bpm's ?

[mjdtexan]

As yall know, I am new to making wines/meads. I started my 1 gallon of JAO the day before I started my 6 gallon wine kit. 02-26 2009 is the start date of the mead. Anyway I took the 6 gallon wine kit out of the primary yesterday and put it in the 6 gallon carboy. This morning I go to take a look at the mead and wine kit and noticed that I am getting a whole bunch more action out of the wine kit than I am in the mead. Is this normal? I think that I am getting a bubble every 3 or 4 seconds out of the mead and it looks like I am getting 2 or 3 bubbles every second out of the wine kit.

 

[smurfe]

If you made the JAO per directions with the bread yeast it will normally ferment slower and longer than the average wine yeast. Also the yeast cell count is higher in a packet of wine yeast than bread yeast. Every JAO I have ever made will have an explosive fermentation start and then after a day or so bubble real slow and for a while. All that really matters is it is fermenting.

 

[mjdtexan]

If you made the JAO per directions with the bread yeast it will normally ferment slower and longer than the average wine yeast. Also the yeast cell count is higher in a packet of wine yeast than bread yeast. Every JAO I have ever made will have an explosive fermentation start and then after a day or so bubble real slow and for a while. All that really matters is it is fermenting.

I really wanted to use a wine yeast for that, but in the spirit of following directions while I dont know what I am doing I decided to follow the directions. I was 4 or 5 days late putting the raisins in though. I used my hydrometer (I know, I know) to push them into the must. I tasted the juice on the hydrometer. I liked it very much. I am going to start frozen apple concentrate recipe today. In fact, I am going to go to Jack Keller's website right now and look for one.

 

[smurfe]

I have made the JAO with wine yeast and didn't like it at all. Fermented to dry and was very bitter. I back sweetened with honey and it was better but still nasty even after a year aging. I don't know if I got too much oil from the oranges, it it was the yeast (my suspicion)or what but it was one of the worst batches I have ever made.

 

[Jim M]

I have made the JAO with wine yeast and didn't like it at all. Fermented to dry and was very bitter. I back sweetened with honey and it was better but still nasty even after a year aging. I don't know if I got too much oil from the oranges, it it was the yeast (my suspicion)or what but it was one of the worst batches I have ever made.

Smurfee -

Are you saying that it is bitter with wine yeast and OK with bread yeast??? If so, I guess I will try the bread yeast.

Jim

 

[Dean]

JAO was developed for years by Joe Matioli. In all his testing, he found that bread yeast (that's the ancient part, since that's all they used to use) provided just the right amount of fermentation. Wine yeast will ferment too quick, create the alcohol much faster, which can lead to more leeching of the oils from the orange skins. Orange oil can be quite astringent and acidic.

JAO is ready to drink after 3 to 4 months. Use wine yeast, and it follows a standard mead schedule...that means ready to drink after 24 to 36 months.

 

[ASAI]

JAO was developed for years by Joe Matioli. In all his testing, he found that bread yeast (that's the ancient part, since that's all they used to use) provided just the right amount of fermentation. Wine yeast will ferment too quick, create the alcohol much faster, which can lead to more leeching of the oils from the orange skins. Orange oil can be quite astringent and acidic.

JAO is ready to drink after 3 to 4 months. Use wine yeast, and it follows a standard mead schedule...that means ready to drink after 24 to 36 months.

Thanks Dean. That is the kind of post, I as a Newbie find so useful. It contains the what and why in a very good, easy to understand balance. It doesn't effect me for now; but, who knows what will happen after it circulates through my twisted little mind.

 

[Dean]

Thanks Asai, that's very high praise. You see, I'm a nerd by trade as an Information Technology Consultant. I've been working hard over the last few years to be able to explain the technical in non-geek language. It seems my efforts are paying off in other areas as well.

 

[mjdtexan]

Thanks Asai, that's very high praise. You see, I'm a nerd by trade as an Information Technology Consultant. I've been working hard over the last few years to be able to explain the technical in non-geek language. It seems my efforts are paying off in other areas as well.

I too liked your explanation. It was easy for me to understand, which to me is important.

 

[Wade E]

Dean is a man with much knowledge and I take every word he says very seriously! I too can attest to the JAO with wine yeast being nasty!!!!!!!! I have about 15 375 ml bottles to prove it also!

It smells very nice though! I have plans for getting rid of this wine though!

 

[ASAI]

Wade, I think it would be better, if you kept it for 36 Months, (patience, is very important; I thought I heard here), then taste. Then we would know if Dean, is not only easy to understand; but, also correct.

 

[Wade E]

%ts 1/2 way there and still horrible and I need room for many more wines that taste better right from fermentation. Dont worry though cause what I plan on doing wont be wasting it and thats all I can say!

 

[Dean]

Most of my meads take a very long time to come around and when they do, it's like night and day. Usually over the course of a week or two they change to amazing! However, seriously, 24 to 36 months is a Looooong time to wait.

If you look back about 3 years, you'll see I was starting to make a 3 gallon vanilla mead. I used far too many vanilla beans or so I thought. About this time last year, I was still calling it "meadacine" because it did taste like bad medicine. Now, the floral scent has fully come out, and the taste is amazing. I've heard of some meads taking about 8 years to come around. They really do take a long time, but I think that just makes them rare and amazing.