Joe's Ancient Orange Mead

CornyKegs 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.
How much sugar should one use when carbing? I bottled my first batch without any carbonation and would like to try to carbonate my second and possibly third batches.

Has anyone tried using maple syrup in the brew, say on the order of 1 cup or so?
 
Hoping to brew up a 1 gal batch over the weekend.

Since so many people mention the very fine lees from the bread yeast, has anyone tried adding gelatin to settle it out?
 
I put a cup of maple syrup in my third batch...it's only been in the jug about 3 weeks now...I'll let you know how it comes out once I bottle it.
 
sub-zero said:
Anyone ever
make this with US-O5 yeast? And if so how was it?
Click to expand...

I got some regular dry baking yeast and it works fine!

Anyone know if it's a good idea to filter the liquid into another plastic container? Cause I don't want to drink the oranges and raisins later on. Or should I just wait until it's done and then filter in to smaller cans or whatever?

Thanks for a respond!
 
von_lidl said:
Anyone know if it's a good idea to filter the liquid into another plastic container? Cause I don't want to drink the oranges and raisins later on. Or should I just wait until it's done and then filter in to smaller cans or whatever?
Click to expand...

just wait until it clears on it's own. if it isn't clear, it probably isn't done. my latest batch cleared in less than two months, but I usually let it sit in the carboy for 4 to 6 months before bottling.
when it is ready to bottle, i carefully carry it to the kitchen counter and cover with a dark towel for several days. this lets the yeast settle back down. the main drawback of bread yeast is that it doesn't floculate very well and clouds of lees swirl up.
i then use an autosiphon (with a carpenters spring clamp to hold the bottom just below the floating debris level) to bottle.
using a different yeast may be an interesting experiment, but puts it out of this forum thread. i've tried it with limited success, but do let us know how it works for you. joe put a lot of work into developing this recipe and stressed that you shouldn't deviate too far from it to be successful.
 
sharpstick said:
just wait until it clears on it's own. if it isn't clear, it probably isn't done. my latest batch cleared in less than two months, but I usually let it sit in the carboy for 4 to 6 months before bottling.
when it is ready to bottle, i carefully carry it to the kitchen counter and cover with a dark towel for several days. this lets the yeast settle back down. the main drawback of bread yeast is that it doesn't floculate very well and clouds of lees swirl up.
i then use an autosiphon (with a carpenters spring clamp to hold the bottom just below the floating debris level) to bottle.
using a different yeast may be an interesting experiment, but puts it out of this forum thread. i've tried it with limited success, but do let us know how it works for you. joe put a lot of work into developing this recipe and stressed that you shouldn't deviate too far from it to be successful.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this quick answer! But do you know how much alcohol it will be? Don't need to be precisely?
 
i don't think it is easy to determine using a hydrometer with this recipe because the OG is only the honey solution with much of the solids locked inside the fruit chunks.
there is a method using a refractometer and narrow range hydrometer that is a bit more complicated but should work.
http://www.makewine.com/winemaking/methods/alcohol/
i think bread yeast is not very consistent, but this recipe probably falls within the range of 8 - 12 percent. one of these days i'll use this method to measure mine.
 
sub-zero said:
Anyone ever
make this with US-O5 yeast? And if so how was it?
Click to expand...

My last batch of JAOM used US-05. I forgot about it for a year and stumbled over it a few weeks ago. It was excellent. Definitely better than the stuff I made with bread yeast, but I didn't let that sit nearly as long. Pop in US-05 and leave it to its own devices for a little over a year. It's awesome.
 
I'm making a batch of JAOM. After 2 weeks the mead has started to clear up and the bubbles have slowed to 1 every 20 seconds or so. Am I doing it right? I'm very new to this game and yeah, I'm a little anxious about my first mead, but this just seems... off.

EDIT: Bubbling once every 30 seconds now. I'm just going to leave it alone and hope for the best I guess.
 
HerotBrewer said:
Hoping to brew up a 1 gal batch over the weekend.

Since so many people mention the very fine lees from the bread yeast, has anyone tried adding gelatin to settle it out?
Click to expand...

answered my own question when u used bread yeast to do a quick and dirty cider. Gelatin + chilling does a great job of settling out the yeast.
 
Preturbed said:
I'm making a batch of JAOM. After 2 weeks the mead has started to clear up and the bubbles have slowed to 1 every 20 seconds or so. Am I doing it right? I'm very new to this game and yeah, I'm a little anxious about my first mead, but this just seems... off.

EDIT: Bubbling once every 30 seconds now. I'm just going to leave it alone and hope for the best I guess.
Click to expand...

I let mine sit until the fruit dropped. It took a while after it cleared to drop, but better safe than sorry. I ended up using ez cap bottles, those things will prove to be a great investment.
 
I rack when the fruit dropped, and again after about 2 months in the secondary. I plan on throwing them in bottles after another month or so and aging for a while more. Every sample I've pulled has been really good. I'm going to age this bad boy for another year or so and see what I get.
 
Just put together a batch of this. I made a five gallon batch. The only thing I did different was replace some of the water with 1.5 gallons of apple juice. I'm quite nervous about brewing with bread yeast, but it's bubbling along nicely.
 
In the instructions!!! You don't rack to secondary! Leave it in the primary.

Racking --- Don't you dare
additional feeding --- NO NO
More stirring or shaking -- Your not listening, don't touch
 
I racked it to a secondary, after a few months, to help clear it and get it off the lees. Don't be frightened. This is an alright move. If and when you do this, do not add more water.
 
My first batch, in primary just shy of 3 months. Completely cleared recently so I figured it was ready. None of the fruit had dropped though. Checked S.G. and it was at 1.056, extremely sweet! No time to really try the restarting procedures properly so I topped off, added some yeast nutrient, incorporated some oxygen and dropped some Cuvee to see what happens. Better than pouring it down the sink!
 
bama2112 said:
My first batch, in primary just shy of 3 months. Completely cleared recently so I figured it was ready. None of the fruit had dropped though. Checked S.G. and it was at 1.056, extremely sweet! No time to really try the restarting procedures properly so I topped off, added some yeast nutrient, incorporated some oxygen and dropped some Cuvee to see what happens. Better than pouring it down the sink!
Click to expand...

i wouldn't add more yeast. it will just take off and make it stronger and need more aging, basically leaving joe's concept recipe behind. if it's clear, it's probably ready,although i like to wait 5 to 6 months. the fruit doesn't have to "drop" usually mine has about half sink to the bottom and half float to the top. perfectly normal.
 
I really want to make this but all my fermenting and brewing gear has been banished to the basement. Is it possible to make this at basement temps? 60 - 64F I would like to make a 5 gallon batch and just leave for 6 or 7 months and have it this summer.
 
I just tried some JAOM and Scotch kinda like a rusty nail (Drambuie and Scotch) pretty tasty.
I find the JAOM a little sweet on it's own.
 
Just a quick question, my yeast was working for a couple days but now after about a month it has all settled on the bottom and its no where near clear. Should I pitch some more?
 
im doing this again,its so easy! i had mixed results on the samping. some LOVED it, others eh,not so much,but my family(no bmc drinkers)seemed to enjoy it alot. i saved a couple bottles for christmas eve.:tank::mug:edit:i made mine with grapefruit and craisins/dried wild blueberries
 
akthor said:
I really want to make this but all my fermenting and brewing gear has been banished to the basement. Is it possible to make this at basement temps? 60 - 64F I would like to make a 5 gallon batch and just leave for 6 or 7 months and have it this summer.
Click to expand...

Yep, that'll work fine.
 
Is anyone stabilizing their mead before the bottle it? I am pretty sure that I am at my FG (waiting another week to see if it moves anymore) of 1.031. I plan to let it sit for another couple months but I am just getting my game plan going right now. I tasted the sample last night and it was pretty good already which makes me excited to see how it is in the months to come.

For my batch the changes I made were using tangelos and using wyeast sweat mead yeast.

I did have trouble getting the yeast started but raising the temp in the house seemed to fix that problem. (programmable thermostat in the house brought the temp down to 62 while I was at work, 67 made the yeasties very happy)
 
I've made a few of these in various forms. I'm now wondering if this can be carbed with corn sugar? I don't know if that yeast can do anything with the sugar? I've followed the recipe every time with variation on the fruit, and had success. I just don't know if it'll work. Any thoughts?
 
Ok so my plan is to do two almost identical batches of this...

1st exactly how it is described here by Yooper
2nd everything the same, except I am using some Dry Mead yeast!

So I should have a sweet and a dry?? Or should I cut out some honey for the dry? Any ideas? I am going to do it tomorrow morning. I already have all the goods.
 
Technically the ancients didn't even know about yeast. It was wild yeast that did the fermenting. I think i will give this recipie a shot none the less :)
 
I popped the top on a bottle of this last night to celebrate the New Years. This bottle had aged 6 months - first batch of mead I ever made. Wonderful nose, could have sat there smelling it all night! Taste was very good as well, others in the room were very impressed as well. I recall right after fermenting it was a bit 'hot' with some fusels (fermented it at high temps not knowing any better at the time). The aging definitely mellowed it, just a very slight hint of fusels. Will get another batch going soon, but will use 71B yeast and ferment around 65 F.
 
I am making up a gallon of this later todayand am really looking forward to it. I was also wondering about how long it would take for this to be drinkable, i would like to make some up for a friend of mine who is getting married in June so i would like to know if it would be drinkable by then. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
just made this. in the end I had 1.130 OG....

I used red wine yeast - is this a problem?? what is the expected terminal gravity of this thing???

I can't wait to try it, this is my first mead.... :)
 
I made this recipe today. I omitted the bread yeast, replacing it with Lalvin RC 212, and I zested and juiced the orange instead of adding it cut into parts. I also added a little yeast energizer and yeast nutrient. I'm looking forward to seeing how it comes out.

2011-01-15_08-31-01_3522.jpg
 
I also got 1.130 OG. I temperature corrected mine and it was 1.134, close enough. I've had this going for 9 days and the airlock is STILL bubbling once every 10 seconds, and I can see activity in it as well.

This was my first mead, and first time using bread yeast to ferment a drink. I thought it was awesome the bread yeast started working within 10 minutes of dumping it into the 1 gallon glass "jug".

Can't wait for this one! How should I bottle this? I'm not sure I want bottle bombs, and I think I want to slightly carbonate this. Since it's only 1 gallon, I was thinking of trying to bottle it in 6 or 8 oz bottles, if I can find them. Do I want to use beer bottle caps, or corks? Should I use PET bottles so they don't explode violently should they burst? So many questions!

400d said:
just made this. in the end I had 1.130 OG....

I used red wine yeast - is this a problem?? what is the expected terminal gravity of this thing???

I can't wait to try it, this is my first mead.... :)
Click to expand...
 
I made 2 1 gallon batches....one normal and one with dry mead yeast...
They have both been going for 13 days and still bubbling! :rockin:
 
This is pretty much the first 1 gal batch that I started on Sunday. Bubbling away now!

I'm going to get a few more 1 gal bottles and airlocks and try some different recipes, then probably take my 6.5 gal bucket to start a 5 gal batch of traditional.
 
I bottled a batch in wine bottles with a cork...weeks/months later it poured as if carbonated. So to be on the safe side next time I will be bottling in beer bottles.
 

Similar threads

superpig0
Mead Recipe Concern
Replies
2
Views
495
Dan O
Dan O
D
Restart fermentation to fix my mead?
Replies
9
Views
583
Raptor99
Raptor99
D
Dabbling experimenter I can get into this!
Replies
3
Views
515
ncbrewer
N
L
Unique "shaken baby" mead issue
Replies
5
Views
393
MightyMosin
MightyMosin
blake_carnai
First time making mead - possibly messed up
Replies
2
Views
1K
CKuhns
CKuhns

Latest posts

Back
Top