Joe Mattioli's Ancient Orange and spice Mead recipe

[Zebedee]

Richard..

Did you follow the recipe exactly ??

The reason I ask is...

I stewarded in this class so I had the oppertunity to taste it.

[Richard S]

I chucked a vanilla pod in but other than that it was to the letter.

[rjb222]

I chucked a vanilla pod in but other than that it was to the letter.

Did the vanilla pod ease the bitterness from the orange pith? Mine was a tad bitter when I first tasted it about a month ago I have not tried it since as i have read that mead gets better and better so I plan on cracking one at Christmas

[Richard S]

Did the vanilla pod ease the bitterness from the orange pith? Mine was a tad bitter when I first tasted it about a month ago I have not tried it since as i have read that mead gets better and better so I plan on cracking one at Christmas

Still a little bitter but it is young, I am hoping it comes good for Chrismas as well. The class it got entered in was Sweet Mead so the sweetness may have balanced things out a little. I'm going to have a look to see how the grape wines are getting on so I might have a sly taster from the comp bottle.

[Richard S]

Right, the stuff that I sweetened for the comp is pretty decent, just a slight bitterness detected. Other than that, pretty good.

[rjb222]

Right, the stuff that I sweetened for the comp is pretty decent, just a slight bitterness detected. Other than that, pretty good.

I am waiting but thinking that next time probably very soon I will zest my orange and get rid of the pith I do like the Vanilla bean Idea I'm thinking good change.Have you tried it with a D-47 yeast this really worked well not too dry either

[Richard S]

I got the vanilla idea from looking at DAW's recipes, can't say what yeast I used, must have spilled wine on my notes.

[rjb222]

I got the vanilla idea from looking at DAW's recipes, can't say what yeast I used, must have spilled wine on my notes.

LOL too much Richard

[fatbloke]

I got the vanilla idea from looking at DAW's recipes, can't say what yeast I used, must have spilled wine on my notes.

There's a point! What ever happened to the Stockey DAW ? I haven't seen anything from him for ages. He posted some amazing sounding recipes!

regards

JtFB

[goldseal]

Well, I have just racked mine after 10 or 11 weeks. Now waiting to clear.

I've moved it to a warmer room a) to ensure the fermentation isn't going to kick off again, and b) to help with the degassing.

From what I have read, stabilising isn't required.

What range of SGs is 'right'?. The last time I measured, I had 1.006. It tastes very citrussy, a little spice, warming, but I think it might benefit from a little sweetening.

[spritzer]

There's a point! What ever happened to the Stockey DAW ? I haven't seen anything from him for ages. He posted some amazing sounding recipes!

regards

JtFB

I was wondering that the other day
He helped me quite a bit when I had my stuck cranberry wine.

[goldseal]

so .....

SG of 1.006. Sweeten?

[Richard S]

so .....

SG of 1.006. Sweeten?

It's up to you Pete, taste it and if you like the level of sweetness leave it alone. If you wanted to enter it in a comp as a sweet mead it would want more sweetness.

[lockwood1956]

For me it seems about right when I sweeten it to 1.010 but as Richard says, sweeten to your own taste.

obviously draw off a sample and do bench trials first.

[goldseal]

Will do, boss

Would you sweeten with honey or sugar? I would guess the former, but I'm not sure if this would make the mead cloudy.