JAO doesn't have enough funk

[JimCook]

I need some help with my batch of JAO. I followed the simple instructions to set everything up and after the 1-gallon carboy felt room temperature, I tossed in a teaspoon of bread yeast that I had just purchased at a grocery store. However, very little action seems to be happening - while Joe's recipe notes that activity could start immediately to several hours later, I didn't seem to have much going on after the whole evening. At the 24 hour mark, I placed one of my carboy heaters under the carboy to make sure that it wasn't too cool. After getting slightly jostled, most of the yeast seemed to have fallen below the oranges. I waited five more hours to see if there was any obvious results and I didn't see any, so I sprinkled a little more yeast on top, in case it's a top-fermenting yeast. As of this morning, I still don't see much action. There is a slight foam along the top line of liquid in the carboy, but it's not bubbling and going crazy. Only infrequently does the airlock bubble.
Fearing that the carboy didn't have enough funk in it, I have placed Bootsie Collins' albums on the stereo in the same room to try and induce soul-stirring activity in the yeasties.


Does anyone have any suggestions? Is it possible I just got a bad Fleischmann's bread yeast pack (it is not bread machine or rapid-rise yeast - just standard active dry)?
Thanks,


- JimEdited by: JimCook

 

[Joanie]

LOL Jim, you are way too funny for words!

My JOA didn't have a lot of action either...ever! Yours will be okay. The yeast will bring in da noise and bring in da funk! It will tase good too!

 

[JimCook]

Joan,
That's good to know - I've been rather concerned over this. I'll trust in time, yeast, and drink more wine in the meantime. Yeasties in da house!


- Jim

 

[smurfe]

Yes, you use the plain bread yeast, not the rapid rise yeast. I will say though that every time I have made an Ancient Orange or a variation I have had explosive fermentations and a blow the airlock out event. You may have got a packet of weak yeast. Was it a fresh pack or close to expiration date?


Here is a batch I did about 30 minutes after I pitched the yeast.

Same batch about 12hours (if even that) later.

 

[Joanie]

Maybe if you switch to Lipps, Inc.'s Funkytown, you'll have more action!

 

[JimCook]

Joan,


Good news - I took your advice and sure enough, I'm seeing bubbles. It's hard to tell if it was caused by 8 hours of Bootsy Collins or the switch to Funkytown, but either way, it's slowly working.


Smurfe - that's madness, man - maybe my yeast wasn't the kind of powerlifting yeast I'm used to. The activity is a crawl at best, with a bubble coming out now every 10-15 seconds or so from the airlock. The package of yeast said it expired in May of 2009, so I'm guessing it to be good, but perhaps I just got some kind of yeast that was lobbying against labor laws or something. And here all I was trying to do was give these guys some free food and a place to live and they get all protest-like on me. Crazy.


- JimEdited by: JimCook

 

[Joanie]

I made my 3 gallons in three 1 gallon jugs and used a packet of bread yeast in each and all three did their own thing in their own time. It was kinda strange as each jug fermented a little differently and they all seemed kinda poky.

Jim, do you think Bootsy buys his clothes off the rack?

 

[JimCook]

Joan,


Only off of the rack at Captain Funk's Clothing Emporium.


The JAO mead action is bubbling at a consistent 1 airlock bubble for every five seconds, and has been doing so for the bulk of the weekend regardless if I put it on one of my heating pads or not.


I notice that the recipe doesn't mention about degassing - if the mead becomes clear, that should mean no gas in it (or the optics would be fouled, in a manner of speaking) - does the gas not like to stay in solution with the honey?


- Jim

 

[Joanie]

Heck if I know!! I've never made a mead before the JAO! =) I didn't degas mine. I followed Joe's instructions and kept it in a dark closet and forgot about it! When I'd remember it, I'd open the door and peek at it. It cleared on it's own but of course I riled it when I racked it. You just can get a siphon thru all the floating stuff without mixing it up...at least I couldn't. That forced me to let the siphoned stuff settle and clear again but it didn't take much more than a week. It's bottled and sweet and tasty.

Wher did you ever discover Bootsy?

 

[JimCook]

Cool - I'll just let it ride.


Here's where I personally discovered Bootsy: http://www.theonion.com/content/node/29205


- Jim

 

[Joanie]

I love The Onion!

Do you have a label for your mead yet?

 

[JimCook]

Joan,


Believe it or not, I haven't made any labels up yet - with all the moving and getting married and buying a house and getting a car, et cetera, it's had me scrambling and I keep putting off the labels. So, at this point, I need to make about ten different labels (Holy fritz!).


I may stick with the funk scene on this one, however - only seems fitting now.


- Jim

 

[Joanie]

On that fine note...may I be so bold as to offer this label? =)

 

[JimCook]

Joan,


*laughs heartily*


Okay - that rocks. I couldn't see the image at work (blocked for some reason), so now that I'm home, it is just hilarious.


Do you think Bootsy walks around and says, "Whoa - I'm seeing stars again"?


- Jim

 

[Joanie]

He's seen you so he is seeing stars! =)

Glad you like it! It made me chuckle too. Hey, maybe you should send Bootsy a bottle!

So do you get down or get on up? I can't decide.

 

[JimCook]

Joan,


I've made a detailed analysis of my own behavior over the past week and it seems that statistically speaking, I get up just as much as I get down. However, being a personal trainer, I inspire people to get up more than get down, so I'm going with 'get on up' on this one.


Btw - JAO still slowly and steadily fermenting away - airlock bubbles every 8-10 seconds at 2 weeks into the process.


- Jim

 

[JimCook]

2 month mark hit - JAO tasted!
Not having any real expectation what mead tastes like except for the general consensus that the JAO should taste 'good' and 'sweet,' I carefully extracted a small sample last night to celebrate the eight week passage of time since the inception of my Funky JAO. The nose resembled some dessert wines that I've tasted with a somewhat 'olive' smell like botrytis. It also had a very clean aroma with what may be some light floral notes. The taste was light and smooth, with a little bit of tongue-prickling like an Italian frizzante breakfast wine. While I expected a bit more orange (or perhaps something of the cloves or cinnamon coming through directly), I was not greeted by this, but instead a somewhat difficult-to-pin-down flavor that reminded me of a refreshing soft drink with a little kick. I can't say that I followed the recipe perfectly, for as soon as I get a new kitchen scale I'll be able to confirm just how much honey I used. Eyeballing 3.5 pounds was the best I could do at the time, and I'm guessing I was low as this was not anything near the 'very sweet' category - more of an Auslese Riesling mouthfeelof sweetness.


In the general spirit of how I move forward, I have ordered 6 more one-gallon carboys and appropriate chemicals from George to expand the experimentation. While I agree with my bride's statement ("It sure isn't wine"), it is quite nice in its own right and I'm pleased with the results.


Summary: Bootsy would be pleased with the funk level of this JAO.


- Jim

 

[Joanie]

Bootsy's a smart man! Long live the funk!