I'm worried about my JAOMish batch

[Shakybones]

I feel like a gibbering newbie, but here goes...

Three weeks ago, I started a batch of JAOM with slight modification:

1.5 gallon batch ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type %/IBU
1.00 gal Distilled Water Water -
0.23 oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice -
0.03 oz Cinnamon Stick (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice -
1.0 pkg Pasteur Red Dry Wine Yeast Yeast -
1 lbs Fruit - Orange (0.0 SRM) Adjunct 20.0 %
4 lbs Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 80.0 %

OG was about 1.09. After two weeks, airlock activity stopped and I racked it off the lees. There was no further airlock activity for the next week, so I (foolishly?) bottled it in corked wine bottles four days ago, putting some leftovers in a plastic jug for sampling.

I tasted the sample and checked its SG today - 1.04. Of course, it isn't extremely pleasant tasting, kinda hot (alcohol), twangy, and way too sweet for my tastes (first time I've ever put so much honey in a mead - I usually have done ~2.4#/gal).

I am now a bit concerned that I had a stuck fermentation and have set myself up for bottle bombs. I put the bottles in a sealed 5 gal bucket to age, so I am hoping to avoid a mess if my fears are realized. I opened one today to check and there was no carbonation, so I recorked it.

What would you advise that I do at this point? I am currently voraciously RDWHAHBing, but that is unlikely to avert any catastrophes.

 

[Arpolis]

Well to prevent bottle bombs you can try pasteurizing as shown in this thread:

stove top pasteurizing

That hot taste and all should mellow out pretty quickly. If I read this right your at about 6.5% ABV it looks. Usually JAOM is about 10% - 12% ABV after having a higher starting gravity around 1.12 ish. And the JAOMs I made where great in only 6 months. If your 1 lb of orange included the whole orange peel and all then the bitter from the white pith should balance out the sweet taste with a little time as well. It will still be sweet but JAOM is supposed to be sweet.

 

[StoneArcher]

Only having done a few batches of JAOM, I am speaking with limited experience.

Seems to me you are spot on with the stuck fermentation. I'd wait for more experienced fellas than myself, but; What about carefully pouring, or racking back to a carboy and take the steps necessary to unstick the fermentation process? Was the JAOM clear when you bottled? It should be crystal clear.

I personally would be unhappy with 6.5% ABV, since like you mentioned it will be way to sweet.

 

[Shakybones]

It wasn't completely clear. I guess I wasn't thinking clearly when I bottled.

Right now, I am considering putting it all back into a fermenter and pitching some EC-1118 with a little more yeast nutrient to try to get it going again. Doing so will add oxygen, but I've read that mead likes a little O2. Maybe I can manage to not contaminate it in the process. If not, it's just 1.5 gal.

Thanks, guys!