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Joes Ancient Orange Mead

Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 9:51 am
by rodlonq
This campfire has been very quiet for a while so here is a new recipe I am trying.
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Here is the recipe, I will add a reference later;


Joe’s Ancient Orange Mead – beginners recipe

For a 5 litre demijohn
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1.6kg honey (never boiled or lose the taste and aromas) (if I meant 1.5kg I would have written it)
1 large orange (at most cut into eight pieces -- rind and all)
1 small handful of raisins (25 if you can count)
1 stick of cinnamon (its brown, its wood, its good)
1 whole clove (or 2 if you like high potency)
optional (a pinch of nutmeg and allspice )( very small mind you )
1 tsp of bread yeast (now don't get holy on me about bread yeast -- after all this recipe is DESIGNED for it)
Balance water to bring batch out to 3.8 litres (did you know, there are 3.785411 litres per US gallon)


Process:

Use a clean 5 litre demijohn.

Dissolve honey in some warm water and put in demijohn

Wash orange well to remove any pesticides and slice into eights (may wish to zest slightly, just shove em through the demijohn's hole)

Put in raisins, clove, cinnamon stick, any optional ingredients and fill demijohn with water to about 3.8 litres with cold water (need some room for some foam -- you can top off with more water after the first few days foaming frenzy). (You did remember to pour in a measured 3.8 litres and mark off the level on the outside of the glass demijohn before hand right?)

Shake the hell out of the demijohn with the top on or bung in (of course). This is your sophisticated oxygenation process.

When liquid is at room temperature, put in 1 tsp of bread yeast (no you don't have to rehydrate it first -- the ancients did not even have that word in their vocabulary -- just put it in and give it a gentle swirl or not)(The yeast can fight for their own territory)

Install water airlock. Put in dark place. It will start working immediately or in an hour. (Don't use grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away in the 90's -- use the fresh stuff) (Wait 3 hours before you panic or call me) After major foaming stops in a few days add some water and then keep your hands off of it. (Don't shake it! Don't mess with them yeastees! Leave them alone except its okay to open your cabinet to inhale deeply the smell every once in a while.)


Racking -- Don't you dare!
Additional feeding -- No! NO!
More stirring or shaking -- You are not listening, do not touch!


After 2 months and maybe a few days it will slow down to a stop and clear all by itself. (How about that) (You are not so important after all) Then you can put a hose in with a small cloth filter on the end into the clear part and siphon off the golden nectar. If you wait long enough even the oranges will sink to the bottom but I never waited that long. If it is clear it is ready. You don't need a cold basement. It does better in a kitchen in the dark. (Like in a cabinet) likes a little heat (20C-25C). If it didn't work out... you screwed up and didn't read my instructions (or used grandma's bread yeast she bought years before she passed away) . If it didn't work out then take up another hobby. Mead is not for you. It is too complicated.

Cheers... Rod

Re: Joes Ancient Orange Mead

Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 11:23 am
by Bill
8-) :dance: Well done Rod.
I like the sound of that, I may even give it a try in the New-year.
I'm getting a bit tired of all this new age beer stuff that is being floated around at late.
In need of something old and tastefull, thanks. 8)

Re: Joes Ancient Orange Mead

Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2017 12:16 pm
by rodlonq
You are most welcome Bill, enjoy.

Re: Joes Ancient Orange Mead

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:16 am
by Outbackdad
Not enough time to have this ready for Christmas. :confusion-waiting:

Re: Joes Ancient Orange Mead

Posted: Sat Dec 23, 2017 6:33 pm
by rodlonq
Maybe next Christmas ;-)

Re: Joes Ancient Orange Mead

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2017 5:15 am
by woodie
When I brew my beer I rehydrate the yeast, add yeast to room temp boiled water, boil the kettle pure a cup cover let cool, add yeast let sit for 20mins, stir add to beer or cider.
This wakes the yeast so it start to work. I read this in a brewing book a few yeasts ago.
Might be good here.
I will have to give this a try.
Woodie

Re: Joes Ancient Orange Mead

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2017 12:15 pm
by rodlonq
Hey woodie, I think a yeast starter is the norm in the mead making crowd as well (from what I've read), also with additions of GoFerm and FermAid + other nutrients to keep yeast alive in high ABV environments. I believe the purpose of this recipe is to have a really low tech starting point for beginners to have a go at. I have never made a starter before, but I intend to on my next batch which uses wine yeast and should finish about 16% ABV with residual honey for a sweet/dessert mead. It seems many yeast starters also include some sugar and/or wort/must/wash to start feeding straight away.

Cheers... Rod

PS: For many years when I made beer using liquid malt extract, boiled hop tea etc. I alway just added the yeast dry and stirred it in with a paddle. Never had a fermentation not start over hundreds of brews.

Re: Joes Ancient Orange Mead

Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2017 5:02 pm
by woodie
Hi Rod this was only as a added hint. Rehydrating the yeast is not a starter it is just yeast in water to wake it up. A starter will increase the cell count of the yeast. There are heaps of different techniques in brewing.
I have not made many Meads as I am not a fan but I have made beer for nearly 30 years and a lot of cider.
Brewing is a lot of fun just like bow and knife making.
Ronald

Re: Joes Ancient Orange Mead

Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2017 8:28 am
by rodlonq
Hi woodie. Yes there is a significant difference between simple rehydration and a starter. One benefit of a starter is it prove/disproves if yeast is viable and that something hasn't happened to it that could render it inactive. I have never bothered with either but I am going to try it soon. I left 3 packets of yeast in the car for a few days (by accident of course = forgetfulness) so I will make starters from them to find out if the heat has killed them off.

I got into brewing as early as I did bowhunting, helping Dad wash bottles and capping them for him.

Cheers... Rod

Re: Joes Ancient Orange Mead

Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2017 5:56 pm
by woodie
Rod I think brewing of any kind and drinking it, goes hand in hand with shooting. Not while doing it of cause as that is not safe :whistle: , but when we have finished for the day.
Shooting a bow is hard work after all.
Ron

Re: Joes Ancient Orange Mead

Posted: Thu Mar 07, 2019 9:32 pm
by gazza
hi rod i have made a couple of wines using oranges ,i found the orange skin leaves the wine too zesty i leave the skin out now ,cheers gazza.