened to finish clearer than anything I've made with honey closer to raw, relying only on time+gravity to clear.
