Joe's Ancient Orange and SpiceMead

[uavwmn]

dragon, my mead will be fermenting for 2 months on the 23rd of Jan. The airlock is still active. I am assuming this is normal??

 

[uavwmn]

Ramona, you know, of ALL the labels I have seen on this Forum, I have always been drawn to this label. I think it is beautiful.
My mead is still fermenting away after 2 months. I am hoping this is normal. haha On the 23rd of Jan it will be 2 months.
Doesn't look clear at all. I guess I will wait another month. George is sending me some SuperKleer as I have never used it before.

 

[uavwmn]

gaudet, did your mead ferment steady for 2 months? My airlock is still bubbling away!! It will be 2 months on the 23rd of Jan.
Good thing about a 1 gal batch, it I screw it up I haven't lost much. And I can start over.

 

[uavwmn]

Smurfe, will this 1 gal batch need to be degassed? And when does that happen? Right now it is still actively fermenting and still cloudy. Fruit floating on top.

 

[gaudet]

gaudet, did your mead ferment steady for 2 months? My airlock is still bubbling away!! It will be 2 months on the 23rd of Jan.
Good thing about a 1 gal batch, it I screw it up I haven't lost much. And I can start over.

It slowed down to a crawl after 30 days, but it was still bubbling. You can see the tiny co2 bubbles burping away and the very occasional airlock burp as well. I racked mine last week off the fruit and lees and I am waiting for it to clear(completely). I degassed it with a stopper and shaking the bottle ( I know the directions said not to, but I'm bull headed) I tasted a few drops of this and it really will get your attention. I like how sweet it finished. I also started a gallon of ancient kumquat mead on Jan 1. Its boiling away still and a semi active airlock.

 

[gaudet]

Forgot to mention that I helped my friend make the JAO Mead at the same time I started my first batch. His was crystal clear when we racked it. We took it off the lees and fruit. Degassed it, 1 campden tab and topped it up to the neck with bottled water ( just about 4 ounces ) and put it back into the closet to be forgotten for a while under airlock.

 

[rgecaprock]

uav,
I used SuperKleer on my mead and it became crystal clear!!!!


Ramona

 

[admiral]

When I take mine off the lees and the fruit, (nowhere close to that yet) I am going to have a lotmore than 4 oz to top off. Right now, the liguid + fruit is at the shoulder of my 1 gallon jug. Am I missing something?

 

[dragonmaster42]

Can't really say if it's "normal" or not but I would assume if it's still bubbling, the yeast is doing it's thing. My 2 JAO's are both aroundthe 1 month point and are bubbling away. Depending on the sugar content in the fruit and honey (which can both vary) it could take longer or shorter than exactly2 months.

 

[gaudet]

When I take mine off the lees and the fruit, (nowhere close to that yet) I am going to have a lotmore than 4 oz to top off. Right now, the liguid + fruit is at the shoulder of my 1 gallon jug. Am I missing something?

His mead had cleared brilliantly, when we transferred back to another gallon jug we got some sediment in there so we took a little of that and when we topped off I think it was a half cup but not much more. A cup is 8 oz's right??

 

[admiral]

Here is a picture of mine just after creation. Other than adding water to raise the level, it has been, and is, in the dark.

 

[Waldo]

Looks great..will taste better

 

[uavwmn]

Admiral, looks really good!!! I wrapped a towel around mine to keep it in the dark. It is starting to clear a little now. It is 2 months old today.

 

[admiral]

Waldo, thanks. Looking forward to it!


uavwmn, Good idea with the towel! Especially since the recipe calls for keeping the wine warmer for development. Thanks for the idea.

Mine is not a month old yet. Just a newbie!

 

[K&GB]

Has anyone recorded the starting and ending SG for this concoction? I whipped up a 3-gal batch last night, and the SG was super high. Wonder where it'll finish....

 

[gaudet]

So tease us and not post the SG why dontcha???

I'll take a sg on my finished one and let you know what it is.

 

[uavwmn]

Looks good, admiral!!

 

[uavwmn]

K&GB, since this is my first mead and no one said to check the SG.

 

[K&GB]

My starting SG was 1.165

 

[JWMINNESOTA]

As the recipe states it will finish sweet...but I think thats better than the ultra high octane you would get from wine yeast on numbers like that.