• PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.

First timer, did JAOM, quick question

Toggle sidebar
Barrel Char Wood Products
D

Daelomin

NewBee
Registered Member
Sep 2, 2012
1
0
0
Just did up my first 1-gallon batch of JAOM and things seem to be progressing nicely! It's bubbling away as we speak. Now, I have some limited experience with brewing (I've done a few partial-extract homebrewed beers) and something at the end of the JAOM recipe seems completely foreign to me, so I just wanted to ask about it here and find out what the scoop is.

It says in the recipe that after about 2 months "you can put a hose in with a small cloth filter on the end into the clear part and siphon off the golden nectar", but what do you do with it at this point? Does it mean that it's immediately drinkable from here? Do you bottle it? I get the impression that you just drink it from here, so that leads to another question... is mead not supposed to be carbonated, like beer? I don't know why I assumed it did, but this revelation makes me want to just make sure. Also, if someone were to bottle it with a little added honey to let the yeasties do more in the bottle (like when you bottle condition an ale to carbonate it), what would the effect be? Would it still be good?

Thanks for your time!
 
T

THawk

Crazy Martian Cat
GotMead Patron
Mar 15, 2011
637
2
0
On one of 7000+ islands in the Pacific
First of all, welcome to GotMead!!

Yes, a JAOM is drinkable straight out of fermentation. But like any good wine, it gets better with age. Try to keep from touching it for 6 months or so and you'll find that it's simply awesome! ;D


Daelomin said:
Just did up my first 1-gallon batch of JAOM and things seem to be progressing nicely! It's bubbling away as we speak. Now, I have some limited experience with brewing (I've done a few partial-extract homebrewed beers) and something at the end of the JAOM recipe seems completely foreign to me, so I just wanted to ask about it here and find out what the scoop is.

It says in the recipe that after about 2 months "you can put a hose in with a small cloth filter on the end into the clear part and siphon off the golden nectar", but what do you do with it at this point? Does it mean that it's immediately drinkable from here? Do you bottle it? I get the impression that you just drink it from here, so that leads to another question... is mead not supposed to be carbonated, like beer? I don't know why I assumed it did, but this revelation makes me want to just make sure. Also, if someone were to bottle it with a little added honey to let the yeasties do more in the bottle (like when you bottle condition an ale to carbonate it), what would the effect be? Would it still be good?

Thanks for your time!
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Khan

Khan

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Apr 11, 2012
93
2
8
South jersey
Daelomin said:
is mead not supposed to be carbonated, like beer? I don't know why I assumed it did, but this revelation makes me want to just make sure. Also, if someone were to bottle it with a little added honey to let the yeasties do more in the bottle (like when you bottle condition an ale to carbonate it), what would the effect be? Would it still be good?!
Click to expand...

Mead can be sparkling/carbonated and it tastes just fine either way. I have taken to making gingerale (with and without alcohol) and they are bottle carbonated, and taste just fine IMHO.
Be careful when you bottle, especially if you are carbonating on purpose; if you are not careful, you will find a room full of broken glass and a sticky mess! Make sure you have the correct bottles, like beer/soda or champagne bottles... something designed to handle the pressure.
 
kudapucat

kudapucat

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 2, 2010
2,383
10
0
Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia
WOAH!!!!!

Hold up there everybody!

The man said he was making JAO.
JAO has residual sweetness.
What this means is there's ALREADY extra sugar(honey) for the yeast to eat, only they're dead on account of poisoning themselves with the alcohol they produced.

So.
Short answer is: no, you can't carbonate in the bottle.

Long answer is: it can be carbonated, but you must use legging equipment.

Personally, I believe a JAO is sweet enough to benefit from carbonation, but I've not done more than samples so far. Try uh with a soda stream maker if you like.
JAO is designed as a flat desert wine. If you dry it out ever so slightly, it makes a good "chick drink", which the boys and I really enjoy.

As for drinking straight up:
Alcohol and yeast are fickle beasts.
Sometimes it's good, sometimes not.
JAO is always drinkable 3months after adding the yeast, and pretty damn fine 6 months after, I've never had one last longer.
IMHO, it needs to be off the fruit for a while to taste good. So as soon as the fruit drops, bottle it - and start making another, as you'll find none of this will last 3 months, let alone 6!!
 
Chevette Girl

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
Moderator
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Apr 27, 2010
8,447
59
48
Ottawa, ON
Daelomin, welcome to the forum!!

Remember, the JAO recipe was designed for people not necessarily familiar with winemaking or the usual equipment... When the fruit sinks is usually when I rack it. I have bottled it straight from there but usually I manage to kick up some of the sediment so I usually rack it to a fresh carboy for at least a couple weeks to settle out. I don't bother topping it off at this point and so far I've never had one oxidize from it (not to say you SHOULD continue breaking all the usual winemaking rules once you've racked it, just some anecdotal evidence of how idiot-proof this recipe has been for me if you follow the rest of its directions).

Sweet AND carbonated mead is a difficult proposition without kegging equipment, as Kudapucat and Riverat indicated.
 
Chevette Girl

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
Moderator
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Apr 27, 2010
8,447
59
48
Ottawa, ON
kudapucat said:
Stupid bloody iPhone always putting American words in with autocorrect.
It's like the rest of the world doesn't exist.
Click to expand...

Well, it doesn't, does it?
;D

(is there a way to turn that off? If not I'm likely never going to get a more than dumb cellphone...)

And if you think Autocorrect is fun, you should have tried the DragonNaturally Speaking dictation software in its earlier years. Dictating a technical paper to it always gave my poor boyfriend the most hilarous results for his essays...
 
kudapucat

kudapucat

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 2, 2010
2,383
10
0
Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia
Lol.
Fortunately voice to text is pretty good.
Also autocorrect's not that bad. I make use of it 1in 5 words. It's just the 1 in 10 times that it it does the right thing, and the 1 in 5 of those times that I don't notice.
It puts apostrophes in, capitalises when needed - including proper nowns - fixes typos because the keyboard is so small.
It really is brilliant - until it stuffs up :)
Anyhow, we're getting a bit far off topic methinks.
 
Chevette Girl

Chevette Girl

All around BAD EXAMPLE
Moderator
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Apr 27, 2010
8,447
59
48
Ottawa, ON
kudapucat said:
- including proper nowns - fixes typos because the keyboard is so small.
It really is brilliant - until it stuffs up :)
Click to expand...

it apparently also doesn't know what a noun is :)

Sorry, back on topic!!

Kegging equipment!! There, corrected!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns

Top Bottom