Running Low

[veritas]

I remodeled with the help of some great friends my three season porch into a space for the enjoyment of mead, cigars, scotch, and most of all conversation! Now Its been about a week since the furniture hit the space and I'm all ready running out of mead. I'm really going to have to pick up production around here. At this rate I think its time to keg serve the mead.

[TAKeyser]

Wish I had the space to do something like this.

[Loadnabox]

Lots of JAO, I've started working on making batches 8-10 gallons at a time a couple months apart.

My last batch was started 1/6/2012 so I think I'll start another batch with my mom when she comes to visit in a week. It's about time lest I run out of it all again!

[TAKeyser]

Originally Posted by Loadnabox

Lots of JAO

I'm now making my first JOA (don't know why I never did it before), but this better be as good as everyone says

[Loadnabox]

Originally Posted by TAKeyser

I'm now making my first JOA (don't know why I never did it before), but this better be as good as everyone says

It's not so much that it's the best mead ever. It's that it comes ready more quickly than others and is cake to make compared to batches that require nutrient additions, racking, rehydration etc.

Don't mistake it though, with a small amount of time (6 months) JAO is still a mighty good drink!

[TAKeyser]

Originally Posted by Loadnabox

It's not so much that it's the best mead ever. It's that it comes ready more quickly than others and is cake to make compared to batches that require nutrient additions, racking, rehydration etc.

Don't mistake it though, with a small amount of time (6 months) JAO is still a mighty good drink!

I hadn't planned on drinking until the 6 month mark, so we're good there.

[veritas]

Its amazing how fast it goes!

[PamW]

I asked a while back on another thread about carbonating JAO, and I did as suggested by (I think) Medsen Fey and force carbonated it the way my DH does his beer. It turned out terrific and was a big hit at a friend's wedding. Don't sell JAO short. There's so much you can do with it just by varying the types of oranges and raisins.

[Echostatic]

I've had success going beyond oranges and trying other types of "orange-like" citrus fruits too. There's a whole lot you can do with the recipe. My most recent 6 gallon batch has two navals, two tangelos and two tangerines in it. Last taste, it was pretty darned good.

[Chevette Girl]

I've done many, many things to break the warranty on that recipe, and most of them even turned out pretty good as long as you keep the honey proportion the same, use enough fruit to contribute some acidity, and use bread yeast. Some of the citrus hits were lemon-date and tangelo-vanilla, the grapefruit was OK but you have to really like grapefruit and it takes a year to be nice. My two best non-citrus JAO-based aberrations have been the ornamental crabapple and the blackberry... the ones I was least impressed with were unripe apple (blech), strawberry and black raspberry (didn't use enough fruit in either).

[fivecats]

Originally Posted by Chevette Girl

I've done many, many things to break the warranty on that recipe, and most of them even turned out pretty good as long as you keep the honey proportion the same, use enough fruit to contribute some acidity, and use bread yeast.

The honey proportion and fruit balance (for acidity) I understand. What is it about the bread yeast that is so essential to this recipe?

[Chevette Girl]

Originally Posted by fivecats

The honey proportion and fruit balance (for acidity) I understand. What is it about the bread yeast that is so essential to this recipe?

I think it's because it thrives in a harsh environment such as when we toss it dry into a high-sugar solution, it does its thing, and then it usually all stops at once and all dies off when it's hit 10-12% alcohol. If you do something like that with wine yeast, it might stick in protest oft the high SG or it might finish completely dry, and the residual sweetness is essential to being able to drink this without aging it much, which is why we tell people who proudly announce that they have just made a JAO following the directions exactly except they changed the yeast, that they didn't make JAO, they made a spiced orange metheglin and it isn't likely going to be too tasty at 2 months.

I find that the bread yeast also generally drops clear fairly quickly as soon as it's done whereas wine yeast is a bit more tenacious and sometimes takes a lot longer for the last few yeast cells to finish what they were doing and drop off to the bottom. But as always, your mileage may vary.

[TAKeyser]

I'm just having trouble not touching the JOA. It's time for fermaid and aeration, but no I have to keep my hands off the stuff until it clears. It's so difficult

[Echostatic]

JOA... *twitch* JAO man, JAO >.>

Yeast also affects flavor, though to what degree, I'm uncertain.

[fivecats]

Many thanks, Chevette Girl!

[skunkboy]

It helps to be lazy...

[Loadnabox]

Originally Posted by skunkboy

It helps to be lazy...

So I've been learning. A closet full of meads, I look and think "Dang, those have gotta be close to a year by now!"

Check the label and nope. I should know by now, the two that are closest to a year are the two worst ones, my "Mallow out" and my "Loaded Brew".

The former has fully incorporated into geraniols, I have no clue what I could mix it with to hide that taste (BLECH!) the other is just... 17.5% stale coffee

[skunkboy]

Hmm...I should really taste my mead that has been sitting in a carboy since 2007... if only the head space was not so big, I suspect oxidation might be an issue... *sigh*

[Echostatic]

I can't remember the last time I've messed with mine... Much to their delight, I'm sure.

[veritas]

I should finally get around to that strawberry mel tomorrow!