Joe's Ancient Orange Mead

[Yooper]

I've never made it any differently than the directions state. Whether it's 1 gallon, or 5 gallons, I'd make it the same way.

 

[BallJar]

Thanks for the clarification.

I had mixed up a five gallon batch and after three days it seemed like a stalled fermentation so I had to break one of the rules and give it a good sloshing around. Now I have activity every 10 seconds or so and all is good.

I promise I'll follow all the rules from here on out.......

 

[joejaz]

Been 13 days down to 1.020, really tastes good, can't wait till 2 month's to see how better it gets. Hope there is some left in 2 months. Surprised how much flavor it got with just one orange.

 

[Mr. Nice Guy]

I've got some started today per recipe but instead of a carboy I used the jug the water came in, lol...

 

[bob1852]

Been 13 days down to 1.020, really tastes good, can't wait till 2 month's to see how better it gets. Hope there is some left in 2 months. Surprised how much flavor it got with just one orange.

you cheated and took a gravity reading!

 

[shrades]

Thanks for the help, I'm going to do some smaller batches in one gallon jugs. Shrades

 

[avaserfi]

Made a 2 gallon batch of this around noon. It is around 68-70 degrees. No activity yet, but SWMBO is excited. First batch of mead ever. I had an OG of 1.143 though, seems high but I have no idea.

 

[avaserfi]

I'm still not seeing any signs of fermentation. Should I be calling Yooper ?

 

[Yooper]

I'm still not seeing any signs of fermentation. Should I be calling Yooper ?

You pitched the yeast today? nah, don't worry until Thursday!

 

[avaserfi]

You pitched the yeast today? nah, don't worry until Thursday!

Ohh, okay. I was just trying to follow the instructions, you know:

Install water airlock. Put in dark place. It will start working immediately or in an hour. (Don't use grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away in the 90's)( Wait 3 hours before you panic or call me)

 

[shrades]

Just got my honey from my beekeeper buddy. Can't wait to start!

 

[joejaz]

Mr Beer makes a nice fermentation tank and dispenser too

 

[Henny]

Is it ok if the water and honey did not mix well? I used a mr beer for mine and I can clearly see the seperation...

 

[knipknup]

When I did mine, I used cold water and no boil at all. I did warm the honey slightly by putting the containers in hot water but this was just for easy pour. Once I added the water, which was last, it separated & I had about 3 inches of honey in the bottom of the carboy. After two or three months there was none. You should be fine

 

[Henny]

Awesome, thanks knipknup. Hoping for a Christmas 09 mead

 

[shrades]

I made some last night, but only 3 gallons. I put it in a 6.5gallon bucket, not alot of action but there is some. Maybe it will speed up?

 

[Mirilis]

I made 2 1-gallon batches a couple days ago, 1 with extra spice and one without. Both of them have been in a small closet wrapped in a towel and today I opened the closet to top off the jugs (didnt get any foam so i topped off), and the closet smelled AWSOME!

 

[robsauce]

Long time beer maker, first time mead maker here. I came across this recipe and decided to give it a go - seemed too simple not to. Made 2 - 1gallon batches (one I substituted blackberries for the orange and raisins) and everything seems to be going good so far. I also decided it would be better to use yeast designed for alcohol as opposed to bread so I used some red wine yeast - lady at the brewery store nearby recommended it to me. I did some research and I believe its good to about 15% alcohol or so.

Its been 2 days now and I do see little bubbles floating from the bottom to the top but otherwise there doesn't seem to be much activity, foaming, etc. which I am used to seeing when brewing beer. Is low activity relatively normal for making mead, or specifically this recipe? Also, is the fermentation process similar to wine or beer where the highest activity level/fermentation takes place within the first week or two and everything after is just for clarifying and aging?

Thanks!

 

[shrades]

I noticed the same kinda action with mine. I used a sweet mead yeast with mine. My mead has been bubbeling for about 10 days now, just really slow compared to beer fermentation.

 

[Tusch]

Meads can have just as much visual activity, but often times has very little krausen.

 

[robsauce]

In addition to my previous post a few posts above...

Has anyone that has previously made this took any gravity ratings during fermentation? It has been about 6 days since I first pitched the yeast into the must and I took a gravity rating and it seems that neither has really changed (i didn't pay that much attention to the original measurement but I know they were both around 1.1ish and they still are). I guess I should have been a tad more aware of what was going on and documented my progress better.

I understand mead is a process that takes patience and being used to brewing beer I'm obviously used to a fermentation process that is much more active and quicker. I don't have a problem just letting the bottles sit as per the recipe but the last thing I want is in 2 months to rack/siphon the mead out, take a SG rating and have it be the same as what I started with. How can I be sure that fermentation is actually taking place. As this is only a 1gallon batch I'd really like to avoid taking a sample out of it every day or so as that takes away from the amount of mead I have. Any thoughts or suggestions? I do have some bubbles coming through the airlock...about 1 every 15-20s out of both which makes me think I have some fermentation but how can I be sure?

I've been doing quite a bit of reading on the Mead section and am wondering if it would be too late to add some nutrients or maybe all my yeast is dead and I should be adding some more?

 

[Mirilis]

I havent checked mine yet on the ones i just made. However if it helps my OG was 30 brix

 

[NikolausXX]

I havnt racked mine yet, It was made on Dec 15th, and the oranges have already dropped, mead is crystal clear.

 

[NikolausXX]

I went ahead and poured off a small tasting of of this mead tonight. I got 2 raisons in the glass also! I ate the raisons first, not knowing what to expect as I have not had mead before. The raisons tasted alright, a little alcoholic. I took a smell, I could smell citris, and alcohol. I took a little taste and wow, this will mature into a good drink. I could taste the honey, could taste the citris, on the negative a little bitter and solventy, but that should age out. I plan on racking here in a week a so, topping up with some easy going wine, and letting age until my next baby is born, probably july. Then drinking this to celebrate! I know racking is against the rules for this recipe, but I got alot of dead yeasties, and oranges, and raisons and such, so I think ill blend in some similar colored wine, and hopefully might dry it out a bit as it is a bit too sweet for my taste!

 

[PBRmeASAP]

Used this and made my first mead today....Very excited to see how good it is. Hope to get another one rolling next week, maybe swap a few things and see what happens.

 

[ruger12pk]

I conjoured up a batch (5 gal) of JOAM using K-V1116 and now after a month its slowing on the fermentation. Now the question is...from the looks of it Im showing a good inch of lees on the bottom. Since Ive used this higher abv yeast, would it be prudent now to rack it off the oranges and the lees and let it clear out and age or leave it on the lees and wait for the oranges to drop? Would racking it be a useless gesture on my part or is leaving it on the lees not going to be a problem with off tastes? Just looking for some advice at this point weather to leave it be or work it some.....

 

[jwr]

Does anyone know why quickrise yeast wouldn't work? I dumped the teaspoon of yeast in before looking at the packet and seeing "rapid rise yeast". I don't know what difference there is besides maybe a little dried nutient or something in the packet to give it a boost? The mead is fermenting "slow but sure", and I can't imagine any significant difference in alcohol tolerance of quickrise v/s regular bread yeast.

 

[joejaz]

Does anyone know why quickrise yeast wouldn't work? I dumped the teaspoon of yeast in before looking at the packet and seeing "rapid rise yeast". I don't know what difference there is besides maybe a little dried nutient or something in the packet to give it a boost? The mead is fermenting "slow but sure", and I can't imagine any significant difference in alcohol tolerance of quickrise v/s regular bread yeast.

I used quickrise too before I read not to. I started 1/4/09, this stuff is like rocket fuel, hope it mellows out, but it is nice and clear.

 

[Mirilis]

So I made a batch the end of January, then I made another batch the next day using the same ingredients. The only difference between the two is the second one had an extra clove, a pinch of nutmeg, and a pinch of allspice in it.

I decided to open my closet today to look at them (they set side by side) and the first one looks crystal clear with the oranges at the top and a ton of lees.

The second one was cloudy with the same ammount of lees. So if they were made with the same process and same ingredients 1 day apart then fermented beside each other in a closet why can one clear up and no the other? Im sure it will by the end of this month when it comes time to bottle it but I was just curious.

 

[joejaz]

It's been 2 months, this stuff is brutal. Now I know what they mean by prison hooch.