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First batch...concerns

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pceratto

NewBee
Registered Member
May 18, 2010
3
0
0
Hey guys, I'm definitely a noob to mead making.

I started my first batch a few hours ago and now it's sitting nicely in my cabinet with the airlock bubbling occasionally.

The recipe I made was JAOM, and I followed the directions I found exactly. My concern though, is that despite a ton of shaking and stirring, all my honey is at the bottom. This is to be expected I figure as honey is more dense than water, yet all other pictures I've seen of peoples mead freshly mixed it seems to be a homogeneous mixture.

I feel as though I've done something wrong, but if I haven't I'll be glad to hear it.

Thanks in advance.
 

akueck

Certified Mead Mentor
Certified Mead Mentor
Jun 26, 2006
4,958
11
0
Ithaca, NY
Honey can be quite stubborn about being mixed with water. Good news is that it will dissolve over time on its own, so you should be fine.

If you want to mess with it (and suffer the wrath of Joe!), you can sanitize a long-handled, nonporous spoon or other implement and give it a stir.
 

pceratto

NewBee
Registered Member
May 18, 2010
3
0
0
Ah, that is good news akueck...I was starting to get worried.

Thank you for the information.
 

akueck

Certified Mead Mentor
Certified Mead Mentor
Jun 26, 2006
4,958
11
0
Ithaca, NY
I read somewhere that you don't have to emulsify the honey in some recipes in order to get a good result, and that it actually has some advantages to leave the honey at the bottom. Is this true, or was the guy a quack?

I think it was DaleP who said he does all his meads by letting the honey dissolve on its own over time. We all came up with a crazy acronym for it which I can't remember now but was something like Bottom Diffusion Continuous Feeding or some-such. There are pros and cons to this approach, but it makes mead.
 

pceratto

NewBee
Registered Member
May 18, 2010
3
0
0
Another question, what temperature is best for JOAM? Seeing as it uses bread yeast, I can't really find any information on the internet about ideal fermentation temperature or anything like that.

With the recent heat we've been getting where I live, I fear it may be getting too hot in my cabinet to ferment it well, however I'm hesitant to move it to my basement where it is likely much too cold for the yeast to be active.
 

Nysrock

NewBee
Registered Member
Mar 13, 2010
42
0
0
Lansing, MI
I believe Joe's recipe calls for it to be kept between 74-80 degrees. I keep mine in a closet with an oil heater set at 76 degrees and have had no problems yet. Just bottles my first batch of JAOM and started the 2nd and it is already bubbling away merrily.
 
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