Ahoy! Did the Joe's Ancient Orange with much success. What shoudl I try next, as a simple mead? I liked the pitch-and-forget nature of Joe's, but willing o go for somethnig a bit more complicated if needed. Any suggestions and links to recipes welcome!
2nd mead suggestions?
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Post your Joe's Mead recipe if you would PLEASE. It sounds killer.
I did the Barkshaks Ginger mead with a rasberry addition... good but takes a LOOOONG time to get there. Mine is over three years now and just starting to get drinkable.
JJ
I did the Barkshaks Ginger mead with a rasberry addition... good but takes a LOOOONG time to get there. Mine is over three years now and just starting to get drinkable.
JJ
mgayer
Well-Known Member
This is one I use and have had great sucess with. It will be ready very quick in Mead standards. Somewhere between 3 and 6 months. Very traditional flavor and can be sweetened unless you like it dry.
5 gallon batch
12.5 lbs honey
5 tsp of nutrient
3 packs Lalvin ICV-D47 Yeast
Mix about a tablespoon of honey in a few cups of 78-80 degree water and toss in the yeast, let this sit while your mixing the honey. I will use a smaller jar and place some warm water and honey then shake till dissolved and pour into the carboy. Repete this until all the honey is mixed well. Put the Nutrient in the carboy. Your arms and shoulders will be sore but you have got the O2 infused this way and mixed well!!
By the time your done your yeast should be kickin' and foamin'. Toss the yeast and top off the carboy. I usually just tie a rag over the top for the first two weeks.
In two weeks rack it, add the airlock and let her sit.
I rack about once a month after and add 1lb of honey during the first two rackings. About the second month this starts developing a beautiful nose depending on your honey, I love the cranberry and clover mix. It will also develop and nice gold color about then.
Just keep this up until she has finished fermentation. Temp range is able to handle between 50-86 degrees. They say if you leave the must on the lees it will develop spicy aromas but I haven't done that as of yet.
I had one batch off in three months and it was not too bad then but got better at about 3 month intervals. This will be a still mead but you can carb it as you would other wines.
5 gallon batch
12.5 lbs honey
5 tsp of nutrient
3 packs Lalvin ICV-D47 Yeast
Mix about a tablespoon of honey in a few cups of 78-80 degree water and toss in the yeast, let this sit while your mixing the honey. I will use a smaller jar and place some warm water and honey then shake till dissolved and pour into the carboy. Repete this until all the honey is mixed well. Put the Nutrient in the carboy. Your arms and shoulders will be sore but you have got the O2 infused this way and mixed well!!
By the time your done your yeast should be kickin' and foamin'. Toss the yeast and top off the carboy. I usually just tie a rag over the top for the first two weeks.
In two weeks rack it, add the airlock and let her sit.
I rack about once a month after and add 1lb of honey during the first two rackings. About the second month this starts developing a beautiful nose depending on your honey, I love the cranberry and clover mix. It will also develop and nice gold color about then.
Just keep this up until she has finished fermentation. Temp range is able to handle between 50-86 degrees. They say if you leave the must on the lees it will develop spicy aromas but I haven't done that as of yet.
I had one batch off in three months and it was not too bad then but got better at about 3 month intervals. This will be a still mead but you can carb it as you would other wines.
flowerysong
Well-Known Member
Jaybird:
Joe Mattioli's Ancient Orange Cinnamon Clove Mead
Ingredients
3 1/2 lbs Clover or your choice honey or blend (will finish sweet)
1 Large orange (later cut in eights or smaller rind and all)
1 small handful of raisins (25 if you count but more or less ok)
1 stick of cinnamon
1 whole clove (or 2 if you like - these are potent critters)
optional (a pinch of nutmeg and allspice)(very small)
1 teaspoon of Fleismanns bread yeast (now don't get holy on me--- after all this is an ancient mead and that's all we had back then)
Balance water to one gallon
Process:
Use a clean 1 gallon carboy
Dissolve honey in some warm water and put in carboy
Wash orange well to remove any pesticides and slice in eights --add orange (you can push 'em through opening big boy -- rinds included -- it's ok for this mead -- take my word for it -- ignore the experts)
Put in raisins, clove, cinnamon stick, any optional ingredients and fill to 3 inches from the top with cold water (need room for some foam -- you can top off with more water after the first few day frenzy)
Shake the heck out of the jug (with top on, of course). This is your sophisticated aeration process.
When at room temperature in your kitchen, put in 1 teaspoon of bread yeast. (No you don't have to rehydrate it first-- the ancients didn't even have that word in their vocabulary-- just put it in and give it a gentle swirl (or not))(The yeast can fight for their own territory)
Install water airlock. Put in dark place. It will start working immediately or in an hour. (Don't use grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away in the 90's)(Wait 3 hours before you panic or call me) After major foaming stops in a few days add some water and then keep your hands off of it. (Don't shake it! Don't mess with them yeastees! Let them alone except it's 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 -- You're 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. You don't need a cold basement. It does better in a kitchen in the dark. (like in a cabinet) likes a little heat (70-80).
If it didn't work out... you screwed up and didn't read my instructions (or used grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away). If it didn't work out then take up another hobby. Mead is not for you. It is too complicated.
If you were successful, which I am 99% certain you will be, then enjoy your mead. When you get ready to make a different mead you will probably have to unlearn some of these practices I have taught you, but hey -- This recipe and procedure works with these ingredients so don't knock it. It was your first mead. It was my tenth. Sometimes, even the experts can forget all they know and make a good ancient mead.
Joe Mattioli's Ancient Orange Cinnamon Clove Mead
Ingredients
3 1/2 lbs Clover or your choice honey or blend (will finish sweet)
1 Large orange (later cut in eights or smaller rind and all)
1 small handful of raisins (25 if you count but more or less ok)
1 stick of cinnamon
1 whole clove (or 2 if you like - these are potent critters)
optional (a pinch of nutmeg and allspice)(very small)
1 teaspoon of Fleismanns bread yeast (now don't get holy on me--- after all this is an ancient mead and that's all we had back then)
Balance water to one gallon
Process:
Use a clean 1 gallon carboy
Dissolve honey in some warm water and put in carboy
Wash orange well to remove any pesticides and slice in eights --add orange (you can push 'em through opening big boy -- rinds included -- it's ok for this mead -- take my word for it -- ignore the experts)
Put in raisins, clove, cinnamon stick, any optional ingredients and fill to 3 inches from the top with cold water (need room for some foam -- you can top off with more water after the first few day frenzy)
Shake the heck out of the jug (with top on, of course). This is your sophisticated aeration process.
When at room temperature in your kitchen, put in 1 teaspoon of bread yeast. (No you don't have to rehydrate it first-- the ancients didn't even have that word in their vocabulary-- just put it in and give it a gentle swirl (or not))(The yeast can fight for their own territory)
Install water airlock. Put in dark place. It will start working immediately or in an hour. (Don't use grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away in the 90's)(Wait 3 hours before you panic or call me) After major foaming stops in a few days add some water and then keep your hands off of it. (Don't shake it! Don't mess with them yeastees! Let them alone except it's 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 -- You're 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. You don't need a cold basement. It does better in a kitchen in the dark. (like in a cabinet) likes a little heat (70-80).
If it didn't work out... you screwed up and didn't read my instructions (or used grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away). If it didn't work out then take up another hobby. Mead is not for you. It is too complicated.
If you were successful, which I am 99% certain you will be, then enjoy your mead. When you get ready to make a different mead you will probably have to unlearn some of these practices I have taught you, but hey -- This recipe and procedure works with these ingredients so don't knock it. It was your first mead. It was my tenth. Sometimes, even the experts can forget all they know and make a good ancient mead.
I think I'll be giving this one a try. Sorry, I don't have any suggestions for you. You could try the mead I posted, but it was my first ever and I made it up, so good luck...
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