Joe's Ancient Orange Mead

[CreamyGoodness]

I began my JAOM on October 13.

It's now Jan 01 (so ~2.5 months), and it's been beautifully clear for a while now, but the fruit hasn't really dropped. Each demijohn has a single raisin at the bottom. Should I just keep waiting?

Beginning:

Now:

It's gorgeous, go ahead and rack.

 

[achnaw]

It's gorgeous, go ahead and rack.

Thanks! Although I realise now I was hoping you'd say to keep waiting because if I rack it with all the fruit still at the top it's going to disturb a lot of lees, isn't it.

Edit: I know, providing extra information *after* asking the question is the wrong way around, sorry, but here's one of the two demijohns, top and bottom.

Top:

Bottom:

 

[CreamyGoodness]

You wont disturb the lees if you carefully insert your siphon down until you are maybe an inch above the lees layer.

Now, if you want to just let it ride and wait for the fruit to fall, you're certainly within your rights to do so.

 

[jonmohno]

I flicked my jar a little or slighlty moved it to get some fruit to fall, I know alot of people say not to even breathe or look at it wrong but it worked for me and if it would have of disturbed the yeast then I would just wait longer til it would clear up again. I put mine in my racking spot but the temps did drop to around 65 which may have helped coax the fruit to dropping. I didnt have any problem with moving the fermenter a little bit though, the yeast in mine seemed pretty compact. So I wonder if getting the temps lower would help this along. Or even tap the top part with a rubber mallet or the palm of your hand, to see if it falls. Maybe slighlty move it so the fruit moves a round. Or even take a sanitized chopstick and push them down, then blast some co2 on top if you have co2. Or make an ice bath and cold crash it? I would even rack from under the fruit if it took more than 3 months and not worry about it even. Also the only thing that really made mine not completly clear was some very fine orange fruit pulp which didnt bother me.

 

[D_Nyholm]

Why can't you cold crash this? Any negatives other than the op saying don't touch?

 

[divrguy]

Why can't you cold crash this? Any negatives other than the op saying don't touch?

I was actually wondering this today. I looked at my batch and it is crystal clear and a wedge has dropped. So, I figure i would ever so slightly move it up on the bench to get it off the bottom of the fridge. I was perfect until I hit the counter and that slight bump sent the lees everywhere. So, I figured I'd have to wait another day for it to settle. But, I peeked in about 2 hours later and it's crystal clear again but my shed is about 50 degrees.

So, I wondered would cold crashing help as well.

 

[jonmohno]

This almost confirms my cooler temps towards end of ferment. Mine went almost perfectly. Athough it took a few weeks longer than 2 months. Being that my temps dropped 5 or more degreees towards the 2nd month I think made it pretty ideal. Everything went as planned,although I think mine took another week to completly drop. Although I think I still had a raison or two suspended. Really though with how mine turned out, its a perfect mead. Bread yeast? Really? Wtf? and yes,yes,yes, its a really good mead. Im just super impressed with this recipe!

 

[BigGoat]

I shook mine a little and it helped drop a few wedges. I also cold crashed it since I'm impatient which also helped. Still tasted great.

 

[itsme_timd]

I shook mine a little and it helped drop a few wedges. I also cold crashed it since I'm impatient which also helped. Still tasted great.

If you wait it out all the fruit will fall on it's own. I know it's tough but in my first batch it took a little over 4 mos for everything to fall but it came out great.

 

[BigGoat]

I know. My brother in law raises bees and i wanted it ready for Christmas, so i cheated a little. Next time it will be by the book

 

[jak1010]

Started 10/8/13. Going to rack and bulk age till November. Just in time for Christmas 2014.

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[Chia]

I just ran across this. what are most people using for a fermenter?

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

It seems most people (myself included) are using one gallon glass jugs. You can pick some up from your LHBS for pretty cheap or you can buy a gallon jug of wine (Carlo Rossi), drink the wine, and use the gallon jug as a fermenter.

 

[Big_Cat]

It seems most people (myself included) are using one gallon glass jugs. You can pick some up from your LHBS for pretty cheap or you can buy a gallon jug of wine (Carlo Rossi), drink the wine, and use the gallon jug as a fermenter.

Just remember that the Carlos Rossi aren't a gallon ...those jugs are actually 96 ounces and not 128 ounces

 

[ivegot2legs]

Just remember that the Carlos Rossi aren't a gallon ...those jugs are actually 96 ounces and not 128 ounces

My friend drinks them and he gives me the jugs. He gives me 4 liter jugs, which work great for 1 gallon batches.

 

[cwdrake]

Whole foods sells apple cider in 1 gallon glass jugs. I ferment the cider, then re-use the jugs for mead.

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[Quokimbo]

I thought the Carlo Rossi jugs were 4L bottles. They are larger than my 1 gallon jugs I get my Organic Apple Juice in.

Other than that, I bottled another variant of this JAOM. Used Blueberry and Cherries I had left over from Blueberry and Cherry melomels. This is a Blueberry/Cherry Melomel. Nice and clear! Started on 11-17-13, went into tertiary carboy at 12-29-13 and bottled on 1-5-14. Very tasty!! Labels to come soon. I have a few batched working and I am going to label them all at the same time to preserve some time.

 

[Agate]

Today's experiment-- one batch per the recipe, but with orange zested and juiced. The first batch came out really well like this, so I wanted to do it again. Second jug is same as first, but with 71b instead of bread yeast. Hoping for something less sweet. Third jug is chokecherry with 71b, needed to clean out the freezer. Since the cherries took up so much volume I only used 2.5# honey so the gravity wouldn't kill the yeast, and I'll add the extra pound honey when I rack it off the fruit and onto a new batch of cherries. Not sure what to expect, but at least the first jug will be good!

 

[stonecutter2]

I just ran across this. what are most people using for a fermenter?

I'm using a 1 gallon plastic jug from some Indian Summer Apple Juice I bought for some cyser. I drilled a hole in the top, cleaned it up, then stuck a bucket grommet in the hole. The airlock goes in the grommet.

The nice thing is the bottom has a center raised section and sunken areas so trub and yeast settle mostly out of the way for siphoning.

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

Just remember that the Carlos Rossi aren't a gallon ...those jugs are actually 96 ounces and not 128 ounces

They sell them in more than one size. I just checked the sticker on mine and its a 4 liter jug, which is just a bit bigger than a gallon.

 

[Big_Cat]

They sell them in more than one size. I just checked the sticker on mine and its a 4 liter jug, which is just a bit bigger than a gallon.

Wasn't aware that they sold larger containers. Here in our local store it only comes in the 96 ounces jug and I know this because my neighbor buys it all the time and offers me the jug. As of today I have about 60 jugs in the shed just waiting for any future projects

 

[rlmiller10]

First batch complete

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

I thought the Carlo Rossi jugs were 4L bottles. They are larger than my 1 gallon jugs I get my Organic Apple Juice in.

Other than that, I bottled another variant of this JAOM. Used Blueberry and Cherries I had left over from Blueberry and Cherry melomels. This is a Blueberry/Cherry Melomel. Nice and clear! Started on 11-17-13, went into tertiary carboy at 12-29-13 and bottled on 1-5-14. Very tasty!! Labels to come soon. I have a few batched working and I am going to label them all at the same time to preserve some time.

did you still use bakers yeast with this set up?

 

[Quokimbo]

did you still use bakers yeast with this set up?

I used the bread yeast in the JAOM and a Blueberry I have in tertiary right now. I plan on bottling it very soon! The Blueberry/Cherry that was photographed was done using the EC-1118. Same cinnamon stick and clove spices...Changed fruit and yeast.

 

[GeorgiaMead]

I followed direction exactly but I used two cloves and the more it age the stronger the clove gets... I prob should have drank it all when it was young

 

[jak1010]

It may age out a bit. When did you start the batch?

 

[SouthernYankee]

Just made my very first mead tonight. So happen's its a JAOM.
Only thing I left out since I forgot to pick them up at the market were the Nutmeg and Allspice.
I don't think I'll miss the spices that much.
Looking forward to the next 2+ months and seeing how this turns out.

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

Cranberry JOAM. I have two 16 oz bags of dehydrated cranberries

Can I just substitute the cranberries for the oranges?

 

[JBrist0w]

Just started my first batch of this JAOM and followed the recipe except for the nutmeg and allspice. I think I will do another batch next week but try what was said elsewhere in this chain: zest the orange and then peel it so as to leave out the bitter white part. Can't wait to see how it turns out. I've never made mead before but have wanted to for a while now. This one sounded so easy I figured I had to try it for my first.

 

[stonecutter2]

Cranberry JOAM. I have two 16 oz bags of dehydrated cranberries View attachment 173169

Can I just substitute the cranberries for the oranges?

I don't see why not, but the cranberries would probably be more of a substitute for the raisins, rather than the oranges. They provide nutrients for the yeast, and some mouthfeel.

I think you should try it with cranberries and report back

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

I don't see why not, but the cranberries would probably be more of a substitute for the raisins, rather than the oranges. They provide nutrients for the yeast, and some mouthfeel.

I think you should try it with cranberries and report back

Thanks for the feedback.
I went ahead n subbed 1 package of dried cranberries for both the orange n raisins.
Time will tell if its worth trying again. I will post the results.

 

[Agate]

Cranberries are on my list of things to try, but I'd like to keep the orange zest in there. Cranberries and orange are fantastic together! Interested in knowing how this one works for you...

 

[hausbrauer]

Hi all, I was pointed to this recipe by someone else on the internet and plan to start brewing it today after a lot of thought.

Here is my expected plan... I have a container that takes about 2 gallons, so I'm going to go with doubling the recipe.

1. Boiled water to make 2 gallons
2. Zest and juice of two oranges
3. One stick of cinnamon (about 2-3 inches)
4. 2 KG honey
5. 2 packets of bread yeast, along with half a packet of ale yeast US-05 (tell me if this is a bad idea)

I plan to boil the water, cool it down to about 150F and add the honey, then pitch the rehydrated yeast. Would it be bad to have two different strains of yeast in the must? Would they fight each other somehow? I'd like to add a bit of the ale yeast so the end product is not quite as sweet and so the fermentation goes quicker. US-05 alcohol tolerance is about 12%.

 

[brewski09]

Hi all, I was pointed to this recipe by someone else on the internet and plan to start brewing it today after a lot of thought.

Here is my expected plan... I have a container that takes about 2 gallons, so I'm going to go with doubling the recipe.

1. Boiled water to make 2 gallons
2. Zest and juice of two oranges
3. One stick of cinnamon (about 2-3 inches)
4. 2 KG honey
5. 2 packets of bread yeast, along with half a packet of ale yeast US-05 (tell me if this is a bad idea)

I plan to boil the water, cool it down to about 150F and add the honey, then pitch the rehydrated yeast. Would it be bad to have two different strains of yeast in the must? Would they fight each other somehow? I'd like to add a bit of the ale yeast so the end product is not quite as sweet and so the fermentation goes quicker. US-05 alcohol tolerance is about 12%.

Make sure the pulp is in the orange juice. You may want more cinnamon than that. Bread yeast and standard ale yeasts are really no different, Saccharomyces cerevisiae selected for different attributes. Either sub it out our use it. I know the us-05 is a great yeast, but temp control can be an issue, so be careful on that point. If I were going to sub a yeast, I would use the K1-1116 wine yeast. It actually finished quite quickly and accentuated the fruits in the peach and blueberry meads I did well. The reason you bulk age this and other meads is not really fermentation time as much as its about drinkability. On blending yeasts, you most certainly can do that. It's done in beer all the time and some yeasts are sold in prepackaged blends. One last note. 150 is to hot for the yeast, bread yeast is commonly proofed between about 90-105 and beer yeast is happiest just below 70F.

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[hausbrauer]

Thanks for the tips. I'm going to just go with the bread yeast this time and see how it comes out, since I'd have to order the other yeast (or a sweet mead yeast) and not only can't I find it at the usual online home-brew stores here in Germany, I'd also like to brew today.

Do people generally put the cinnamon in the must for the whole duration of fermentation?

 

[Cheesy_Goodness]

You'll be happy with the bread yeast, but you really don't even need two packets. If I recall, each packet has about 2.5 teaspoons in it, so if you're doubling a recipe you should be find with one packet. There's nothing wrong with two packets though.

People usually keep the stick in there the whole time. The end result (for me at least) was fairly subtle.

Hope that helps

 

[brewski09]

You'll be happy with the bread yeast, but you really don't even need two packets. If I recall, each packet has about 2.5 teaspoons in it, so if you're doubling a recipe you should be find with one packet. There's nothing wrong with two packets though.

People usually keep the stick in there the whole time. The end result (for me at least) was fairly subtle.

Hope that helps

Yes, 2.5 teaspoons. Alternatively 7 grams. The us-05 is 11.5 grams and is good for 5 gallons.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Home Brew mobile app

 

[revjester]

Hi all, I was pointed to this recipe by someone else on the internet and plan to start brewing it today after a lot of thought.

Here is my expected plan... I have a container that takes about 2 gallons, so I'm going to go with doubling the recipe.

1. Boiled water to make 2 gallons
2. Zest and juice of two oranges
3. One stick of cinnamon (about 2-3 inches)
4. 2 KG honey
5. 2 packets of bread yeast, along with half a packet of ale yeast US-05 (tell me if this is a bad idea)

I plan to boil the water, cool it down to about 150F and add the honey, then pitch the rehydrated yeast. Would it be bad to have two different strains of yeast in the must? Would they fight each other somehow? I'd like to add a bit of the ale yeast so the end product is not quite as sweet and so the fermentation goes quicker. US-05 alcohol tolerance is about 12%.

Set your container of honey in a sink and fill it with hot water. Let it soak and it will pour a lot easier. Let the water you boil cool down closer to room temp before pitching the yeast and really it's better to keep the honey under 110 F too.
You are making 2 gallons but only using 2 Kg of honey? Recipe should be just over 3 Kg, but it will still ferment, just won't be as sweet.
2 packets of bread yeast, yep bad idea. One packet will do a 5 gallon batch. You see yeast starts off by eating up all the sugar and using up all the oxygen and making more yeast. When it runs out of oxygen it starts making alcohol. So don't worry a half teaspoon is enough. But if you already pitched it, don't worry either yeast is cheep, you didn't waste much money.
One thing I don't see on your list is nutrients for the yeast (raisins)

 

[Misti]

but if you use the sweet mead yeast does it eat it as fast so its ready in 2 months still?

 

[revjester]

but if you use the sweet mead yeast does it eat it as fast so its ready in 2 months still?

You should be done fermenting before the two months and still have to wait for it to clear.
Two months is more of a guideline. Several things will affect how long it takes to ferment. The temperature, the type of flower the bees gathered the honey from, type of yeast, etc. Remember you are waiting for it to clear and the bubbles to stop, not just timing it with a calendar. Some people have used sweet mead yeast with success and none of them complained about it taking longer.