Anybody make joes quick grape mead?

[mindiB]

This is my first mead I made 3 gal yes multiplied everything but the yeast 15 days in she was done fermenting so I racked stabilized and backsweetened I'm worried about headspace oxidation and its old beer smell/ aftertaste ....

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[fatbloke]

This is my first mead I made 3 gal yes multiplied everything but the yeast 15 days in she was done fermenting so I racked stabilized and backsweetened I'm worried about headspace oxidation and its old beer smell/ aftertaste ....

Ok fair enough, if you make beers its understandable to worry.

but meads aren't beers. They're actually a lot more resilient to oxidation than beers and wines....

That said, any mead made with fruit is at risk more than a traditional. Its not so much the honey part, it's the fruit part.

If you're sure that its finished its ferment etc, and yes I also prefer to stabilise and back sweeten before clearing, as its a pain to have to clear a batch twice after the honey has hazed an already clear one.

So, top it off, maybe a grape juice and honey mix the same as the start gravity ? Or flood the airspace with CO2 to blanket it as that will expel the air/O2, or split it down to smaller containers ? Or fortify it with whisky or brandy etc - which will both increase the %ABV but reduce body a little......

something, just do something about the air space......

oxidation isn't a quick reaction but its still possible.......

 

[mindiB]

Well if its not a quick thing then I'm not going to worry about it I'm going to bottle it in 2 weeks anyway I'm more worried about that old beer smell/ aftertaste but I did try it while it was still fermenting so I don't know its been 3 days since I stablized and backsweetened and its pretty clear

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[mindiB]

Thank you as this is my first mead I did a ton of research on it before I gave it a shot I have 5 gal of light lemonade going too and that one smells amazing

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[Beerbrothas]

I made Joes grape and Half my bottles came out sparkling. Everyone loved it though. No need to tell them it was Welchs grape juice with fiber...

 

[mindiB]

I made it with blackcherry grape its clearing right now tasted like rocket fule a couple days ago

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[Texconsinite]

Ive made Joes quick grape with many different juices, and its come out fine sofar, havent tried most of them yet, but just opened a 8/3/2013 cranberry pom bottle during superbowl, and it was amazing!!

Ive always followed JQG recipe, except swapping out different 100% juice for the grape, and i let go for 3 weeks, then 2-3 weeks in secondary, though im starting to be more patient with letting it clear and settle before bottling, as i ant it to look nice and clear. No problems with sparkling, the campden and stuff seems to stop fermentation quite effectively. Mine tend to be 14-17% ABV when i stop fermentation after 3 wks, maybe yeast is reaching upper end of its alc tolerance?

Considering its SUCH a quick recipe relative to other mead recipes, ive always figured, whats one more week, 5 or 6 wks is still lightning fast.

Some of mine tasted like rocket fuel at bottling time, some tasted pretty good, the regular grape was good right away, and according to my drunk groomsman that chugged 5 bottles of assorted flavors at 2 months old, they all tasted good then, for what its worth

 

[mindiB]

Cool I used blackcherry grape tasted like rocket fule but its been 7 days so I'm guna rack it again and bottle next week

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[mindiB]

I waited out fermentation it pretty much stopped at 15 days then I campden and sulfite backsweetened and its been sitting but need to rack it again I have some lemon mead going too its been kinda cold my house stays cellar temps because of all the tile the waiting sucks even for short batches lol oh well

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[Texconsinite]

Opened a bottle of mixed berry from August 2013. Tastes like rocket fuel still :-(
Cran-Pom had 2 lbs honey, 1lb sugar in it, perhaped that helps it age faster than other batches?

 

[mindiB]

I learned its the honey that helps with age mine came out good I used blackcherry grape juice

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[MattAG]

I know I'm late the game but is this welch's everyone is using?

 

[Texconsinite]

Yes