What happens if you rack JAOM...

Yakima 728
Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
M

Mr. Nice Guy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2008
Messages
336
Reaction score
3
Location
Durango, Colorado
Here is some information I thought I'd share.

I racked my Joe's Ancient Orange Mead two months after fermentation had started, it had been clear for a month. I racked it over against the advise of the recipe and topped with some boiled water. I wanted to get it out of the plastic "milk" jug it was in. After a few days it cleared even more to a super clear state and formed some lees then re-started fermentation. It has been going now for a while yet remains clear. It coud be off-gassing but seems way too strong for that. No hydrometer reading as I don't want to steal a sample, it woud take too much from my gallon and maybe oxidize.

Maybe it would have re-started if I had bottled it, but I have to wonder what would have happened if I just followed the recipe.
 
I allowed mine to sit for several months before even touching it. After the initial burst of fermentation i continued to have a slow fermentation, more than just offgassing. If you had bottled it early you may have ended up with a bottle bomb or two. The meads I have done have all had long fermentation times. Ive gotten into the habit of putting meads in a place that I wont look at them. Out of sight out of mind.
 
How the heck was it still fermenting after 2 months ? Do you use a hydrometer ? Because there really is no point in racking until the ferment is finished. Unless you want a stuck fermentation.

I made a JAO and deviated from the recipe big time. I didnt want to use bread yeast, I added cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg. I ended up with a "hot" alcohol taste, with a subtle bitter taste probobly due to the orange peels being ON the oranges while the ferment was taking place.

I drank a little bit of it, but I was advised to age this at least 6 months before tasting it. Apparently this "hot" taste is from a quick ferment, which wouldnt have happend with bread yeast.

Funny thing also it is not clearing very well, I never used any chemicals, only sulfite when I racked.
 
Sum1Stu said:
How the heck was it still fermenting after 2 months ?
I thought it was done, there was no airlock activity and you could read a newspaper through it. Do you use a hydrometer ? NoBecause there really is no point in racking until the ferment is finished. Unless you want a stuck fermentation.

I made a JAO and deviated from the recipe big time. I didnt want to use bread yeast, I added cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg. I ended up with a "hot" alcohol taste, with a subtle bitter taste probobly due to the orange peels being ON the oranges while the ferment was taking place.

I drank a little bit of it, but I was advised to age this at least 6 months before tasting it. Apparently this "hot" taste is from a quick ferment, which wouldnt have happend with bread yeast.

Funny thing also it is not clearing very well, I never used any chemicals, only sulfite when I racked.
Click to expand...

It is funny I tasted it at racking and it was great, tasted finished unlike any other meads I have had at that age.

I think the racking made the bread yeast settle, re-colonize and then start back up.
 

Similar threads

milw
First Cyser racking- what to top up with?
Replies
5
Views
608
milw
milw
mdlp
Rack into pitcher and back into vessel
Replies
1
Views
552
Rish
R
M
Blowoff tube on mead?
Replies
4
Views
405
macscoot
M
D
Restart fermentation to fix my mead?
Replies
9
Views
563
Raptor99
Raptor99
B
Solids appeared at surface
Replies
5
Views
555
JohnSand
JohnSand
InkBird 300

Latest posts

Back
Top