Joe's Ancient Orange Mead

[CreamyGoodness]

75 raisins?

Yeah, the only three things you do NOT want to do to scale are cloves, cinnamon, and yeast. Yeast is the least important one though... I've over pitched by quite a bit with bread yeast and had no ill effects other than wasted yeast (I could used it elsewhere).

 

[frankjones]

So does the recipe multiply easily so I can make a three gallon batch ? X3 on everything except yeast?

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

So does the recipe multiply easily so I can make a three gallon batch ? X3 on everything except yeast?

I think earlier in the thread it was brought up to absolutely not scale up the cloves (ie 5 in a 5 gallon batch becomes way too much)

 

[madwilliamflint]

I was prepping my shopping list for this weekend's batch (I might use my new 7g conical fermenter thingamabob with the bulb at the bottom thingamabob that came last week) and looking at my notes I see that I used Red Star Champagne yeast for my "remarkable success". Thought it was worth putting down.

 

[JINKS]

Getting clearer

 

[gforty]

Made my first mead from this recipe yesterday. Very easy compared to beer. I did make on giant mistake by filling the gallon glass carboy up to about 2 inches from top. This morning I awoke to a loud pop. Best I can figure is that the pulp from the orange clogged the airlock and the pressure launched the airlock to my ceiling (10 foot) along with about a third of the mead. The airlock broke. perhaps from the landing. Being tired, I covered the neck of the carboy with tin foil and this morning I found my other airlock so I added some more water (a quart or so) and popped the airlock back on. If it does not start bubbling again, I may just dump it and start over again for fear of infection. May abandon the airlock in favor of a tube and water bottle airlock for heavy bubbling. Cheers.

 

[2drunk2]

After 3 months mine isnt nearly that clear. Wow!

 

[JINKS]

After 3 months mine isnt nearly that clear. Wow!

If the dang fruit would drop I'd bottle this already.

 

[hijukal]

I've had one of these going since March this year, the fruit dropped around three months after the initial brew.

Here's pictures from March (a few days after brewing), April, and June. I haven't looked at it since June.

Planning on bottling it in the next few weeks so I can let it settle, and give out a couple of bottles as Christmas presents.

 

[madwilliamflint]

Put down a 5 gallon batch on Saturday. Using EC-1118.

I zested the oranges (6 medium to small), then peeled them. So everything but the pith is in there. I expect there to be a relatively prominent difference in taste. But we'll see.

 

[tellyho]

I'm at 4 months in the carboy, tastes mostly medicinal to me now, but hoping for the best eventually! Wound up with a killer headache the next day, and while I can't definitely say JAOM was the culprit, it's high on the list.


Sent from my iPad using Home Brew

 

[pghfett]

Made several batches of this mead and each were outstanding.

I haven't followed this thread in quite some time but coming back I can't believe how many people are attempting to bastardize this recipe to something better. It stands alone as written.

Execute exactly what it calls for - for small or bigger batches.

To experiment make 1 gallon batches.

 

[madwilliamflint]

Made several batches of this mead and each were outstanding.

I haven't followed this thread in quite some time but coming back I can't believe how many people are attempting to bastardize this recipe to something better. It stands alone as written.

Execute exactly what it calls for - for small or bigger batches.

To experiment make 1 gallon batches.

Always experiment. Find something that works and make lots of that, to be sure. But always experiment.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

Made several batches of this mead and each were outstanding.

I haven't followed this thread in quite some time but coming back I can't believe how many people are attempting to bastardize this recipe to something better. It stands alone as written.

Execute exactly what it calls for - for small or bigger batches.

To experiment make 1 gallon batches.

I made 3 one gallon batches the first time, changing the yeast in 2 batches and fruit in one. Im glad I did. Now I have a small supply of each, and a way to taste the original and make some comparisons!!

 

[madwilliamflint]

I made 3 one gallon batches the first time, changing the yeast in 2 batches and fruit in one. Im glad I did. Now I have a small supply of each, and a way to taste the original and make some comparisons!!

Ooh! I'd be really interested in the results.

My first couple small batch was plain old bread yeast. I just put down a 5-gallon with EC-1118.

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

How is everyone serving this mead? Chilled, room temp, or slightly chilled. I've found mine to be 10-11 months old and prefer it chilled.

 

[BowAholic]

started mine today...better late than ever...my first Mead.

 

[wheathead]

How is everyone serving this mead? Chilled, room temp, or slightly chilled. I've found mine to be 10-11 months old and prefer it chilled.

I made a gallon batch about nine months ago. I have 2 bottles remaining and prefer to drink it chilled. I doubt the remaining bottles will see their 1st birthday.

 

[JBrist0w]

Getting clearer

What have you got in the back left there?

 

[JINKS]

What have you got in the back left there?

Back left is from scratch plum melomel 5 lbs plums with about 3 lbs honey, lots of lees on bottom, has been racked now.
Back right is Blueberry Melomel

 

[2drunk2]

I just bottled this after 5 months, and I poured a glass because it seemed like the thing to do. WOW! This is good. Really really good!

 

[hijukal]

Mine seems to have a bit too much clove and orange peel flavours (possibly a result of having sat on it for eight months? Pretty sure I didn't deviate with the amount of cloves). It's not bad, just a bit strong in those areas. Any suggestions on how to reduce that before bottling? I'll probably bottle in the next week or two.

 

[fuzzy2133]

Think a couple bottles from over a year ago with lees at the bottom are going to be OK? Found them under the bar counter earlier this month.

 

[rlmiller10]

Think a couple bottles from over a year ago with lees at the bottom are going to be OK? Found them under the bar counter earlier this month.

They will probably be even better now. Time is good for mead. I assume the lees are just a small amount, you are not talking fruit, spices, and yeast?

 

[2drunk2]

Here's what I got.

View attachment 1416932323580.jpg

 

[iggie501]

Hey guys,

I made 2 2 gallon batches exactly the same but one was warmer than the other when I pitched the yeast. So the warmer one is fermenting fine but the cooler one barely has any activity. It just has foam around the floating oranges. Should I throw more yeast in or leave it? Thanks.

 

[BigGoat]

Yummy!

 

[fuzzy2133]

They will probably be even better now. Time is good for mead. I assume the lees are just a small amount, you are not talking fruit, spices, and yeast?

I think there might be some fruit parts in there. They are from my first batch where I learned it is best to secondary to keep the lees out of bottles.

I'll chill them and hope for the best.

 

[jhiggy]

It's been about three months, the mead has cleared and the fruit dropped but it's still sickenly sweet. I already bottled it but is there anything I can mix it with to mellow it out while drinking? Or will time still help with the sweetness? I may have to open a bottle to test gravity but it's got to be above 1.03.

-Jeff

 

[rideincircles]

This finishes really sweet and is designed to. I have made a ton of variants of this and still have 6 bottles left from my first batch that are now 2 years old. Adding raspberries to the recipe comes out awesome, and adding some cranberry juice can add some bitterness that reduces the sweetness. I have some 1 gallon batches from last year I need to bottle, I just have been too busy with school and work to get around to it.

The curse of the mead brewer is, I need to rack or bottle a bunch of stuff. The good thing is that time only helps mead. I have a 17% blueberry mead that has sat in the carboy for over a year I should rack and backsweeten soon.