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My first official JAO Mead...

Barrel Char Wood Products

xanderphillips

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 22, 2014
60
0
6
Indiana
blog.xanderp.com
Followed the recipe for the amounts.
Zested the orange peel into the must, and peeled off the rinds because I don't like the pith.

I thought it was odd that this gallon batch floated my hydrometer OFF THE CHART so I couldn't get my initial values...

I spun it and poked it and prodded, even attempted a little bit of threatening, but it was having none of that!

Not sure why the original gravity was that high, but I'm assuming I'll end up with slightly alcoholic syrup to drink, as I used the bread yeast from the recipe, so I'm guessing not much of the honey will get converted... (it has a pretty low tolerance right?)

-X
 

joemirando

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Xander,

Higher ABV ain't everything. Bread yeast will get you to 10-12%. That's higher than Lambrusco. I had one batch that went a little crazy and went to 14.

Even using a higher tolerance yeast that will take you to 18%, is that extra alcohol going to make a big difference in the... ummm... desired effect? It will, I assure you, make a big difference in how long it takes your mead to mature, and the 'burn' it produces. "Jet fuel" is what comes to mind.

JAO was custom designed to be an easy beginners' mead, and damn if it don't fit the bill. I find that aging it for a while smooths it out nicely.

I am more interested in your hydrometer reading. What is the highest reading on your hydrometer? Better yet, what are its top-end and bottom-end markings? You used 3.5 lbs of honey to make a gallon batch? If it is a wine/beer hydrometer, it should be reading somewhere around 1.025 (give or take a few depending on the orange).

Get ready to watch the lava lamp show. Once things get going, its almost comical to watch the raisins in a batch of JAO. Almost certainly better than watching some of the dreck that's on TV. ;)

Joe
 

xanderphillips

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 22, 2014
60
0
6
Indiana
blog.xanderp.com
Oops

I just looked at the jar again and realized that the 'small' jar of honey I used is actually a 5 pound jar! I thought I had a 3 pound jar! Oh no!!! Will the yeast ever be able to eat enough of that to make it not like drinking syrup?

This is my hydrometer.

Wondering if I will need to rack to my 3 gallon carboy and add water to keep it from being horribly sweet...
 

GntlKnigt1

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Mar 17, 2004
2,484
8
38
Chicago area formerly Netherlands
Oops. Well, might be an interesting experiment in bread yeast sugar tolerance.....hydrometer is off the scale? Maybe someone that knows the usual SG for JAOM can suggest splitting it into 2 batches, adding water to the specified SG, and doubling your results.

Then again, you could boil some yeast and add it, and more raisins and see how far you can take the bread yeast down the road.....

Sent from Arthur Dent's towel smothering a volume of Vogon poetry, some of which just leaked out.
 

Riverat

Premium Patron
Premium Patron
I just looked at the jar again and realized that the 'small' jar of honey I used is actually a 5 pound jar! I thought I had a 3 pound jar! Oh no!!! Will the yeast ever be able to eat enough of that to make it not like drinking syrup?

This is my hydrometer.

Wondering if I will need to rack to my 3 gallon carboy and add water to keep it from being horribly sweet...

No
Yes, you will need to add a bit less than a half gallon of water to it

Shoot for 1.125
 

xanderphillips

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 22, 2014
60
0
6
Indiana
blog.xanderp.com
split to 2 carboys and topped up to ~1.1 sg

Added orange / zest / clove / cinnamon stick to the second carboy as well, didn't want to neglect that step-child!

SG ended up right about 1.1 maybe a tad bit higher.. (had to keep swirling hydrometer to keep it from getting stuck to an orange!) :)

They look golden and delicious!

12254663913_711843e2a0_d.jpg
 

loveofrose

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Nov 9, 2012
2,582
21
38
Texas
I've seen the starting gravity for JAOM vary from 1.13-1.14. FG ranges 1.045-1.03. Hope that helps!
 

kudapucat

NewBee
Registered Member
Dec 2, 2010
2,383
10
0
Bundoora, Melbourne, Australia
No

Yes, you will need to add a bit less than a half gallon of water to it



Shoot for 1.125

Being as it's started fermenting this may be a tad high, but there's no way to know.



I've seen the starting gravity for JAOM vary from 1.13-1.14. FG ranges 1.045-1.03. Hope that helps!


This would definitely be too high for me (try to always use 4 digits eg. 1.030 - it's less confusing)
Especially as it's started fermenting already.
When it's finished, if it's balanced, I've had drinkable JAO from 1.015-1.050, though the 1.050 was a rare beast indeed.

If it is too sweet for your taste, we can try adding some acid or tannin to balance it.

What you've done so far is the most you could hope to do. Now it's time to sit back and see what comes.
 

mannye

Administrator
Administrator
Moderator
Oct 10, 2012
4,167
25
38
57
Miami Beach, FL
I always think that it can't hurt to make another batch of JAOM with half the required honey, and let that sucker go completely dry then use it to blend with the sweet one.


Sent from my galafreyan transdimensional communicator 100 years from now. G
 

ScotRob

NewBee
Registered Member
Aug 31, 2012
53
1
0
Perth, Scotland
Leave it

I would leave it now and see what you get at the end, rather than tinker by adding more water, raisins, etc...you never know, you may get a really really nice mead that you love...and if not, you can always chalk it up to experience and try again (or try blending it with a very dry white mead or wine)....NB: remember that JAOM should be at least slightly sweet,,,if you take it to dryness it will not taste good (the pith flavour and spices will overwhelm it)
 

xanderphillips

Worker Bee
Registered Member
Jan 22, 2014
60
0
6
Indiana
blog.xanderp.com
Ok, so they are looking very clear now. (This picture looks much more cloudy than real life. They started out looking like orange juice and now they are clear enough to read paper through.
How do I know when they are 'done'? After the nasty tastings I had today with my bochet and blackberry meads I'm looking for some success to cheer me up!

-Xanderphillips

[edit] oops, forgot the photo!
13364263405_96161cbf9d_z.jpg
 

GntlKnigt1

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Mar 17, 2004
2,484
8
38
Chicago area formerly Netherlands
That's the beauty of JAOM...simple, self clearing, quick to be drinkable and a good mead to start with. So, how does it taste?

Sent from the Nexus of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy which has been infected with Vogon poetry, some of which leaked out here.
 

mannye

Administrator
Administrator
Moderator
Oct 10, 2012
4,167
25
38
57
Miami Beach, FL
Once the fruit floating on top starts to sink you can steal a glass to taste. Then wait a little longer until all the fruit drops and then you can siphon the rest off.

If you get a little impatient (I did) you can jostle the fruit a little to get the yeast to drop off it which will hasten the lava lamp effect.


Sent from my galafreyan transdimensional communicator 100 years from now. G
 

joemirando

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Don't know, I haven't touched it! Instructions were something like "Don't touch it", so I didn't! LOL! That's why I was asking about how to know when I should interact with it...

I started 2 batches 3 months ago, and the fermentation has long since stopped, but the fruit had not fallen, so I stuck 'em both in the fridge for a day, and... plop, down went the fruit.

Joe
 
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