Joe's Ancient Orange Mead

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TrustyOlJohnson said:
Ok, I jus read this and Im thinkin, "Why is this guy talkin bout 1tsp of yeast? You're supposed to use the whole package!"

Then I realized, maybe I shud go back n read the original post. And lo n behold....

So, I made 3 1 gallon batches back n Feb, using whole pkgs of bread yeast, wine yeast and champagne yeast respectively. They seem to be doin fine. They have all clarified. Stuff is dropping, I opened one and huffed it, and it smelled great!! Anyone else made the same mistake?


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."
Click to expand...


So, from that I'm thinkin' 5 tsp should be fine in 5 gallons. Thanks.
 
I screwed it and put too much yeast in and now it tastes like a VERY dry wine - can I sweeten this back up? And if so, with what? Would honey do the job? And how much can I get away with?

Sorry for the million and one questions, but if I don't do something I fear I've not only wasted my time, but will suffer the wrath of my wife!!


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Gr1nder3d said:
I screwed it and put too much yeast in and now it tastes like a VERY dry wine - can I sweeten this back up? And if so, with what? Would honey do the job? And how much can I get away with?

Sorry for the million and one questions, but if I don't do something I fear I've not only wasted my time, but will suffer the wrath of my wife!!


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Click to expand...

First it was not the amount of yeast you put in. Yeast will do what they do. Certain types will ferment to a certain dryness or run out of sugar trying. The amount may affect off flavors but not usually the dryness (stalled fermentation excepted).

Yes, you can back sweeten. Do a search and you will find info on that, but the basic process is add one campden tablet per gallon and potassium sorbate. Let sit for 24 hours then add honey to taste. Age for 1 to 6 months and bottle.

They key is to stop the fermentation, i.e. paralyze the yeast before you back sweeten so the added sugars are not fermented.
 
The reason you use the bread yeast instead of a dedicated wine yeast, is that the bread yeast will quit well before the sugars are all used, leaving a sweeter mead. Any of the wine yeasts will dry it all the way out, making it harsh and requiring a longer aging period before it's 'good'.
 
And, it was designed for people to make mead with easy to find ingredients and take away the mysterious nature of mead.

In the long run, people can make mead without reading books, buying fancy equipment, measuring #s and doing calculations, etc. Just throw it together with a bunch of stuff from your local supermarket and wait a few months.

The surprising part is, even with the books, fancy equipment and special ingredients...people I know who brew still prefer to make this stuff as is and keep it in their regular rotation of brewing.

Keep it simple and enjoy how easy it is. :)
 
It was a bread yeast I used, but thought maybe it was because I used the 15g recommended on the tin for bread making, instead of the tsp in the recipe lol

Thanks for the assistance - I have some campden tablets and potassium sorbate on order now :)


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Gr1nder3d said:
You mentioned paralysing the yeast - how do I do that?


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Once fermentation is done, you can use a combination of campden (potassium metabisulfite) and potassium sorbate to prevent fermentation from restarting when you add sugar. Search the forums for the specific amounts.
 
couple of noob questions.i plan on doing 2 versions of this using bread yeast and wine yeast just to compare them.when adding the wine yeast do i still only add 1 tsp of yeast just like with the bread yeast or should i use the whole packet

also,when transferring into secondary,should i strain off the fruit so its just the liquor in it
 
boxcar1 said:
couple of noob questions.i plan on doing 2 versions of this using bread yeast and wine yeast just to compare them.when adding the wine yeast do i still only add 1 tsp of yeast just like with the bread yeast or should i use the whole packet

also,when transferring into secondary,should i strain off the fruit so its just the liquor in it
Click to expand...

I did the same thing, and made a 3rd batch with champagne yeast. And I missed the part about 1 tsp of yeast per batch. I used the whole package :eek: So about 3x more than the recipe. After 3 months, all have clarified nicely and the fruit is dropping. Smells amazing but I havnt tasted it yet. But Im not worried.


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."
 
Tried this in fall 2012 and mostly forgot about it (a first effort, sitting in a closet.)

It sure surprised me, though it could have used a bit more diligence.

I've got a 5-gal going with this now.
 
ImageUploadedByHome Brew1402807107.075213.jpg

My last bottle of JAOM, sad day. This one is a bit over 9 months old.

I guess I'll have to make more now.


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hunter_la5 said:
View attachment 205804

My last bottle of JAOM, sad day. This one is a bit over 9 months old.

I guess I'll have to make more now.


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Click to expand...

Jus wondering... What size bottles di you use an what did you prefer? Im considering using 750 ml wine bottles for all


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."
 
I used 12oz and liked that too. It's not too much and you can just bring out 2 bottles if you feel you need more of it.


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I have been using 8.5oz and 17oz bottles from the container store. No other place could beat the price, sadly the local shop is gone since the mall is getting remodeled. Hope they return.
 
TrustyOlJohnson said:
What was it like? What could you improve on?


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."
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I hate to say it, but I don't know enough to know what I could have improved. It was my first serious attempt.

It had no carbonation, which I don't mind. the orange flavor was far more subtle than I expected, and the spices came out nicely, but weren't dominating.

I poured a couple room-temperature ounces to a few people at the table where we were trying things and everyone stopped, put it down and nodded with various vocalizations of "yeah...this...yeah." So I immediately resolved to make the big batch, which looks like it's about to need racking.

As for complaints: It tasted a little yeasty. But I expect the fact that I let it go for the better part of a year with no filtering of any kind to be the likely culprit.
 
Been going for about 5 hours or so now. Had to install blowoff valve. If this turns out well I'll be making a 5 gal batch (maybe another flavor) and bottling 22 bottles to enjoy one a year till new born is 21.
 
I'm looking to start my 4th batch of this stuff sometime soon. We just moved into a new house and have a garage now, which gets pretty toasty during the day. Normally I wouldn't even consider it, but since this is bread yeast, would it do well in high heat (probably upwards of 90F most days)? Otherwise it'll be in the house (roughly 75F).
Leaning towards sticking with what I know and keep it in the house.
Thoughts?
 
Just Made my first 5 gallon batch.

OG: 1.1
FG: .995

ABV: 13.78

Not sweet o_O oops.... I thought the fleischmanns would kick the bucket at 10-11% but apparently it kept chugging away (5-6 weeks before it stopped bubbling)

It dropped and is very clear... wondering if it is worth tossing in some more honey , or will my mutant yeast keep going :p
 
Cheesy_Goodness said:
I'm looking to start my 4th batch of this stuff sometime soon. We just moved into a new house and have a garage now, which gets pretty toasty during the day. Normally I wouldn't even consider it, but since this is bread yeast, would it do well in high heat (probably upwards of 90F most days)? Otherwise it'll be in the house (roughly 75F).
Leaning towards sticking with what I know and keep it in the house.
Thoughts?
Click to expand...

I'd stay away from high temps. Even with bread yeast. The house at 75 is much better.
 
TheDarkChemist said:
Just Made my first 5 gallon batch.

OG: 1.1
FG: .995

ABV: 13.78

Not sweet o_O oops.... I thought the fleischmanns would kick the bucket at 10-11% but apparently it kept chugging away (5-6 weeks before it stopped bubbling)

It dropped and is very clear... wondering if it is worth tossing in some more honey , or will my mutant yeast keep going :p
Click to expand...

Don't underestimate the Fleischmann yeast! This stuff can handle 12% with ease. If you're already at 13%, I'd stabilize before adding more honey.
 
Is there any input on leaving this batch dry, and aging for a year? I don't mind the wait, and since I now have a dry one, I can use it for comparison down the road?

I think I messed up with too much water probably, since I had a 6 gallon carboy and topped it up.

Ive read some bad things about turning JAOM dry, but I think its mostly in comparison to how fast it is drinkable at a young age? or I could rack to secondary, and consider blending it if I get a 5 gallon JAOM that is too sweet?

Thanks for the reply!
 
Anyone use a wine yeast on this? Good, bad, other? Strains to stay away from? I did it with Nottingham once but am curious about other strains like a white wine or fruit wine strain. We shall see.


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brewski09 said:
Anyone use a wine yeast on this? Good, bad, other? Strains to stay away from? I did it with Nottingham once but am curious about other strains like a white wine or fruit wine strain. We shall see.


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Click to expand...

Yep, if you follow the recipe and use a wine yeast, you get a dry wine that takes forever to get rid of the bitter taste of the pith and rind. If using a wine yeast, I'd go with Malkore's Ancient Orange Mead. Much better.
 
jak1010 said:
Yep, if you follow the recipe and use a wine yeast, you get a dry wine that takes forever to get rid of the bitter taste of the pith and rind. If using a wine yeast, I'd go with Malkore's Ancient Orange Mead. Much better.
Click to expand...

I was planning on stabilizing and back sweetening to make a semi dry or even use the stove top pasteurizing method and shoot for 1.5 volumes co2 which is nice in the JAOM recipe.
 
Do the spices calm down after a while? I just bottled a gallon that I started in January. It tastes like a sweet Christmas candle.
 
Spices always calm down after a while. How long did you let it sit before bottling?


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Oh right, I could have read your post more carefully and seen. Spices should mellow with time, so it may just be something you warehouse in the basement for a couple years. I once made an apricot ginger strong ale for my father that was not super tasty for a year and a half. Unfortunately, there were only two bottles left at that time.


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