A few questions about my first mead (JAO)

[ChadK]

Okay, I'm getting the stuff together to make a batch, but a question occurred to me: If you stuff the orange through the neck to get it in to the bottle, how do you get it back out?

[fatbloke]

Once the orange has been in there for 2 to 3 months, its usually softened enough to be shaken out, at worst, you might need to use a bend wire coat hanger to fish out any stubborn pieces that won't shake out......

[ChadK]

Okay, that's not too bad. I had images of having to throw out one gallon bottles full of orange segments, cause I just couldn't get them out.

[TAKeyser]

If you have some stubborn pieces you can also fill the carboy with water and than tip it over the sink and the pressure of the water coming out usually pushes the fruit out with it.

[ChadK]

Oooh. Physics is your phriend.

[TAKeyser]

Originally Posted by ChadK

Oooh. Physics is your phriend.

lol. Maybe I should take that Physics class that I've been avoiding for my degree if it's that easy. Maybe I'll be able to find a Physics professer that brews beer/makes mead to be my tutor.

[ChadK]

Everything's easier if you can relate it to beer--or mead, but I have yet to actually brew any of that yet.

[TAKeyser]

Originally Posted by ChadK

Everything's easier if you can relate it to beer--or mead, but I have yet to actually brew any of that yet.

Plan on getting addicted. Which really isn't a bad thing with Mead since the aging process takes a while. I try to make Mead at least once a month so that I have a constant stream of mead in some stage in the process. Almost every month something is being enjoyed, something is aging in the bottles, something is aging in carboys, something is fermenting and something is being made.

[The_Bishop]

I'm still in the beginning of that cycle! The stuff I fermented first is still aging.

[TAKeyser]

Originally Posted by The_Bishop

I'm still in the beginning of that cycle! The stuff I fermented first is still aging.

It's a process. I stopped for a while when I knew I would be moving (full carboys are a pain to move) and it ruined the cycle and I ran out of bottled mead in the process. After about 18 months I'm fully into that cycle again.

[ChadK]

Sounds like a good plan. I may have to get a few more gallon jugs to fully implement the cycle.

[TAKeyser]

Originally Posted by ChadK

Sounds like a good plan. I may have to get a few more gallon jugs to fully implement the cycle.

I think I have a total of two 6 gallon carboys, two 5 gallon carboys, two 3 gallon carboys and 18 1 gallon carboys along with two 7.5 gallon buckets, three 6 gallon buckets and two 2.5 gallon buckets and a 5 gallon bottling bucket.

[ChadK]

So you are saying that when I actually buy a house, it's gonna be to make room for my brewing habit?

[TAKeyser]

Originally Posted by ChadK

So you are saying that when I actually buy a house, it's gonna be to make room for my brewing habit?

Yeah that is pretty much how it goes. Never used to care about a basement, but now it's a must have for storing those aging carboys and bottles. And lets not forget about extra sinks with enough space to wash the larger carboys in. A place to put a bar in would be nice.