# Has any one made this mead



## reeny (Jul 6, 2012)

Hi everyone 

This is my first mead attempt

Been reading www.stormthecastle.com website. Here is the recipe has anyone made this??


I was wondering what the fleishmann's yeast does to this instead of something like lalvin d 47???

Also noticed there is no yeast energizer etc???

Orange Clove Mead (This is one of the best recipes, tastes great and is easy to make. If you are looking for a first recipe to try I recommend this one.

Interesting flavor and makes 1 gallon

1 gallon of Spring Water
Yeast: Fleishcmanns (1 packet)
25 Raisins
1 Cinnamon stick
1 whole orange, sliced and peels included
1 pinch of allspice
1 pinch of nutmeg
3 1/2 pounds of clover honey
1 whole clove
Simply mix all the ingredients then pitch your yeast. Caring for this mead? The beautiful thing about this mead is that you can rack it off of all the oranges and raisins any time you want to, or you can just leave it all in there. When the oranges sink to the bottom you are ready to drink it or bottle it.. Simple as that. I recommend you bottle it and let it age for a couple more months. This recipe is just simply delicious.


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## fatbloke (Jul 8, 2012)

reeny said:


> Hi everyone
> 
> This is my first mead attempt
> 
> ...


You'll find better, and more info if you search for the original recipe, known as "Joe's Ancient Orange Spiced Mead" a.k.a. joe's ancient orange/JAO/JAOM.

It's an excellent beginners recipe, as you can get all the ingredients from a grocery store/shop, you just need the fermenter.

IMO, it's not drinkable once all the fruit has sunk. I find, that like most meads, it does need some ageing. So once the fruit has sunk, it needs to be racked off the fruit debris/lees (actually it's a bugger to rack as bread yeast doesn't flocculate very well, so it's often best to move it to where it needs to be for the racking the day before, too allow it to settle again - then the racking still needs some care).

It will make for a sweet mead, the nutrient comes from the orange and raisins (bread yeast doesn't need much).

The relative sweetness of the recipe is needed to mask the bitterness that comes from the orange pith. The problem with using a wine yeast, is that it will invariably ferment dry, which concentrates the bitterness as well as giving you a stronger mead, %ABV-wise. Sure you can back sweeten some (to taste), but the higher strength will mean that it needs ageing longer.

Will also suggests a similar recipe at Storm the Castle, but I understand he uses wine yeast in his version. I've not made his version, so don't know how it might turn out.

Variants of the JAO recipe don't usually come out good. It's not a good "dry" recipe, but it's an excellent, nice and basic, sweet one. 

If you try stuff like "segmenting" the orange and just adding the flesh, and zest from the skin, it comes out too sweet (no bitterness to balance).


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## Neviawen (Jul 8, 2012)

I got this recipe from the same website and tried it except I used the wine yeast. Like fatbloke stated, mine did ferment dry and has a bitter taste. I do like the orange/spice combination that it has but it's still far from done. Go ahead and try it. It's only a gallon batch. Worst case senario, in a year or so when it's aged some if you don't like it, you didn't waste but had fun making it. 
~Kate


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## fatbloke (Jul 8, 2012)

Neviawen said:


> I got this recipe from the same website and tried it except I used the wine yeast. Like fatbloke stated, mine did ferment dry and has a bitter taste. I do like the orange/spice combination that it has but it's still far from done. Go ahead and try it. It's only a gallon batch. Worst case senario, in a year or so when it's aged some if you don't like it, you didn't waste but had fun making it.
> ~Kate


If you made it with wine yeast and it fermented dry and you don't like it, then you can just back sweeten it later on.

If you used bread yeast and you find it too sweet, then just add some vodka.

Both would be "added to taste" and the consequences of the first part are that it would end up more viscous to taste as well as sweet, the second idea is that it will make it more "dry", but also reduce the viscosity of it.

So it would have "swings and roundabouts" whatever you decide, but it can also be used for "topping up" other batches if you enjoy making it and make more or different types.......


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## saramc (Jul 8, 2012)

I made the JMAO recipe, mine fermented dry. It took a year before I could even tolerate it, didn't like it backsweetened, but loved it backsweetened with chocolate syrup (which I allowed to drop out and clear), ended up with a chocolate orange spiced mead. Worked for me, to each their own. I have definitely moved on to traditional wine and mead making. But it was fun to do, was the first mead I ever made...almost like a rite of passage.


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## reeny (Jul 8, 2012)

Thanks everyone I think I am leaning toward the recipe on storm the castle for several reasons my honey is pretty raw right from my hives I think I should heat the must. I don't want any other wild beasties in there. Second I like the idea of using the wine yeast and yeast nutrients I think from what I have read that it will make a better mead. I think I will add orange, raisins, cloves, cinnamon stick. I have some mango I could even make a mango mead. If it is too dry I could back sweeten at the end. 
I don't know I am new but I should have fun making.


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## fatbloke (Jul 8, 2012)

reeny said:


> Thanks everyone I think I am leaning toward the recipe on storm the castle for several reasons my honey is pretty raw right from my hives I think I should heat the must. I don't want any other wild beasties in there. Second I like the idea of using the wine yeast and yeast nutrients I think from what I have read that it will make a better mead. I think I will add orange, raisins, cloves, cinnamon stick. I have some mango I could even make a mango mead. If it is too dry I could back sweeten at the end.
> I don't know I am new but I should have fun making.


There's absolutely no reason to heat the must, unless you intentionally want to make it like over processed, store bought cheap honey. Whether its from your own hives or not, if its nice and raw, then surely its best to keep it that way. There's not a lot that can or will survive the primary ferment. Once its fermented out, if its over about 11% alcohol it gets the preservative ability.

Hence there's no reason to heat the must.

In centuries past, it was more about sanitising the water, not the honey.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Jul 8, 2012)

You have your own hives, you already know how good it tastes, DO NOT HEAT IT! Why in the world would you go thru all that trouble to make your own honey and then heat the taste right out of it! If you are worried about what else might grow, use potasium metabisulphite. You might be better off making mead with wine yeast to make a higher alchohol level and you wont have to worry so much about stuff spoiling it. We just tasted our first honey from our hives this week, I am having a hard time making my mind up what kind of mead we are going to make, for sure not one drop of it will see any heating, it just tastes to good to ruin it treating it like that. Crackedcork



reeny said:


> Thanks everyone I think I am leaning toward the recipe on storm the castle for several reasons my honey is pretty raw right from my hives I think I should heat the must. I don't want any other wild beasties in there. Second I like the idea of using the wine yeast and yeast nutrients I think from what I have read that it will make a better mead. I think I will add orange, raisins, cloves, cinnamon stick. I have some mango I could even make a mango mead. If it is too dry I could back sweeten at the end.
> I don't know I am new but I should have fun making.


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## reeny (Jul 8, 2012)

CrackedCork said:


> You have your own hives, you already know how good it tastes, DO NOT HEAT IT! Why in the world would you go thru all that trouble to make your own honey and then heat the taste right out of it! If you are worried about what else might grow, use potasium metabisulphite. You might be better off making mead with wine yeast to make a higher alchohol level and you wont have to worry so much about stuff spoiling it. We just tasted our first honey from our hives this week, I am having a hard time making my mind up what kind of mead we are going to make, for sure not one drop of it will see any heating, it just tastes to good to ruin it treating it like that. Crackedcork



Ok I am reading again "the complete mead maker" by ken schramm. I am so new to this and there is so much conflicting info some say heat other say no heat. I just read the chapter in Ken Schramm's book. I don't know how you feel about your honey but I consider it' liquid gold'. I have only been beekeeping since October of last year and am enjoying it so much. According to Ken Schramm he doesn't heat and I completely understand that heating would destroy many of the properties and aroma of my honey. Since I consider my honey very precious I really don't want to waste a drop. Ok NO HEATING!

I am using TBH so I do not yield has much honey as the traditional Langstroth hive. I always say that when ever my bees sting me "my honey is just tasting sweeter!"
I have given most away to family and friends everyone says it is delicious. I have not quite 5 lbs to work with. I was thinking I might be able to harvest a little more but there was brood in the comb. So I need to wait. I split my hives earlier in the season so I went from two hives to four. All queens are doing well and laying well. I just want more honey!! You cannot use a queen excluder in a TBH so the queen lays where she wants. 

Anyhow back to mead making......


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## reeny (Jul 8, 2012)

There is a recipe in "the complete Meadmaker" peach ginger melomel what is I substitute the peach for mango. His recipe is for 5 gallons I am only making 1gallon. I have lots of mangos right now!!


3 lbs honey
Water to make a gallon
2lbs mango (he used 10-12 lbs in 5 gallons)
.4 oz fresh ginger root peeled and mashed
Lalvin D47
1 Tsp yeast energizer
1 tsp Yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp Pectic enzyme

Do I need to acid blend or wine tannin?
Thanks!


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## WVMountaineerJack (Jul 8, 2012)

They make queen excluders for tob bar hives, you have to frame them with wood to make a tight fit to the edge. My queen doesnt lay in the honey combs, then I accidentally killed her and her daughter just got mated and I am waiting to see what happens. What kind of top bars are you using? CC



reeny said:


> Ok I am reading again "the complete mead maker" by ken schramm. I am so new to this and there is so much conflicting info some say heat other say no heat. I just read the chapter in Ken Schramm's book. I don't know how you feel about your honey but I consider it' liquid gold'. I have only been beekeeping since October of last year and am enjoying it so much. According to Ken Schramm he doesn't heat and I completely understand that heating would destroy many of the properties and aroma of my honey. Since I consider my honey very precious I really don't want to waste a drop. Ok NO HEATING!
> 
> I am using TBH so I do not yield has much honey as the traditional Langstroth hive. I always say that when ever my bees sting me "my honey is just tasting sweeter!"
> I have given most away to family and friends everyone says it is delicious. I have not quite 5 lbs to work with. I was thinking I might be able to harvest a little more but there was brood in the comb. So I need to wait. I split my hives earlier in the season so I went from two hives to four. All queens are doing well and laying well. I just want more honey!! You cannot use a queen excluder in a TBH so the queen lays where she wants.
> ...


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## saramc (Jul 8, 2012)

reeny said:


> There is a recipe in "the complete Meadmaker" peach ginger melomel what is I substitute the peach for mango. His recipe is for 5 gallons I am only making 1gallon. I have lots of mangos right now!!
> 
> 
> 3 lbs honey
> ...


 
I would boost the PE to 1 tsp/gallon since mango can tend to haze, so it would not hurt. Will need a bit of acid blend. I preferred my mango mead w/o the tannin added.


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## reeny (Jul 8, 2012)

CrackedCork said:


> They make queen excluders for tob bar hives, you have to frame them with wood to make a tight fit to the edge. My queen doesnt lay in the honey combs, then I accidentally killed her and her daughter just got mated and I am waiting to see what happens. What kind of top bars are you using? CC



I am sorry I know this is a mead thread I thought you have to cut the queen excluder down make it fit. Didn't know they made to fit TBH. I used Les crowders plans he is in albuquerque NM. I made them a little wider cause to fit my original hives


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## reeny (Jul 8, 2012)

saramc said:


> I would boost the PE to 1 tsp/gallon since mango can tend to haze, so it would not hurt. Will need a bit of acid blend. I preferred my mango mead w/o the tannin added.



So how much acid blend? Is there a general rule for how much energizer, nutrient, etc to add per gallon?


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## saramc (Jul 8, 2012)

reeny said:


> So how much acid blend? Is there a general rule for how much energizer, nutrient, etc to add per gallon?


 
I ended up using 1tsp/gallon
For the energizer and nutrient it will depend on the brand you purchase, just follow the label directions. I think for the standard LDCarlson label you can safely add 1 tsp nutrient and 1 tsp energizer/gallon, but there are appropriate times to add them, etc. I usually add the nutrient at the start of the ferment and then the energizer amount gets divided into thirds and is added around day 3,5,7. If that makes sense.


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## WVMountaineerJack (Jul 8, 2012)

Yes, you get a plastic one and trim it to fit. You can always talk about where or how you get your fruit, why not how you get your honey  CC



reeny said:


> I am sorry I know this is a mead thread I thought you have to cut the queen excluder down make it fit. Didn't know they made to fit TBH. I used Les crowders plans he is in albuquerque NM. I made them a little wider cause to fit my original hives


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## reeny (Jul 8, 2012)

Thanks Crackedcork I need to look into those because sometimes I feel like I am raising a box of brood need more honey!! I shouldn't complain cause my queens are doing well!


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## reeny (Jul 8, 2012)

Have another question in case I make joe's ancient orange mead I was just in the grocery store. There are two different types of fleichmann yeast rapid rise and


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## reeny (Jul 8, 2012)

Opps.... Fleischmann's active dry yeast and rapid rise highly active yeast. I got both cause I wasn't sure.


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## bigdrums2 (Jul 9, 2012)

Active dry. Remember if you break joes recipe you lose his written guarantee! I did a batch with the regular bread yeast and one with some red star cote du blancs. The red star finished primary much faster. Maybe that is why joe uses the regular.


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## reeny (Jul 9, 2012)

Quick question in the JOAM recipe it calls for 3.5 lbs of honey. I know that 3 lbs is a QT. So is 3.5 lbs = 4 cups plus 6 oz or 38oz?


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## reeny (Jul 10, 2012)

Very excited just made my first mead ever. Now it is watch and wait!


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## reeny (Jul 11, 2012)

Need help ASAP woke up to airlock clogged with orange took it off to clean it out and it exploded to the ceiling.!
Cleaned the airlock out and sanitized it and refilled it. Lost some oranges and liquid! 

What should I do?? I didnt think it was too full it was below or at the level of the handle. Should I add more water??


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## reeny (Sep 12, 2012)

My JOAM is almost complete fruit is dropping to the bottom. Looks nice and clear should be able to bottle very soon!


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## mmadmikes1 (Sep 13, 2012)

Do not rush to bottle. You will be glad if you wait a couple months


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## reeny (Sep 13, 2012)

Ok let it sit for a while longer? Maybe I wait for the holidays.


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## reeny (Jun 3, 2013)

Finally bottle my mead I think it looks great!!


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## fatbloke (Jun 3, 2013)

Well done. Beautifully presented. 

Does it taste as good as you'd hoped ?


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## reeny (Jun 3, 2013)

fatbloke said:


> Well done. Beautifully presented.
> 
> Does it taste as good as you'd hoped ?



It taste pretty good. Pretty strong you can really taste the orange and spices that we added. I would love to make a cycser (sp) next. Have plenty of honey does any one have a good recipe??


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