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Ancient Orange and Spice Mead

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mannye

mannye

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Oct 10, 2012
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OK... Since I am going to be doing my first ever mead I am going to start with Joe's recipe HOWEVER... as a long time beer brewer... I can't do the bread yeast.. you can't make me. :p

How about a White Labs Belgian Ale yeast or a Champagne yeast? I'll add a blow off valve...no big deal. Maybe that would ferment out too much sugar?
 
Good luck. Since you dont want to follow the reciepie it may or may not turn out okay. Ive found using any other type of yeast results in unexpected behaviors and results. In other words the bread yeast works best.
 
Fine. Since it's only a gallon, I'll make two batches. One with the bread yeast and the other with something else. If there's any way to harumph on a forum I would like to do it now.

2c6c5194-1f07-46e3-864c-86fe28c94483.jpg
 
TheAlchemist said:
As the American Werewolf in London would say...

"Don't stray from the paaaath...stay on the path..."
Click to expand...


LOL. Ok. So can I assume clover or orange blossom won't really make much of a difference? I do like the fact that I can just go to my local supermarket for everything. But I have some beer yeast ready to expire I might try out just for laughs. I'll call the resultant brew "Honey Boo Boo" in anticipation of the disaster.
 
You could get a good result with some other yeast, like beer yeast. The main issue is one you already pointed out; too much sugar being fermented with not enough left behind to provide the sweetness this batch normally has.

Remember, void the recipe, and you void the guarantee. ;)
 
I've used Wyeast Sweet Mead Yeast 4184 (for sweet) and D-47 (for semi-sweet). They both turned out great! (nervously awaits horrible retribution from Meade Gods)

If you use 4184 - make sure you use a yeast starter and give it nutrients, it can be a bit finicky. And if you use D-47, don't ferment it above 70 degrees F. (and don't get it wet, feed it after midnight, or expose it to bright light ;D )
 
YogiBearMead726 said:
You could get a good result with some other yeast, like beer yeast. The main issue is one you already pointed out; too much sugar being fermented with not enough left behind to provide the sweetness this batch normally has.

Remember, void the recipe, and you void the guarantee. ;)
Click to expand...

Hmmm seems that I will be doing two batches for sure then.. one with the bread yeast and one with the (I'm at work so I think it's an ale yeast) other one.

I have to see at what point my beer yeast dies out but it's probably going to be after the Fleischmann's hence a dry end result. My solution might be to add a honey/water solution as if it was champagne after the degorgement.

I'll bet that's exactly what a lot of sparkling mead has done to it anyway right?

I'm already mentally preparing 8oz Coronita bottles for mailing out the end result...
 
S'like this......

The recipe is designed to be easy, with all ingredients available at local grocery store.

It uses bread yeast as that usually poops out earlier than a wine yeast, leaving a sweet batch, that is well balanced, with enough sweetness, yet counter-balancing acids, spicing etc.

You can easily replace the bread yeast with a wine yeast. But that will eat up most, if not all, of the available sugars, which gives you a flavour that focuses on the spicing and the bitterness from the Orange pith. It's not a good dry recipe.

Of course, you could either make the recipe to 1 imperial gallon (4.55 litres) or too 5 litres, both will give you a progressively less sweet flavour, or you could just use a wine yeast and ferment it dry, but then stabilise and back sweeten to taste. The higher level of alcohol will probably just mean longer ageing to get it too mellow.
 
mannye said:
My solution might be to add a honey/water solution as if it was champagne after the degorgement.

I'll bet that's exactly what a lot of sparkling mead has done to it anyway right?
Click to expand...

As long as you're not expecting to make a JAO that's sparkling. Getting anything with any amount of residual fermentable sugar to be sparkling safely requires force-carbonation or other fancy tricks. The key to JAO is that the yeast poops out early, so adding more sugar will just make it sweeter, you won't get any more fermentation.

If it's just plain fermented out dry, then yes, you''ll want to add more honey to backsweeten and it's up to you if you dilute it with water, I usually figure out how much I need and then dilute it in the honey jar with increasing amounts of mead :) But as Fatbloke says, it will take longer to age. The whole point of the recipe is to be able to make something drinkable within a couple months, without having to go to a brew supply store.
 
Thank you all very much! I will try both methods and see what the result is. That's half the fun! The other half is drinking the stuff!

All I need to do now is wait about a week or two for the winter to start (we only get about two solid months of "winter" (under 80F) which is when I try to do all my brewing as my brew fridge only has room for one 5 gal fermenter.

In the meantime I will gather all my supplies and take advantage of my lack of one gallon glass jugs to also ferment out some cider into beer bottles!

Pictures will be posted!
 
mannye said:
Fine. Since it's only a gallon, I'll make two batches. One with the bread yeast and the other with something else. If there's any way to harumph on a forum I would like to do it now.

2c6c5194-1f07-46e3-864c-86fe28c94483.jpg
Click to expand...

Ok that picture made my morning lol.

mannye said:
LOL. Ok. So can I assume clover or orange blossom won't really make much of a difference? I do like the fact that I can just go to my local supermarket for everything. But I have some beer yeast ready to expire I might try out just for laughs. I'll call the resultant brew "Honey Boo Boo" in anticipation of the disaster.
Click to expand...

Well I deffinately taste the difference between clover honey and orange blossom honey being used. I highly recomend the orange blossom honey if you can.
 
mannye said:
LOL. Ok. So can I assume clover or orange blossom won't really make much of a difference? I do like the fact that I can just go to my local supermarket for everything. But I have some beer yeast ready to expire I might try out just for laughs. I'll call the resultant brew "Honey Boo Boo" in anticipation of the disaster.
Click to expand...

Orange Blossom tends to be a bit sweeter for me -- at least, where I get it. I use Sue Bee for both clover and OB. Clover tends to be a bit more generic...

Btw, if it doesn't turn out well, you can always EXTERMINATE it... ;)
 
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