Joe's Ancient Orange Mead

[hunter_le five]

Labelled my bottles tonight. Me and a buddy are taste testing a couple bottles of this batch this weekend for the Hobbit 2 release (seems like reason enough to drink). It's a little over 3 months old now, I hope it's good. There seem to be a lot of conflicting opinions regarding how long this stuff needs to age before it's any good.

 

[j-hemmie]

I'm really excited about this! I followed the instructions to the T as this is my first foray into fermentation. If this goes well I want to try an authentic Lithuanian midus recipe to surprise my wife (she's from Lithuania). Within 10 minutes of pitching the yeast I had about two bubbles a minute from the airlock. I took this pic 4 hours after pitching the yeast and am getting a bubble every 8 seconds or so and its fairly foamy on top. It seems to be working quite well. Now I just have to wait for what seems like forever!

 

[Quokimbo]

Just bottled my true JAOM. Bread yeast and all. This stuff is good before the two month mark!! The glass tinted bottle was full last night! Hahaha The pic of the gallon is in a tertiary carboy. You can see the bee sticker all the way through it and reading was easy also!!

 

[jonmohno]

Just bottled my true JAOM. Bread yeast and all. This stuff is good before the two month mark!! The glass tinted bottle was full last night! Hahaha The pic of the gallon is in a tertiary carboy. You can see the bee sticker all the way through it and reading was easy also!!

I agree. Im giving away some one+ month bottled of this just because it was so good and know it will be liked. As young as it is and high gravity Im pretty surprised. I did however have a reaction to it like wine. Sometimes with wine my ears get red,face flush,and have a headache. Mine wasnt like rocket fuel but I did notice a differnce than drinking beer,which is common for wine or mead with me. I really hope though, there are not fusels which some have a reaction to and I would feel bad if this happened to those I gave these out now. I almost want to wait another year,but its so good.

 

[hunter_le five]

Tried my 3+ month old mead last night. Definitely better than it was when i bottled it, but still I find the spices a tad overpowering, and my buddy agreed. I'll probably put this away for another 3 months and try again.

 

[BigGoat]

Bottled last night. Planning on cracking one open next week. Can't wait! It had a yeasty, boozy taste at bottling that I'm sure will fade with aging. Otherwise very tasty! Well report back in a week

 

[stonecutter2]

Started my JAOM yesterday. The wait begins!

 

[D_Nyholm]

Making some of this and another similar recipe this weekend. It will be nice to compare and contrast different methods and ingredients in honey mead.

 

[rideincircles]

Has anyone made this into a cyser with adding apple juice instead of water? I may experiment to see how it turns out, but I am assuming that I will need less honey. I was thinking along the lines of a spiced cider that uses orange and lemon citrus zest. Still debating on the idea. MAy reduce the orange needed if so, but don't want it too sweet.

I have made at least 6 variations of JAOM so far. Adding raspberries to the recipe seems to be my favorite. My blackberry version ejected the blackberries before it could infuse the flavor and became liquid honey. I added some cranberry juice to reduce the sweetness. Also have a batch of JAOM with cranberry juice I just made with some oranges from my backyard.

Trying to figure out my next batch.

 

[jak1010]

Has anyone made this into a cyser with adding apple juice instead of water? I may experiment to see how it turns out, but I am assuming that I will need less honey. I was thinking along the lines of a spiced cider that uses orange and lemon citrus zest. Still debating on the idea. MAy reduce the orange needed if so, but don't want it too sweet.

I have made at least 6 variations of JAOM so far. Adding raspberries to the recipe seems to be my favorite. My blackberry version ejected the blackberries before it could infuse the flavor and became liquid honey. I added some cranberry juice to reduce the sweetness. Also have a batch of JAOM with cranberry juice I just made with some oranges from my backyard.

Trying to figure out my next batch.

The cranberry addition sounds good. How'd it taste?

 

[RhodySeth]

Mu first batch of JAOM got some good reviews when I unveiled it at my recent party but man is it sweet.

 

[woozy]

Wash orange well to remove any pesticides and slice in eights --add orange (you can push em through opening big boy (emphasis mine) -- ...)

In an amazing lack of foresight, it didn't occur to me to ask: How do you get the orange wedges out when you are done?

You can't, can you? You just toss the gallon carboy into the recycling with the rotting orange wedges still inside, don't you?

I suppose it's my fault for simply not thinking about what, in hindsight, should have been an obvious question.

Except I worked *hard* for that one gallon carboy! It took me *months* to drink that god-awful Carlo Rossi and ...

 

[woozy]

Mine tastes pretty good. Spicy; didn't expect that. But after 3 1/2 months mine is *nowhere* near as clear as every-one elses.

And I'm still unsure how to clean the swollen orange wedges out of the carboy. (Can't believe it never occurred to me to think about that ahead of time.

 

[cwdrake]

I just grab them and pull them out with needle noise pliers

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[GeorgiaMead]

In an amazing lack of foresight, it didn't occur to me to ask: How do you get the orange wedges out when you are done?



You can't, can you? You just toss the gallon carboy into the recycling with the rotting orange wedges still inside, don't you?



I suppose it's my fault for simply not thinking about what, in hindsight, should have been an obvious question.



Except I worked *hard* for that one gallon carboy! It took me *months* to drink that god-awful Carlo Rossi and ...

Just use hot water and shake it up good they will soft enought to come out, or wedge a dish towel in it and turn over and pull it out it will remove them too

 

[woozy]

Yeah, one by one they fell into the neck and I reached in with my fingers and grabbed a bit of rind with my fingers and worked them out one by one. *yuck*. Not the fun part of brewing. But not difficult by any means. I will do it again I think.

 

[Zurik]

Is it ok if I replicate this exact recipe (1 gal) in a 5 gal carboy?

 

[jak1010]

Is it ok if I replicate this exact recipe (1 gal) in a 5 gal carboy?

You can scale up everything with a few exceptions. The flavor of clove can be a bit strong if you put 5 of them. The cinnamon can also be strong but should scale up as well.

For the yeast, I've heard both ways. You can add the same volume as you would for 1 gallon or you can scale that up to 5 as well. I've done both and had no trouble with either.

 

[jtd_419]

You can scale up everything with a few exceptions. The flavor of clove can be a bit strong if you put 5 of them. The cinnamon can also be strong but should scale up as well.

For the yeast, I've heard both ways. You can add the same volume as you would for 1 gallon or you can scale that up to 5 as well. I've done both and had no trouble with either.

I think he was asking about doing a one gallon batch in the five gallon carboy. Seems like too much head space to me but I've been wrong before

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

I think he was asking about doing a one gallon batch in the five gallon carboy. Seems like too much head space to me but I've been wrong before

it's okay for him to do primary in the 5 gallon, but after a week he'd better switch to a one gallon container or you're right he'll have too much head space and oxygen exposure.

 

[Zurik]

it's okay for him to do primary in the 5 gallon, but after a week he'd better switch to a one gallon container or you're right he'll have too much head space and oxygen exposure.

Shouldn't the headspace be filled up with CO2 by then? Also, what would be the problem either way, oxidation?

 

[LoneTreeFarms]

Shouldn't the headspace be filled up with CO2 by then? Also, what would be the problem either way, oxidation?

yes to a point it'll be filled with co2 but alot of that escapes through your airlock and a 5 gallon bucket or bottle leaves alot of surface area for the wine. and your right the problem with that is oxidation or infection and if left long enough, expensive vinegar.

 

[jak1010]

I think he was asking about doing a one gallon batch in the five gallon carboy. Seems like too much head space to me but I've been wrong before

Wow, I didn't even notice that. Speed reading while speed drinking makes for confusing posting.

 

[jak1010]

I passed out bottles of JAOM that I brewed in March 2013, bulked aged till 10/13 and bottled on 11/25. Drank 1/2 bottle with my wife and watched"A Christmas Story" 2 1/2 times today. Damn this is good.

 

[jonmohno]

I absolutley love this. I Mean its only 1 month bottled and it is absolutley awesome, Im so happy to give this out as Christmas gifts. Its such a great recipe, Im not shure if I just had super awesome honey which I think may be a big credit for this but its absolutly exactly what I would think of when thinking of honeywine. Wow, big thank yous for this recipe. So glad I made this. I think everybody will love this, so much honey character which mead should have- a bit sweet but definatly something to appreciate.

 

[huesmann]

yes to a point it'll be filled with co2 but alot of that escapes through your airlock and a 5 gallon bucket or bottle leaves alot of surface area for the wine. and your right the problem with that is oxidation or infection and if left long enough, expensive vinegar.

If the headspace is filled with CO2, even 4 gal of it, why would it matter? It's oxygen that's the problem, and since you're not supposed to touch JAOM until you bottle, there should be naught but CO2 in the headspace until it's time to bottle.

 

[fuzzy2133]

If the headspace is filled with CO2, even 4 gal of it, why would it matter? It's oxygen that's the problem, and since you're not supposed to touch JAOM until you bottle, there should be naught but CO2 in the headspace until it's time to bottle.

Edit: I'll let the experts explain.

Can CO2 Form a "Blanket?"

 

[stonecutter2]

If the headspace is filled with CO2, even 4 gal of it, why would it matter? It's oxygen that's the problem, and since you're not supposed to touch JAOM until you bottle, there should be naught but CO2 in the headspace until it's time to bottle.

You're assuming that 1 gallon of JAOM will produce enough CO2 to fill 4 gallons volume of headspace with CO2, to displace the O2 completely. No idea if that's plausible or not. That seems like a lot CO2 to me from only 1 gallon of fermentation.

 

[brewski09]

You're assuming that 1 gallon of JAOM will produce enough CO2 to fill 4 gallons volume of headspace with CO2, to displace the O2 completely. No idea if that's plausible or not. That seems like a lot CO2 to me from only 1 gallon of fermentation.

The co2 is heavier that the o2, so you don't have to evacuate the container of o2 if you aren't moving the JAOM. On this subject, please refer back to the instructions and simply don't touch it until you bottle. Regardless, the heavier gas produces a blanket between the JAOM and the oxygen.

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[achnaw]

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: