Jao The Ultimate Beginners Mead Recipe

[biggo]

Well finanly after about 3 months my mead is ready... At least it was... DOH!

I went down to my shed last night and looked at my mead, thought, what the heck is that refelction... realised I could see right through it!

Carefully (obviously not carefully enough) carried it up to the house to bottle, and by the time I got there I had stirred it up into a cloudy mess!

I have it sitting in a corner now, hopefully it will settle down again, so I can bottle it either tonight or on the weekend....

If your happy to wait longer I suggest racking again I didn't bottle mine until the 10 month mark and then I let it age for another 5

 

[kjparker]

If your happy to wait longer I suggest racking again I didn't bottle mine until the 10 month mark and then I let it age for another 5

I havent racked at all... It just cleared on it's own!

I'd like to bottle it as soon as it's ready!

 

[TmC]

It shouldn't take too long to settle down i dont think, i did the same and mine cleared up in about a fortnight. Might have been sooner but didnt check

 

[KudaPucat]

Bread yeast can be a bit 'fluffy'
If I have far to move it, or I'm particularly caring about a batch, I'll move it to where it needs to be racked 24 hrs prior to racking, this is usually enough time.
My problem has always been getting permission from SWMBO to have a bottle of mead sit undisturbed on the bench over night!

My mate did similar, but didn't think he needed to explain fully to his wife...
He calls me over to assist with racking (it was his first brew ever) and when I get there it's milky!
I gave him a serve about what 'clear' actually means, only to find him as stunned as me!
Unbeknownst to him, his wife decided the bench needed cleaning, and "Just moved it a little bit" (By simply pushing it across the bench)

It didn't take much convincing next time to get him to rack it in the shed, where he brews it :-D

 

[kaspa07]

Yeah, don't bottle it. It will continue to drop sediment for a while, and you don't want that in your bottles.
The mead will be better if bulk aged too, as it removes the variance you may experience between bottles, and it stops you trying to drink it, whilst still allowing small samples to be taken.

yea I racked into seccondary tell you what its tasting realy good, a few more months in the seccondary and its going to be ready just in time for summer I think(hope fingers crossed)

Finnaly got my mead recepie book delivered been doing some reading up, Thinking of adding some oak chips into it...but its probably to late now

 

[KudaPucat]

yea I racked into seccondary tell you what its tasting realy good, a few more months in the seccondary and its going to be ready just in time for summer I think(hope fingers crossed)

Finnaly got my mead recepie book delivered been doing some reading up, Thinking of adding some oak chips into it...but its probably to late now

It's never too late, but if you do, it will require MUCH more aging, and could well become a little too astringent.
Why is it you want to add oak? It should be pretty well balanced. Make a traditional, and oak some of it... doing a side by side test will give you an idea.

 

[spaced]

Hi Guys,

Rookie question. This has been fermenting for about 3 months, everything has dropped out fruit and what not. How do I get it from the water bottle it fermented in, into bottles without oxidisation? I've got some tube from the home brew store, but when I connected it with my bottling wand it wasn't a perfect seal.

 

[felten]

You have to have a good seal for the siphon to work.

I used a short length of surgical tubing and started a siphon with a syringe, then stuck it into the bottom of the bottles and pinched it to control the flow. I had a helping hand though, doing it by myself might have been difficult.

 

[TmC]

Bottled mine today, just over 4 months, left the other batch to carry on for a bit longer to see if there is a difference. Next im looking at going for a straight mead with some ageing possibilities. Looking at the Chubby Bat Mead recipe.

 

[depatbrewing]

well i took this recipe and ramped it up on the honey adding almost two kilos slicing the orange finer, what i got was about 1.200 starting grav im hoping for a low gravity finish they're bout to finish in october im extremely excited, from what ive been reading theres tons of info for beer but does any one know where i can find different cider and mead recipes though the ones i have found include things i cant find or dont understand some one help lol

 

[dogger]

Thanks Brewer Pete for bringing this recipe and expertise to AHB. Finally in the Bottle Saturday AM (about 3 1/2 months to clear for me), and a good dose out Saturday PM to assist with the celebration of the Supercats. Both liquor and Supercats memorable; to be repeated.

 

[kjparker]

I havent racked at all... It just cleared on it's own!

I'd like to bottle it as soon as it's ready!

I racked it that night into another demijohn, and it's been a week since then. I poured the last inch of murky liquid into a glass, mixed in a teaspoon of gelatin I had disolved in a little water, and stuck it in the fridge. I now have about a cm of beautifully clear mead sitting on top. Half wondering if I should gelatin the rest of it....

It's not as cloudy as it was, and is dropping sediment, so I'm hoping that given enough time it will clear again. Any guesses as to how long this would take? It is just sitting in the kitchen now, on top of the cupboard. Considering racking it again to try and help....

 

[KudaPucat]

I racked it that night into another demijohn, and it's been a week since then. I poured the last inch of murky liquid into a glass, mixed in a teaspoon of gelatin I had disolved in a little water, and stuck it in the fridge. I now have about a cm of beautifully clear mead sitting on top. Half wondering if I should gelatin the rest of it....

It's not as cloudy as it was, and is dropping sediment, so I'm hoping that given enough time it will clear again. Any guesses as to how long this would take? It is just sitting in the kitchen now, on top of the cupboard. Considering racking it again to try and help....

If it cleared once, it will clear again. You've removed all fruit and spices, so letting it sit now will not be detrimental.
Just wait. It could take a couple of weeks yet... be VERY gentle when moving it ;-)

I remember one of my meads, was semi clear, and I tested it by shaking it up...
two things occurred:
1 it dropped 5 points more than the 'control' bottle that was not shaken
2 it took 18 days longer to clear fully than the control bottle.

my test circumstances are different than yours, but maybe it will give you an idea.

 

[kjparker]

If it cleared once, it will clear again. You've removed all fruit and spices, so letting it sit now will not be detrimental.
Just wait. It could take a couple of weeks yet... be VERY gentle when moving it ;-)

I remember one of my meads, was semi clear, and I tested it by shaking it up...
two things occurred:
1 it dropped 5 points more than the 'control' bottle that was not shaken
2 it took 18 days longer to clear fully than the control bottle.

my test circumstances are different than yours, but maybe it will give you an idea.

It's definitely getting clearer, just taking it's time. At the rate it's going, it will probably be another week or so before it's clear.

Serves me right for not being carefull enough in moving it!

 

[kjparker]

It's definitely getting clearer, just taking it's time. At the rate it's going, it will probably be another week or so before it's clear.

Serves me right for not being carefull enough in moving it!

Had a look at it again last night, and it's almost clear again. I cant read through it yet, but I can see through. Another week or so I reckon....

 

[Margrethe]

Five weeks, and my mead is clear enough to read print through it nicely.

No fruit dropping, but there's a nice white clag at the bottom yeasties graveyard.

Gonna try it today (when its not 6.30am) and see if she's ready for bottling! If it is, its time to get some more on the go!

 

[KudaPucat]

It'll be right for bottling.
Chances are it won't be as clear as you think, so there will be a tiny sediment in the bottle.
Just bottle it, and don't shake your next one!!

 

[pk.sax]

Q: bottling meads, ur not carbonating at all are you?

PS: I've been looking at buying some of these instead of the traditional demijohn just for the wider mouth and good seal I get with the o-ring on them (I have smaller ones for pickles, tea and kitchen jars). 100 bucks and free delivery.
http://m.kitchenwaredirect.com.au/Bormioli...ar-Herm-5L.html

 

[KudaPucat]

Q: bottling meads, ur not carbonating at all are you?

PS: I've been looking at buying some of these instead of the traditional demijohn just for the wider mouth and good seal I get with the o-ring on them (I have smaller ones for pickles, tea and kitchen jars). 100 bucks and free delivery.
http://m.kitchenwaredirect.com.au/Bormioli...ar-Herm-5L.html

I'm sorry, $100? Huh? the link says $15. I hope you're getting more than one for that price!
The brewshop near me also has 20 and 3 litre demis with 100mm mouths for not much more than $1/litre

Regarding carbonating... who are you asking?
I've carbonated meads, both naturally and force. I think a JAO is nice carbonated, it takes some of the sugar off, without highlighting the bitterness.

 

[pk.sax]

Ah, yes - 15 bucks each but free delivery anywhere if total order is $100. Works out quite neatly for us far northerners usually, 5Lt demis go for 12.50-15 + swing cap @ brewshops. I.e. If any of them around here can bother opening for longer on even 1 day a week.

Re carbonating, yeah I was asking in general. I was getting nervous with all the talk of 'I shook it and it dropped another x points'. I've asked someone who knows someone who has hives if I can get some honey off him when he next raids them. Just preparing in general.