Joe Mattioli's Ancient Orange and spice Mead recipe

[billybuntus]

Hello all,

Looks like a promising recipe. As a relative youngster I'm not familiar with lbs

what does 3.5 lbs equate to in grams (I take it that honey will be measured in grams?)

I make it 3.5 lb = 1587.573 g

is that correct?

Thanks

[lockwood1956]

correct!
454 g to 1lb

[billybuntus]

correct!
454 g to 1lb

Roger,

I've managed to put a batch together last night, I just need to find a cinnamon stick on my way home tonight and chuck that in.

Thanks

[wipka84]

Just started this off and its quite happily bubbling away in the kitchen after bottling a traditional mead and a cyser. Much easier this way!

No cinnamon as the other half hates the taste, but it looks great.

[Mamgiowl]

Welcome to the forum and let us know how it turns out without the cinnamon.

[fatbloke]

I've noticed a few recent replies to this.

So just to add, as a guide, that 3lb of honey (1.36kg) will give you, approximately, a gravity of about 1090(ish) when made up into 4 litres.

If you then take into account that the JAO recipe is made up to a full imperial gallon (4.55 litres), but also has fruit, then there's a bit of leeway for the numbers i.e. if the 3lb/1.36kg of honey as part of 4 litres, then add the fruit, but also a bit of water (after it's finished foaming etc) then as you can see, the gravity will be in the region of 1090, which would explain why, when using bread yeast, it gives a reasonably sweet end result.

The use of wine yeast instead, will purely, by the fact of increased alcohol tolerance, make it a stronger brew, which could easily lead to "alcohol hotness" in the taste when it's young (and don't forget Ken Schramm's analogy of "Listerine" - I prefer to phrase it as "medicinal").

If you find that sort of taste present, you'll start to understand why it is that meads are frequently aged for quite some time (years in some cases).

Of course, the distinct advantage of using a wine yeast, is that it tends to "flocculate" better (cling together in a "lump") at the bottom of the jar, making it easier to rack etc. Bread yeast can be a bugger to rack as it gets stirred up very easily.

Take notice of the original recipe, when considering your ingredients i.e. fruit and the spices etc. Moderation in all things is key. As you will find that it's quite easy to end up with a very strong citrus taste if you use too much, likewise the same with the spices (especially the cloves).

When you've got it made, don't be frightened to just to bulk store it (safety cap is an excellent idea to allow for continued de-gassing without worrying about an airlock going dry). Wait until it's aged some before you think on whether you want to back sweeten it or not. You'd be surprised how dramatically meads can change with time (more pronounced than wines quite often).

Just my 2 pence worth

regards

JtFB

[ukmastiff]

Just thought I'd let folk know , im sterilising as we speek and about to put on (1) some Joe's Mead , some ciser from pressed juice with a little blackcurrent added and some ridiculously tropical concoction again with pressed juice
( with no additives alledgedly).

Grounds for the three different products :

1) They say variety is the spice of life
2) Hopefully I cant mess up all three

Cheers for providing much of my inspiration !

Mas

[lockwood1956]

Try to save a bottle of JAOM for christas day....its yummy....christmas in a bottle almost (well...in my head it is anyhoooooo)

[ukmastiff]

I've just found out I forgot the raisins duhhhhh ( isnt that just the way)
is it an essential ingredient at the start or can I put it on and add them on Tuesday, ? I live in a rather remote spot for nipping to the shops.

Cheers Mas

[fatbloke]

I've just found out I forgot the raisins duhhhhh ( isnt that just the way)
is it an essential ingredient at the start or can I put it on and add them on Tuesday, ? I live in a rather remote spot for nipping to the shops.

Cheers Mas

I shouldn't have thought that would be a problem. It's only a couple of days after all.

The raisins are probably just for body as there isn't enough of them to affect the other flavour ingredients.

the only real thing to think of is the cloves - they're are, as was stated in one copy of the recipe I read "powerful little sucka's". If you over do it with them, then damn, you'll know it when you taste it! I stick to 1 per gallon, 2 at most!

regards

JtFB

[ukmastiff]

Lo all, is it normal once you have shaken it and stuck it in the cupboard for the honey to be sitting in the bottom.

Cheers Mas

[fatbloke]

Lo all, is it normal once you have shaken it and stuck it in the cupboard for the honey to be sitting in the bottom.

Cheers Mas

Nope, but I'd guess that you might not have shaken it enough, or just not used warm water ?????

Not that it really matters, because the yeast will probably do it's thing anyway, though it might be a bit slow to start, so if you've got a spare 10 or 15 minutes, then I'd probably be sanitising the handle of a long spoon or stirrer and give it a damn good stirring to........

It won't matter as you'll be aerating the must just nicely (presumably having left room for it to foam a bit ????

regards

JtFB

[ukmastiff]

Thanks , I did use luke warm water but didnt use it at all hot a si thought this was a good way to kill your yeast :P

I have added some hot water tiny bit by tiny bit and then shake , water , shake , water, shake then BIG SHAKE and stuck it back in the cupboard.

In my defence I did try to folow the recipe using warm ( quite hot actually) water to get the honey out of the jars etc then topped up with cold.

(P.S it's bubbling away gently this morning )

Cheers Mas

[wipka84]

I was really impressed with how easy and quick this recipe was to make that I filled another demijohn, replacing the orange for a lemon and adding cinammon. That way I can have it all and she cant get hold of any.

I also forgot the raisons in the orange one until you just reminded me UKmastiff. They've just been plonked in now.

I also had a go at Joe's grape pyment, so have all three bubbling away nicely in the kitchen.

[Tuco]

Decided to give JAOM a go Haven't topped up because I found I only had 1/2 the honey needed halfway through making, top it up when I get more honey, but it's fermenting away nicely, just watching the raisins rise and fall