Jao The Ultimate Beginners Mead Recipe

[Golani51]

I will probably have my aunt send a batch of Fleishmann's Bread Yeast sent from the US (my understanding is that you cannot get it here). Anyone interested in joining in for some?

R

 

[jakub76]

I will probably have my aunt send a batch of Fleishmann's Bread Yeast sent from the US (my understanding is that you cannot get it here). Anyone interested in joining in for some?

R

I used Tandaco bread yeast from Coles and it worked out great

 

[GumbyOne]

Anyone used yellow box honey for this recipe (or any mead)? Got a mate whos old man keeps bees and was thinking of grabbing a few kilos off him, is it suitable?

Cheers,
Tim.

 

[rontron]

Anyone used yellow box honey for this recipe (or any mead)? Got a mate whos old man keeps bees and was thinking of grabbing a few kilos off him, is it suitable?

Cheers,
Tim.

I used yellow box for my first batch and its currently 6 weeks in, and starting to clear, getting some really nice aroma's from it now, it should be ready in a few weeks so ill see what its like and post it,
Ron

 

[Golani51]

I got a great Canadian- made plunger siphon in the US for 11 dollars. It fits, conveniently, just into a 5L demi (those costing around 12.50 from G&G). It has a little cap you can plunge to the bottom and it suck the fluid from the upper side, thus no issues whatsoever with yeast in it.

R

 

[felten]

13 weeks on so far, I guess I should bottle it but I'm being lazy.



The cleared pic is after 9 weeks, it looks a little hazier than it was but its completely see through. I noticed some fruit drop the other day but it's gone back up now. :|

 

[jakub76]

13 weeks on so far, I guess I should bottle it but I'm being lazy.

I bottled mine after 10 weeks in primary and now after 7 weeks in bottles it's got a little bit effervecent - which I don't really like. I would suggest there's no worries with leaving it a while longer to make sure it's all finished fermenting. The cloudiness is weird, had you just moved it and disturbed the yeast?

 

[felten]

It wasn't as hazy as it appears in the picture

 

[rontron]

Anyone used yellow box honey for this recipe (or any mead)? Got a mate whos old man keeps bees and was thinking of grabbing a few kilos off him, is it suitable?

Cheers,
Tim.

I just bottled my batch with yellow box, and it turned out beautifly, i would say its deffinatley suitable

 

[felten]

Well I bottled it finally, not sure what I was expecting to taste but its come out very similar to a fruity white desert wine (like a vermouth I have, but not as dry). Not much hint of spices unfortunately, but its not a bad drop. I didn't take an OG but it finished out at 1.034.

 

[phrat]

Hows this look? Leave the first row of data alone, it is for the ratios, change the others as needed.
View attachment JAOM.xls

I like to work things out so that the honey is in nice round units....

Any issue with filling a 5l Demi to the 4.75l mark?

Cheers.

 

[GumbyOne]

I just bottled my batch with yellow box, and it turned out beautifly, i would say its deffinatley suitable

Excellent, ive got 5kg ready to go just need to get me some demijohns :beer:

 

[phrat]

Ive just put down my 1st batch of JAO, just increased the volume to 4.75l
just have to wait now...

Nick

 

[stuchambers]

Put down a batch of this today I used what the lady in the Honey Tasmania called Rainforest honey she explained to me that the season was a little late and the bees used the flowers higher up in the canopy than she would have liked.
I used the tadanco bread yeast does anyone know how this performs, it has been on for about 4 hours now and is bubbling away constantly.
Do you think it will be ready for christmas or will i be pushing it?

Only had navel oranges available so I only put in six pieces as other have mentioned it became too bitter.

Cheers Stu

 

[phrat]

I got some really nice tasting honey from my work place, so I couldn't resit putting down batch #2....

Whats the consensus with regard to brewing temperatures? our ambient is 28'c day time, and 20 night. too much, the Demis are bubbling away like mad..

 

[Phoney]

I just siphoned off & bottled mine yesterday. Has been sitting for about 4 months, still hasnt cleared and the oranges havent droped. The yeast was very fluffy on the bottom and some of it went into the bottles.

The taste? Not pleasant. Tastes like honey mixed with off, over-ripened oranges. I couldnt drink it.

Will it improve in the bottle or should i chuck it and try again?

 

[Chookers]

I know you have already said bread yeast, and theres alot of questions about that.. but if the only issue with using the bread yeast is so it only brews out to around 12%, then could you use a cider or sweet mead yeast that will brew out to 11-12%, and expect the same results as the bread yeast??

Thing is I tried bread yeast in a very similar recipe and it was like a honey cordial very mildly alc and yeast flavoured, also I have cider yeast at my disposal so.. I suppose the real question do you use bread yeast just for the ABV %??? or is there some other reason to use the bread yeast.

Thanks (and apologies if this has already been answered)

 

[Tanga]

What Pete's said here reminds me of the book I'm looking at 'First Steps in Winemaking' - highly recommended. Some wines (and a few beers and meads) aimed at the amateur. Lots of 1 gallon (ie 5 litre) batches. Pity the glass demi-johns are so pricey - I'd love to give this one a go.

Just a question - for those who make it dryer do you need cut down on the spices? I'm thinking they may be a bit strong without the sugar. After I move house early next year I might look into trying something like this. Try and get it ready in time for winter

 

[Chookers]

What Pete's said here reminds me of the book I'm looking at 'First Steps in Winemaking' - highly recommended. Some wines (and a few beers and meads) aimed at the amateur. Lots of 1 gallon (ie 5 litre) batches. Pity the glass demi-johns are so pricey - I'd love to give this one a go.

Just a question - for those who make it dryer do you need cut down on the spices? I'm thinking they may be a bit strong without the sugar. After I move house early next year I might look into trying something like this. Try and get it ready in time for winter

Is that the book by C.J.J Berry. I got that with my wine making kit from ibrew. Im using olive oil bottles, which look exactly like the 5Lt Demis you see in homebrew shops.. I got a four pack at around $54, only thing is I had to buy $100 worth for my order to go through. Could buy two 4 packs and sell the rest on ebay .. or just use them for aging.

 

[Tanga]

Yeah - the C J J Berry one (what a name for a winemaker). I didn't realise they still published that - I'm not surprised though. Is yours metric? *drools* - mine's fully old school. I picked it up at a second hand place (I kept an eye out for months before finding it). I haven't tried anything yet though. What've you tried / are keen on trying? I'm keen on trying loquats (using the plum recipe) - I think it'd go down a treat.

It makes me laugh that you got the bottles cheaper full of olive oil than the homebrew place sells them at *shakes head* - well done you. Smart move.

 

[Chookers]

Yeah - the C J J Berry one (what a name for a winemaker). I didn't realise they still published that - I'm not surprised though. Is yours metric? *drools* - mine's fully old school. I picked it up at a second hand place (I kept an eye out for months before finding it). I haven't tried anything yet though. What've you tried / are keen on trying? I'm keen on trying loquats (using the plum recipe) - I think it'd go down a treat.

It makes me laugh that you got the bottles cheaper full of olive oil than the homebrew place sells them at *shakes head* - well done you. Smart move.

mine has a metric column and an imperial column in each recipe.. and I think at the back is a conversion table as well.. makes things easy for me.. heheha :lol:

I havent made anything either, but I liked the sound of Rice and Raisin Wine.. sounds easy enough for me but it says you have to leave it for 9mths, I could grow a baby in that time. Also really want to do his Barley Wine (medium) its one of his January recipes. The Summer rumpot sounds good though thats not technically homebrewing.. Apple wine and his meads and metheglin sounds interesting.. I'd say the Rice and Raisin and the Barley Wine.. are what I'll make first.. as soon as I get somemore 5Lt Demijohns..

 

[Tanga]

You could grow a baby in that time, but it wouldn't be anywhere near as tasty. =p

The time is what put me off too. I'm thinking of grabbing a few water containers to play around with (little outlay) - or even grabbing some oztops and seeing what they can do with those recipes in a week.

 

[Chookers]

You could grow a baby in that time, but it wouldn't be anywhere near as tasty. =p

The time is what put me off too. I'm thinking of grabbing a few water containers to play around with (little outlay) - or even grabbing some oztops and seeing what they can do with those recipes in a week.

haha yeh, baby vs Rice and Raisin wine.. one costs alot, makes alot of mess and takes years to mature.. the other ...actually they both sound the same to me

 

[leiothrix]

One word -- veal.

I think i'd rather the beverage though.

 

[Chookers]

Hey, I'd rather the beverage too.. at least it does'nt talk back to you.. even if it does give you attitude (naughty mead)

 

[Chookers]

no, they were'nt full of olive oil (unfortunately ).. They just listed them as Olive Oil bottles for some reason? Hey I wish they had been full of olive oil cause I use gallons of that stuff.. I have very big jars that had preseved eggplant and sundried tomatoes in I dont know their capacity though, but they would make good demis provided I could find a bung big enough to fit..

 

[Tanga]

Naw! Still a bargain though.

PS - baby crackling?

 

[Chookers]

even better, just found a local place selling 5L demis on special $12.95 each.. I think thats the cheapest I've seen so far.. I think I'll forget the olive oil bottles.. :lol: and its closer and there is no minimum spend.. wooo..

I really want to brew stuff.. the urge gets stronger a night.. I hope at least one of my experiments works out.. Im thinking of Doing the JAOM, but I think Im going to scale it down to a nano brew.. like use a 2L Sherry bottle and make 1L of the stuff, just to see if it works and if its a flavour I like. then if that goes well I'll do the full version of the recipe.. it will also give me the opportunity to tweak it and make different versions.. mini brews or should I say Baby brews.. Muuahahahahaaa

 

[stuchambers]

Hey all,
My JAO has been bubbliing away for what must be a month now.
I am hoping it will be ready for christmas and I can give some as presents
I knocked up a label of it today thought I would give you all a look

Cheers Stu

 

[stuchambers]

The next in my line of meads is a dry honey wine
the label will look something like this.
Cheers Stu