Joe's Ancient Orange and SpiceMead

[gaudet]

My starting SG was 1.165

I took a final reading and its 1.030

That's 18% ABV if I started at the same level as you did Ken.

and for argument's sake lets say I started with a lower sg at 1.150 I still have 16% abv in this puppy.

 

[uavwmn]

Admiral, I thought I had posted my JAO pictureat the 1 month mark. Don't see it, so here is mine starting to look a little clear. Lots of sediment now at the bottom.

 

[K&GB]

Just curious. Tripled the recipe, using 10-1/2 lbs of honey for a 3-gal batch. Topped up with about 3 cups of water this morning to bring it almost to the neck of the carboy. Still chugging away, as I assume it will be for the next month. How does the finished product taste? I know, patience...

 

[uavwmn]

K&GB,


can't help you in that dept. haha It just sounds like it would taste good. So, I figure if I only make a gallon, and it tastes like swamp water, I have only lost a gallon.
Same with the gallon strawberry wine I made yesterday. If it doesn't turn out, I am out only the $6 or $7 for the strawberries.


BUT, if it turns out AWESOME, I will make a larger batch!!!

 

[K&GB]

Well UAV, reading this thread got me to thinking about mead again. So since I was visiting Sam's anyway last weekend, I checked out their honey.Turns out it sells for almost 1/2 what I paid in the grocery store, so I picked up three 5-lb bottles. Oh, and I grabbed a big bag of oranges too.

Whipped up a 3-gal batch of ancient orange on Wednesday with all the recommended spices. Hey, doesn't that make it a metheglin? Here's a pic today.

Well, the wine puppies were awfully curious about that orange and honey smell in the pantry.

So I told them the storyof how I stumbled acrossthisawesome soundingAncient Orange recipeon the FVW forum.Afterwards, they wanted to know what I planned to do with the left-over honey. (Puppies are naturally inquisitive.

)

They asked if they could watch while I made another batch of mead, so I poked around in the freezer and happened upon a bag of frozen bluberries.

Keeping the concept simple (for the puppies you understand), I tossed the blueberries right in the mix, along with some Hungarian oak. So now we have a batch of blueberry melomel going alongside the ancient orange.

 

[uavwmn]

Well K&GB, seems like the puppies are an inspiration for you already!! And they look like intelligent wine pups. And their wine sniffing training seems to be coming along nicely also.

Let us know how the bluberry mead turns out.
AndI need to get to Tucson to Costco's!!!!!

 

[vcasey]

I just stabilized by Blueberry Mead last weekend made with OB honey. Ended up with an extra 1/2 gallon that I plan on mixing with my extra 1/2 gallon of Blackberry Mead made with clover honey (from Sam's). I use Sam's honey a lot just wish they would sell OB honey also.
VPC

 

[dragonmaster42]

Bet that blueberry smells good! I have 6g that has been in a secondary for about a month now and it's still bubbling slowly. It got off to a slow start though.
Watch out the wine puppies don't get to curious and sample the blueberry. You'll have two drunk pups with purple noses!!

I'm surprised how much sediment myJAO is throwing off. I tipped the carboys a bit, so hopefully it'll be easier to rack it.

 

[uavwmn]

gaudet, JAO mead is now racked in a clean carboy with airlock in place.
Do I keep checking the SG on this while it is clearing? What SG am I ultimately looking for?
Sure smells good!!!

 

[gaudet]

I don't know what its supposed to finish at cause the recipe isn't concerned about it. You don't need to take measurements unless you want to for your own benefit or knowledge. But I think Ken took an initial sg reading on the 3 gallon batch he started and it came out to be something crazy hot like 1.160 . Now I say mine is finished at 1.030 which that leaves you with 0.130 / .00736 for about 17.66 % ABV (if my starting gravity was 1.160)

Just remember this was my first (but not my last) attempt at this one too...

 

[uavwmn]

Oh, ok. then I will just leave it alone and let it clear for a couple of weeks.

 

[K&GB]

Looking good there UAV. Mine is officially two weeks old now and still chugging away slowly. I see the directions say to wait two months before racking. Any advice on how long to wait before bottling and drinking? Boy is this waiting thing hard!

 

[uavwmn]

Ken, it smells good also!!!! You will know when it is time to rack. Hardly any bubbles in the airlock and it clears with the lees on the bottom. My fuit remained on top and a few of the raisins dropped to the bottom.


BTW, I got a pair of hemostat scissors and pulled the stubborn orange slices out of the jug. Needlenose pliers will probably work also.

I think I read in an earlier thread that you bulk age a few months, then bottle.


71 degrees here for today!!! I love Arizona!!

 

[uavwmn]

I let mine set for a couple of months until the oranges dropped to the bottom. By that time it had self cleared and rather than rack and bulk age, I bottled. I used the smaller 375ml bottles because I wasn't sure how much I would be able to drink in one setting and didn't want the wine to go bad once opened. Beleive me, this wasn't a problem. It is very good.


If you are going to bulk age, I'd rack it after the fruit drops. For me this happened after about 2 months. Also, I let mine age for about a year before I drank any. Well worth the wait. I'm definately going to be making more after the first of the year.


Have fun


Monty


Ken, I found this thread by Montyfox. I am not sure if we add a sulphite to this and then bottle? I am going to let mine sit for a couple of weeks to make sure it is very clear, then bottle and wait......and wait......sigh...

 

[uavwmn]

smurfe, I racked my mead to a clean jug. It is clearing a little more now.
Do I degass this mead? Do I add a campden tab to it prior to bottling?
I am not sure what my next step is.

 

[gaudet]

I removed the orange slices with a tiny little fork (one used for condiment trays) It fit in the mouth of the jug, I just turned it upside down over the sink and removed the slices as I could reach them. I think Waldo uses clean pantyhose and stuffs the orange slices in and ties off the end. Makes it easier to fish out of the carboy when making larger batches I would imagine.

 

[smurfe]

smurfe, I racked my mead to a clean jug. It is clearing a little more now.
Do I degass this mead? Do I add a campden tab to it prior to bottling?
I am not sure what my next step is.

I have done both ways in regards to de-gassing. I haven't found much difference but I do let it set for quite a while so it may degas itself. I have never added k-meta or sorbate either. I don't believe a mead needs it.I never racked it except the Kumquat batch. If I follow the recipe to the "T" I just throw the stuff in a jug and let it set about 3 months, rack it to a bucket and bottle it. I have never had a batch not clear crystal clear except the batch if Kumquat which I had to add some Super Klear to it and it cleared overnight.

 

[uavwmn]

Smurfe, so I do not add anything to this mead. Once it clears I bottle it?

 

[gaudet]

smurfe, I racked my mead to a clean jug. It is clearing a little more now.
Do I degass this mead? Do I add a campden tab to it prior to bottling?
I am not sure what my next step is.

I have done both ways in regards to de-gassing. I haven't found much difference but I do let it set for quite a while so it may degas itself. I have never added k-meta or sorbate either. I don't believe a mead needs it.I never racked it except the Kumquat batch. If I follow the recipe to the "T" I just throw the stuff in a jug and let it set about 3 months, rack it to a bucket and bottle it. I have never had a batch not clear crystal clear except the batch if Kumquat which I had to add some Super Klear to it and it cleared overnight.

Smurfe, the one on the left is the Kumquat mead (started 1-1-09).
It cleared quite nicely as compared to the other JAO mead on the right. It took 2.5 months to clear.

 

[uavwmn]

gaudet, when I racked my mead it didn't quite get to the top of the jug. Do I top off with water?