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Pretty...wild flower honey?
Joe's Ancient Orange Mead
- Thread starter Yooper
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Pretty...wild flower honey?
It was commercial, so I have no idea. The container just said 'honey'. One of these days I'll spring for a batch with fresh, local honey.
MonkeyBot
Well-Known Member
I just started a batch of this on Friday and managed to forget the raisins. Those are for nutrients as I understand. Can I just toss them in now and hope for a good result? Looked like it was foaming up to start with so so far so good.
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I would go ahead and do it, but usually yeast needs about 24-48hrs to get through it's growth cycle, so could already be past? I'd guess about same for meads.
CreamyGoodness
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Yeah Id toss them in. If it were me I'd give the stopper or the balloon a spritz of starsan, but that's more a feel-good gesture than anything.
MonkeyBot
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I'll do that then. I just hope there's enough room in the bottle. I kinda topped it up when I filled. Whoops.
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
MonkeyBot
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I went and tossed the raisins in and there seemed like there was still a decent amount of activity. Hopefully the yeast will take my generous gift of nutrients and continue multiplying.
fuzzy2133
Well-Known Member
Might have to sacrifice a 
for them to accept the raisins. 
for them to accept the raisins.
MonkeyBot
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Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do
GingerBrewerGirl
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Hi,
I am a total Newbie, I started two one gallon batches of Mead five weeks ago. (before buying a hydrometer) One batch is still clearly fermenting, with a bubbling airlock and lots of bubbling in the carboy. I used a basic 1 gallon Mead recipe & mead yeast in that batch.
The other is Joe's Ancient Orange recipe. (I followed it exactly) There has been no bubbling in the airlock for a week & no visible bubbles in the brew, its also gotten much clearer. Does this mean its finished or stauled?
I have no problem waiting, but I know the recipe is designed to be a quick mead, but 5 weeks seems too fast. Here is a picture.
Thanks in advance for any information.
Cheers
I am a total Newbie, I started two one gallon batches of Mead five weeks ago. (before buying a hydrometer) One batch is still clearly fermenting, with a bubbling airlock and lots of bubbling in the carboy. I used a basic 1 gallon Mead recipe & mead yeast in that batch.
The other is Joe's Ancient Orange recipe. (I followed it exactly) There has been no bubbling in the airlock for a week & no visible bubbles in the brew, its also gotten much clearer. Does this mean its finished or stauled?
I have no problem waiting, but I know the recipe is designed to be a quick mead, but 5 weeks seems too fast. Here is a picture.
Thanks in advance for any information.
Cheers
To quote from the original post:
After 2 months and maybe a few days it will slow down to a stop and clear all by itself. (How about that) (You are not so important after all) Then you can put a hose in with a small cloth filter on the end into the clear part and siphon off the golden nectar. If you wait long enough even the oranges will sink to the bottom but I never waited that long. If it is clear it is ready. You don't need a cold basement. It does better in a kitchen in the dark. (Like in a cabinet) likes a little heat (70-80). If it didn't work out... you screwed up and didn't read my instructions (or used grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away) . If it didn't work out then take up another hobby. Mead is not for you. It is too complicated.
In other words, if it's clear, it can be bottled. I always wait until the fruit drops, but you should be good to go.
After 2 months and maybe a few days it will slow down to a stop and clear all by itself. (How about that) (You are not so important after all) Then you can put a hose in with a small cloth filter on the end into the clear part and siphon off the golden nectar. If you wait long enough even the oranges will sink to the bottom but I never waited that long. If it is clear it is ready. You don't need a cold basement. It does better in a kitchen in the dark. (Like in a cabinet) likes a little heat (70-80). If it didn't work out... you screwed up and didn't read my instructions (or used grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away) . If it didn't work out then take up another hobby. Mead is not for you. It is too complicated.
In other words, if it's clear, it can be bottled. I always wait until the fruit drops, but you should be good to go.
GingerBrewerGirl
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Thanks Harrke!
Maybe I'll wait for the oranges to sink.
Maybe I'll wait for the oranges to sink.
Vox
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If you have a hydrometer now, test it a few times over a week or so and if the gravity readings don't change then it's no longer fermenting. Maybe post your readings and we can comment on whether it seems normal or if you are just stalled.
brewski09
Well-Known Member
With the bread yeast it will be hard to tell if it's just stalled even with a high gravity (not to mention not knowing the SG). One person's bread yeast may have a different tolerance than another person's. I'd make sure it got warm at the like the OP recommends and call it good.
Hi,
First time brewer here.
I did all the steps except I had bought the Red Star Champagne yeast, I read that I was only supposed to use 1/5 the pack for 1 gallon. It has frothed up around the oranges and I see a bubble in the air lock every minute or so.
It's been going for a week now.
Do I need to add more yeast? Should I let it ride? Thoughts?
I'm just curious as I see people commenting that theirs bubbles like 20 times in a minute or so...
Thanks a ton in advance for helping a new brewer.
First time brewer here.
I did all the steps except I had bought the Red Star Champagne yeast, I read that I was only supposed to use 1/5 the pack for 1 gallon. It has frothed up around the oranges and I see a bubble in the air lock every minute or so.
It's been going for a week now.
Do I need to add more yeast? Should I let it ride? Thoughts?
I'm just curious as I see people commenting that theirs bubbles like 20 times in a minute or so...
Thanks a ton in advance for helping a new brewer.
MonkeyBot
Well-Known Member
Just let it ride. You've got bubbles so you've got activity. Those yeast are happy. Insert obligatory "airlock activity is not a good indicator of fermentation" comment here.
rideincircles
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Just had a bottle from my september 2012 batch. Over 3 years old and its wonderful with no ill affects from age. Still need to bottle a couple varieties I had sitting for over a year. I am super lazy when it comes to mead and always have some I need to bottle.
Raspberries added so far has been my favorite variation. May need to start another raspberry batch sometime, this years raspberries are fantastic. Haven't tried my blood orange batch yet either, need to bottle that also.
Raspberries added so far has been my favorite variation. May need to start another raspberry batch sometime, this years raspberries are fantastic. Haven't tried my blood orange batch yet either, need to bottle that also.
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![IMG_20160101_124710749-picsay[1].jpg](https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/data/attach/278/278662-IMG-20160101-124710749-picsay-1-.jpg "IMG_20160101_124710749-picsay[1].jpg")
Honey from around early June or so, local honey from one of the farmer's markets stands. Bottled since Aug. Getting really smooth, no harsh alcohols. It is actually tasting a bit sweeter now. As an experiment I added a tablespoon of an organic cranberry juice (as in no added sweetners) and it helped a lot. Something I might think about again in the future.
MadHomebrewer
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Started it in October and moved to secondary early December.View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1451943173.468002.jpg
MadHomebrewer
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My first JAOM came out very nice!
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1452343772.233693.jpg
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1452343772.233693.jpg
Nice bottles ya got there, mister
MadHomebrewer
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Thanks, Amazon actually had a nice price on a case of them with free shipping. They worked out great and are pretty thick glass.
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Dang. You probably got a better deal than I did through a bottle supplier. Something like $3 a bottle and I got 24. It was pricey and only covers like one and a half brews. I have two right now that need bottling and no more 8oz avail...sigh.
MadHomebrewer
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Last edited by a moderator:
Haha was making a "Deliverance" reference, but y'all might be too young. Sigh. Old I am. However, I now have a case of those in my cart. Darn you MH! Lol. My batch has been in since October, but no fruit drop. Little hot at tasting a couple weeks ago. Point being ready to bottle but no bottles, til now.
Dominic1920
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Should have said he had a purty mouth...
I started my AOM on New Year's Eve (it seemed apropos). I went with just the orange zest and used a navel orange, since I already had a few - in fact, other than the hardware, I had ALL of the ingredients on-hand! I'm guesstimating that I used 3 - 3 1/2 lbs of honey. After I put in the yeast (insert Three Stooges reference), I noticed the dry yeast floating on a small cloud of foam. A few hours later, shortly after midnight, it looked like someone poured pancake batter over the orange pieces. I left it in my kitchen sink overnight, just in case it overflowed through the airlock. I have two cats and having that all over the floor didn't seem like it would end well.
Anyway, the next morning, I put the jug away in my cupboard, wrapped in a heavy blanket. Unfortunately, after 70 degrees on Christmas, a severe cold snap has hit Eastern Pennsylvania and there isn't anywhere on my house that's really all that warm right now.
Flash forward, today I topped off the jug with more water and put it away. The foam is pretty much gone, but there's been a turtle steady stream of bubbles coming from through the airlock.
Hopefully, but mid-March, I should have something to gloat about! It'll be interesting if having it slow ferment at a lower temperature will effect the taste?
Anyway, the next morning, I put the jug away in my cupboard, wrapped in a heavy blanket. Unfortunately, after 70 degrees on Christmas, a severe cold snap has hit Eastern Pennsylvania and there isn't anywhere on my house that's really all that warm right now.
Flash forward, today I topped off the jug with more water and put it away. The foam is pretty much gone, but there's been a turtle steady stream of bubbles coming from through the airlock.
Hopefully, but mid-March, I should have something to gloat about! It'll be interesting if having it slow ferment at a lower temperature will effect the taste?
thunderwagn
Well-Known Member
My 1st mead. I followed the op to the letter and it couldn't have been any easier. Now I just gotta hide it someplace and forget about it! Can't wait!
