here we go

Just started my first 1 gallon batch of mead. My recipe: 3 lbs of cheap *** honey added to Brita filtered water and heated just below boiling for 30 min. Added to 1 whole orange slices to 1/8ths, 1 cinnamon stick, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground clove, handful of raisons, and rehydrated fleischmanns yeast. Keep in mind I did all this after drinking 24 oz of twice freeze distilled apple jack so I'm feeling good, my brew is bubblin, and I will let you know how it turns out.

Sounds really good. Just a cautionary note: bread yeast has a lower alcohol tolerance and can produce some off flavors. Don't be surprised if your mead stops fermenting at a low alcohol content. Using a wine yeast can do wonders for better flavor and avoiding stuck fermentations.

Ya normally i wouldve used 1118 but i was all out and the cheap stuff was all i had.

Looks like you are kinda trackin with JOAM. Bet it comes out just fine. Arne.

Yeah sounds very similar to JAOM. Bread yeast is ideal for this recipe, as it is designed to balance perfectly. A wine yeast would not work well with this particular mead.

Good to hear, four days in and still have vigorous ferment.

Your only issue, considering that it's basically a JAO batch, might be that you've used both powdered and whole cinnamon (the whole cinnamon stick would have been plenty) and powdered cloves. Cloves are potent little suckers, and generally more than 2 whole cloves makes it a very strongly flavoured batch.

Hence "how many whole cloves are in 1/2 a tsp" ?

Apart from that, it's sounding good to go.......

True. Even if it turns out a little strong i will still drink it down. But i will let everyone know how it turns out.

Its been two weeks and just did my first rack. It smells very strong. It may need a lot of aging. I will let u know when bottled.

Newbie question JAO and JAOM?

bsjracing said:

Newbie question JAO and JAOM?

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Joes Ancient Orange Mead

A nice, easy, straight forward recipe with a simple technique. All the ingredients can be bought at a local grocery store and you just need to get a fermenter.

The recipe, method, etc are slightly unorthodox compared to others, but following the instructions etc gets you a sweet, slightly spiced mead that is easily drinkable and repeatable.....

fatbloke said:

Joes Ancient Orange Mead

A nice, easy, straight forward recipe with a simple technique. All the ingredients can be bought at a local grocery store and you just need to get a fermenter.

The recipe, method, etc are slightly unorthodox compared to others, but following the instructions etc gets you a sweet, slightly spiced mead that is easily drinkable and repeatable.....

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Thanks, I have what amounts to an unspiced version of this going right now(started Saturday) got the recipe from Storm the Castle's website. Hopefully it goes well, if not, I'll just have to keep trying till I get it right!

bsjracing said:

Thanks, I have what amounts to an unspiced version of this going right now(started Saturday) got the recipe from Storm the Castle's website. Hopefully it goes well, if not, I'll just have to keep trying till I get it right!

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From memory, Wills version uses wine yeast as well, which IME ferments dry so focuses the up front flavour on the bitterness that comes from the orange pith, whereas Joes version uses bread yeast which leaves some residual sweetness balancing the flavour.....

Plus the light spicing works well with the sweetness too......

Bringing this up, think I have some joam that is about 3 years old now. Have to check my notes. Mite have to open a bottle bout Christmas time and see how it has matured. Really didn't care for it when I bottled it, but will see how time has treated it. If I had liked it at bottleing time, probably wouldn't be any left now. LOL, Arne.

There's usually someone who chimes in with this:
I suggest you don't boil in future batches. Even gentle pasteurization is said to strip honel of its floral taste, basically leaving sugar. And honey simply doesn't get infected.

Arne said:

Bringing this up, think I have some joam that is about 3 years old now. Have to check my notes. Mite have to open a bottle bout Christmas time and see how it has matured. Really didn't care for it when I bottled it, but will see how time has treated it. If I had liked it at bottleing time, probably wouldn't be any left now. LOL, Arne.

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I used the one gallon bread yeast version that I found here

http://stormthecastle.com/mead/fast-cheap-mead-making.htm

I opted out of the optional cloves for my first round

Well its now been four months since i started this. I racked it last night and gave it a taste. The bitterness from the orange mellowed way down but next time will use much less clove. I will probably drink it in about two months. Cheers.

ninjamonkey said:

Well its now been four months since i started this. I racked it last night and gave it a taste. The bitterness from the orange mellowed way down but next time will use much less clove. I will probably drink it in about two months. Cheers.

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Ah ha..... the spices learning curve eh ?

Done that myself, but I have to say, when you get a JAO batch right its not a bad old drop.......

Which always surprises me given bow easy it is too make....

Good on ya!