Joe's Ancient Orange and SpiceMead

[grapeman]

Three months aging would be quick drinking. Meads typically need to age over a year to be good.

 

[gaudet]

Well the one I bottled this weekend was just a shade under 3 months old. I started it on Nov 15, 08. I have another batch that I won't drink quite nearly as soon. Its going to age for at least a year before I start drinking it (maybe

).

 

[K&GB]

Gaudet, lol, I never tasted it!! Smelled good tho.

I admire your restraint UAV. Not sure I could match it though. I would have only gotten 8 bottles...

 

[gaudet]

Good thing you have 3 gallons going Ken..........

 

[K&GB]

Gaudet, thanks for the update. After my dismal failure with mandarin orange wine last year, I've been kind of wondering if this would turn into something worth while. Glad to hear it tastes good, even at the three month mark. I imagine it's an early drinker because it's sweet. Still watching the calendar for mine. Only three weeks old today...

 

[uavwmn]

Ken, lol, I bottled them quick and cleaned up quick so as not to taste any.

As soon as I get another 1 gal jug I am starting the lime mead.

 

[uavwmn]

Ok, into a dark cool place they go!!!! Cute little buggers!!! haha

 

[K&GB]

I racked mine today. I know, cardinal sin - it's only a month old. Signs of fermentation were almost nonexistant, so I wanted to see where it was. SG 1.068. So, it started at roughly 38 brix and is now at roughly 17 brix. That's 11% ABV. Tastes nice, orange, and very sweet. Guess I'll top up with water and let it finish up now.

 

[dragonmaster42]

For any of y'all that have done a 5 gallon batch, how much JAO do you actually end up with? It's hard to tell how much liquid is in there with the fruit and lees.


Mine is about ready to rack and either bottle or age some more to clear a bit (one is clear, one is a bit hazy).

 

[RkyMtnWine]

Whipped up a couple gallons of the Ancient Orange yesterday using wildflower Raw honey. This first onelooks a little odd.. Had a left over Kiwi and added it to the Orange.. Puffy clouds hanging. The fermentation did start but very slow, and not all that noticeable.

Just used an orange on this one..No puffy clouds and fermenting is quite visable.

 

[Tiffany]

Has anyone double or even quadrupled this recipe? We would like make quite a bit more than a gallon. Using some for drinking of course

and some for Christmas gifts. I know some recipes say if you just multiply it doesn't work right. Wondered if anyone has made a6 gallon batch?

 

[RkyMtnWine]

Hi Tiffany. Certainly you can double your recipe... I have not done so, this is my first mead.. I do believe Waldo and others in the forum mentioned making larger batches... If you search in the Mead area or Recipe area you should find information on that... also Wade,Waldo,Appleman,Northern Wino,and others are very good at sharing their expertise.. also you could email George. Another thing you could do is make additional gallons, tweak the recipe using other fruits as a base.....find the one you really enjoy and go from there. You will find recipes for variations...

 

[Tiffany]

Thanks, I may email George before we start.

 

[Waldo]

I did a6 gallon batch that turned out great Tiffany and pretty much used the original recipe x6 for everything except the yeast. I used3TBSP of yeast. I made a starter with one, pitched it and then the next day I just sprinkled the next 2TBSP in,Oh yes, dont start with any more than about 5-1/4 gallon volume total.After that initial violent fermentation slows down then go ahead and add more to bring it on up. When i got ready to rack it I racked into a 5 gallon carboy, keeping my auto siphon just above all the sediment and dropped fruit. I ended up with a good clear 5 gallons and a couple of 750 ml bottles of cloudy but still very good mead which was drank prettyquick.


Also, when you think it is ready to rack go ahead and move it to where you will be racking from and then let it set for another week as you will cloud it somewhat when you do move it. That is unless you can make it from where it will be racked from which would be the optimum.

 

[Tiffany]

Thanks Waldo! We are working on getting the stuff for this one. I have read so much about it being wonderful. I'm more the wine maker/drinker and my husband the mead maker/drinker. This one does sound yummy though. I think it would make excellent Chrismas gifts with a dressed up bottle!

 

[K&GB]

This one's a real exercise in patience. I made a three-gal batch. After one month, I saw the orange slices on top start to dry out and look nasty, so I racked it and topped up with water. (The orange slices still smelled perfectly fresh when I pulled them out of the carboy) Since then there's been almost noairlock activity, so I'm not sure what's going on now. But it hasn't even started to clear. Maybe I ruined it. Three more weeks and it'll be two months. We'll see what happens then.

 

[gaudet]

This one's a real exercise in patience. I made a three-gal batch. After one month, I saw the orange slices on top start to dry out and look nasty, so I racked it and topped up with water. (The orange slices still smelled perfectly fresh when I pulled them out of the carboy) Since then there's been almost noairlock activity, so I'm not sure what's going on now. But it hasn't even started to clear. Maybe I ruined it. Three more weeks and it'll be two months. We'll see what happens then.

I doubt that you ruined it. You just made more of it then the original recipe. I have made two different batches of this (1 gal each) and both cleared differently. The first batch took almost 3 months to clear, the second took about 5 weeks.

Here are the 10 bottles of the Kumquat Mead I made following in Smurfe's footsteps. ANd it is better than the orange. Next attempt will be a lime mead

 

[Waldo]

I'M slobbering gaudet

 

[vcasey]

Next attempt will be a lime mead

I think I may have just located some Key Lime Honey, not the flavored stuff. I plan on getting enough for both a Traditional and a Key Lime Mead. Hopefully I'll find out for sure tomorrow. My start date will be some time in April.
VPC

 

[gaudet]

I'm trying to get my hands on some tupelo honey. I want to make the recipe I saw that Masta made tupelo vanilla mead. it sounds delicious.