Joe Mattioli's Ancient Orange and spice Mead recipe

[brewnut]

Ode To HomeBrew!

Thought I posted this at 6am this morning, after a 14 hour brew session, but was obviously six sheets to the wind, because it's not on the board when I got up today!!! Here goes; hope you like it! ....

-------------------------------------------
ODE TO HOMEBREW

Oh Homebrew, it makes me shine;
Not light, not brown, not golden;
Homebrew makes me beholden;
That Demijohn, it sings so blue;
It's got to be filled, for me, and for you!

Brown, black, blue, red or green;
We Don't care us home-brewers;
We love it no matter what;
It's god given, is it not!

I lighten to the beholden;
Mead, Methoglin, Hippocras;
It's a *must*; you simply can't say it's not!

A brew for me;
A brew for you;
Isn't the brewer's life simply amazing;
A brew for me;
A brew for you;
A story mostly untolden!

Silently we purvey our craft;
Not for us, a mast;
But up the flagpole we do it;
We can't for the life of us not do it!!

Must here, must there, life can be a trudgery;
Not without a beer, it can't;
We stress and strive;
If only we owned a hive!!

Give us a beer, it's our daily must;
Not without it, we can't trust!

-------------------------------------------

Brewnut - 1/2 a bottle of plum wine & a couple of ciders down (including a CARBONATED ginger & cinnamon cider (thanks to Bob!). Lovely Jubbly!

[Crash]

How do you get the big pieces of fruit out? I take it you don't use a demi john.
Would the loft be a good place to brew it?

[lockwood1956]

Cut the pieces of orange in segments (like a terry's chocolate orange) so they fit into a 1 gallon demijohn, you can fish them out (fairly) easily after racking.

The kitchen is the perfect place to brew it....providing the other half doesn't have a fit!

Don't be tempted to take the fruit out too early, even though it will look skanky

follow the recipe to the letter and you just cant go wrong!

[Crash]

It did say in the recipe to keep it in a dark place. We haven't got enough space in our cupboards, also if I keep it in the loft I won't be temted to touch it. Will the temp be ok?

[lockwood1956]

Put a paper bag over the demijohn, or stand it in a carrier bag that will keep it dark. I think you need to be keeping an eye on what you are brewing...certainly in the early stages.

I wouldnt like to be brewing in the loft, what happens if you have an episode (you know gushing mead/wine/beer )....where will the fluid go? and carrying liquids up and down stairs is something I would only want to do if I really had to. (health and safety hat on) while in Baltimore I was chatting with a guy who was off work for almost a year after a breaking demijohn episode.

as to temperature, unless it was freezing or blisteringly hot, this stuff will ferment, it's an almost bullet proof recipe.

[heeby]

just thinking how surprising it is the simplest recipes get the longest threads ie this and turbo cider ps tried some of bobs AOM last night and very nice it was too makes you walk funny aswell
mark

[heeby]

aye i think i was talking geordie aswell oor lass couldnt understand a word a wa saying like
mark

[lockwood1956]

hoi



gan canny man

[Axl]

Hopefully here's a picture of mine.



Grrrrr, its saying the file size is to big. I'll have to work on that.

[Axl]

I'll try again.

[Axl]

Plan to start 5 gallons in this next time.

[hong]

That looks sooo good Axl. I really want to try this mead. I havent tasted mead before, what is it like? The sound of it just makes my mouth water, i love this thread as much as the turbo cider thread!

[Axl]

That looks sooo good Axl. I really want to try this mead. I havent tasted mead before, what is it like? The sound of it just makes my mouth water, i love this thread as much as the turbo cider thread!

I'm still waiting to find out myself, i'm bulk ageing it for at least another 6 months. I could dip a straw in though, but so far resisted the temptation.

[lockwood1956]

Go on.......


have a sip...

It tastes good from the start!

orangey spicey honey-ey

[hong]

I am finally gonna make a gallon of this famous mead. Only a couple of questions.

1. How much water do you warm the honey up in?

2. How far do you fill up the DJ?

cheers for any help?