Variations on Joe’s Ancient Orange

[summersolstice]

I've had great success with Joe Mattioli's Ancient Orange Mead, having
made 5-6 batches of various sizes. I've begun experimenting with
variations on the recipe using Fleishman's yeast. Sorry about the size
of the photo - I can't figure out how to shrink it. Left to right:



Most radicaly altered - 29 ozs. canned, Oregon Tart Cherries, raisins
with one qt orange blossom honey, 1t acid blend, 1/8t pectic enzyme,
1/8t tannin.



Very simple mixture - 1 orange and 1 lb pineapple chunks with 1 qt clover honey.



1 orange, 1 sliced mango, 1 banana, raisins, cinnamon stick but no cloves. One qt clover honey.

 

[MedPretzel]

They look fabulous!

Keep us posted -- I might just have to do another one.

 

[Big Port]

No kidding! That cherry sounds awesome! How about posting the recipes?

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

R G - How long do you/will you let them age?

 

[summersolstice]

I used Joe Mattioli's recipe that's been posted on every wine making board I've seen. Iexpect my experiments to clear in a couple of months, just as Joe's original recipe does. I use warmer water than Joe calls for when intitially making mine and the air lock is bubbling within2 minutes of pitching the yeast. I've used one quart (3 lbs) of honey per gallonafter the first 2-3 batches and like the results just fine. Here's the basic recipe, but with the changes I've noted above:


3 1/2 lbs Clover or your choice honey or blend (will finish sweet)
1 Large orange (later cut in eights or smaller rind and all)
1 small handful of raisins (25 if you count but more or less ok)
1 stick of cinnamon
1 whole clove ( or 2 if you like - these are potent critters)
optional (a pinch of nutmeg and allspice )( very small )
1 teaspoon of Fleishmann’s bread yeast ( now don't get holy on me--- after all this is an ancient mead and that's all we had back then)
Balance water to one gallon

Process:

Use a clean 1 gallon carboy

Dissolve honey in some warm water and put in carboy

Wash orange well to remove any pesticides and slice in eights --add orange (you can push em through opening big boy -- rinds included -- its ok for this mead -- take my word for it -- ignore the experts)

Put in raisins, clove, cinnamon stick, any optional ingredients and fill to 3 inches from the top with cold water. ( need room for some foam -- you can top off with more water after the first few day frenzy)

Shake the heck out of the jug with top on, of course. This is your sophisticated aeration process.

When at room temperature in your kitchen, put in 1 teaspoon of bread yeast. ( No you don't have to rehydrate it first-- the ancients didn't even have that word in their vocabulary-- just put it in and give it a gentle swirl or not)(The yeast can fight for their own territory)

Install water airlock. Put in dark place. It will start working immediately or in an hour.

 

[summersolstice]

Just an update on the variations:



My basement stays cool - 65F - this time of year but the various meads are doing quite nicely.



I currently have the ones pictured as well as a cranberry/grape (from
concentrate), another 5 gallons of traditional Joe's Ancient Orange,
and a mango nectar that I began last week.



The gallon jug second from right, made in the original recipe, will be ready to bottle next weekend.

 

[bilbo-in-maine]

Very good looking meads RG

 

[rgecaprock]

Question:


If I'm going to make 6 gallons of JM Ancient Meaddo I use 6 tsp of Fleishman's yeast?
Seems obvious but that seems like alot

.

Ramona

 

[Waldo]

I believe one good tablespoon will suffice Ramona

 

[rgecaprock]

Thanks Waldo,


That is what I thought too but wanted a comfirmation. Thank you!!! I'm making it now for the Rennaissance Festival this October.




Ramona

 

[grapeman]

Well that explains why such a big batch! Gotta serve it up in nice big steins! I assume with the color of the font that it will be Joe's Ancient Orange Mead?

 

[summersolstice]

I saw some activity in this thread and was surprised to realize that I'd forgot all about it. It's been over two years since the original post and, with such small batches, these are long gone! Looking back through my notes I see that the cherry was the most successful variation in terms of flavor.

I've made several more batches of Joe's AO since (including a couple of 5-gallon batches) and, I must admit, some didn't turn out as well as others. Some had a bitterness to them that I believe I can attribute to the amount of time on the fruit before bottling or racking. It seems to turn out better when there's a quick fermentation and clearing. If it takes longer than a couple of months from pitching the yeast to clear I'll rack it off the fruit and lees and allow it to clear that way.

I haven't made a batch now in nearly a year and I believe I still have 10-12 bottles squirreled away in various racks. I still make mead though not as much since I concentrate on wine making but I do have mulberry, riesling, and raspberry/chocolate meads in various stages of fermentation and bulk aging. I hate to see a nearly full five-gallon pail of honey sitting in the basement!

Edited by: Rule G

 

[rgecaprock]

Rule,


Kind of good to bring up the old threads. Are you a beekeeeper with having such a stash of honey? My dad keeps bees and that is where I got the honey for the mead. I made a trhee gallon batch the first time that was really great and as soon as the fruit sank I racked it then I think I added SuperKleer too and it was perfectly clear and no bitterness. Soundslike your cherry was good. Ramona

 

[summersolstice]

Hi Ramona- No, I don't keep bees but I have bought a lot of honey in the past few years. I began this hobby as a mead maker and have evolved into being primarily a winemaker. I've bought a couple of five gallon pails of alfalfa honey at the local farmer's market and have bought five gallon pails of wildflower and orange blossom, as well as a couple of gallon pails of western buckwheat, from Miller's in California.


Of course I've made my fair share of berry melomels and cysers but I've had very good luck using Alexander's white concentrates for making pyments.Several months ago I made a five gallon batch of caramel apple mead using pure apple juice (no added water) and crushed malt heated and rinsed with apple juice, along with a few other ingredients. I really liked that one!

 

[rgecaprock]

That Carmel Apple sounds so good !!!!