I often let them finish in a bucket with the lid on loose. If you are concerned, you can go ahead and rack it.
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Orange Melomel
- Thread starter desertwind56
- Start date
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Thanks again! I will just leave in the fermenter until dry. I had to by a larger fermenter for my next project anyway.
;D
;D
Update
Just a little update. SG today is 1.012. It's still slowly fermenting.;D
I took a little taste of it yesterday. I have a hard time tasting around the yeast and the bubbles, but I think this is going to be real tasty! ;D Nice citrus flavor without the bitter pith flavor! Really looking forward to this one!
Thanks again!
Connie
Just a little update. SG today is 1.012. It's still slowly fermenting.;D
I took a little taste of it yesterday. I have a hard time tasting around the yeast and the bubbles, but I think this is going to be real tasty! ;D Nice citrus flavor without the bitter pith flavor! Really looking forward to this one!
Thanks again!
Connie
Update
I racked today for the second time. This took a real long time to finish fermenting. Added orange peal, cinnamon, whole allspice, whole cloves and whole nutmeg. Also added sorbate and sulfates. Will be sweetening this a little bit (not a lot). Going to let it age a bit first, before sweetening.
I think this is going to be pretty tasty!
Connie M.
I racked today for the second time. This took a real long time to finish fermenting. Added orange peal, cinnamon, whole allspice, whole cloves and whole nutmeg. Also added sorbate and sulfates. Will be sweetening this a little bit (not a lot). Going to let it age a bit first, before sweetening.
I think this is going to be pretty tasty!
Connie M.
Hi Connie,
What was your finnishing SG.
I'm not sure about adding sorbate and sulfates yet. Wayneb recommends adding sulfates first, then adding sorbate a few hours later, then bottle immediately. That's the way I bottled my JAO.
What was your finnishing SG.
I'm not sure about adding sorbate and sulfates yet. Wayneb recommends adding sulfates first, then adding sorbate a few hours later, then bottle immediately. That's the way I bottled my JAO.
SG was .994 and had been for a couple of weeks.
I added k-meta and sorbate because its the same way I've been doing my wines (not that I'm anything close to an expert making wine.
). Sort of a habit.
I'm planning on sweetening, which was why I added sorbate, although I guess I didn't need to add it yet? My understanding is I can add sorbate anytime, as long as it's before adding sugar/honey? After sweetening, I will wait a bit (at least a couple of weeks) before bottling to make sure it doesn't start fermenting again.
I'm not planning on adding much sweeteness, it's just too dry as it is right now.
Connie
I added k-meta and sorbate because its the same way I've been doing my wines (not that I'm anything close to an expert making wine.
). Sort of a habit.I'm planning on sweetening, which was why I added sorbate, although I guess I didn't need to add it yet? My understanding is I can add sorbate anytime, as long as it's before adding sugar/honey? After sweetening, I will wait a bit (at least a couple of weeks) before bottling to make sure it doesn't start fermenting again.
I'm not planning on adding much sweeteness, it's just too dry as it is right now.
Connie
Stinky geranium smell! 
I did a little more looking at some of the posts about k-meta and sorbate. Seems I need to make sure there is k-meta first. Wait a bit, then add sorbate.
With my wines, there usually has already been an addition of k-meta before adding sorbate and a second addition of k-meta. That would be except for the welches grape concentrate and the "skeeter pee". Both also racked and k-meta/sorbate added in the last couple of days. . .
Aadding sorbate at the second racking goes back to being habit - I don't have to think about it later on - did I add it or not - even though I do keep notes. Maybe this is not the best process. Maybe after this ages Ill decide not to sweeten. And then I wouldn't have needed the sorbate. ???
I did a little more looking at some of the posts about k-meta and sorbate. Seems I need to make sure there is k-meta first. Wait a bit, then add sorbate.With my wines, there usually has already been an addition of k-meta before adding sorbate and a second addition of k-meta. That would be except for the welches grape concentrate and the "skeeter pee". Both also racked and k-meta/sorbate added in the last couple of days. . .
Aadding sorbate at the second racking goes back to being habit - I don't have to think about it later on - did I add it or not - even though I do keep notes. Maybe this is not the best process. Maybe after this ages Ill decide not to sweeten. And then I wouldn't have needed the sorbate. ???
Hi Folks Newbie here
Not trying to interrupt the thread but just add to it. I started four JAO batches back on Feb. 5th and just racked off one of the gallons as I saw no noticeable activity. Don't have a hydrometer so just "eye-balling" it as I go. Will probably rack off the other 3 in the next week or so. Tasted the one I racked and was not impressed one way or the other. I could taste the honey and orange, was slightly bitter/sweet but not overly so. Didn't feel any alcohol kick as I started on Bud Light immediately after. Maybe my pallet has been ruined over the years.
I tried to post picks of the jugs in my cupboard, but keep getting error, I guess you have to pay to post pics?
Thanks for all the info I've seen. I have a nice pear tree in the back yard which I will use for my next batch.
Not trying to interrupt the thread but just add to it. I started four JAO batches back on Feb. 5th and just racked off one of the gallons as I saw no noticeable activity. Don't have a hydrometer so just "eye-balling" it as I go. Will probably rack off the other 3 in the next week or so. Tasted the one I racked and was not impressed one way or the other. I could taste the honey and orange, was slightly bitter/sweet but not overly so. Didn't feel any alcohol kick as I started on Bud Light immediately after. Maybe my pallet has been ruined over the years.
I tried to post picks of the jugs in my cupboard, but keep getting error, I guess you have to pay to post pics?
Thanks for all the info I've seen. I have a nice pear tree in the back yard which I will use for my next batch.
I can't post photos either, 120 kb jpg is apparently too big, even though the limit's almost 2 MB...
Desertwind, did you actually end up with a geranium-stinky batch? I think if the k-meta dissipates before the sorbate is added, it can happen, which is why I'm assuming most of the time you leave the sorbate out until you're about to backsweeten and bottle, and then you sorbate right after k-meta and don't wait terriffically long (a few weeks to make sure the yeasties have stopped) before bottling so there's still some residual sulphites...
I'm not sure if there's anything that can be done about it once it's happened though.
Desertwind, did you actually end up with a geranium-stinky batch? I think if the k-meta dissipates before the sorbate is added, it can happen, which is why I'm assuming most of the time you leave the sorbate out until you're about to backsweeten and bottle, and then you sorbate right after k-meta and don't wait terriffically long (a few weeks to make sure the yeasties have stopped) before bottling so there's still some residual sulphites...
I'm not sure if there's anything that can be done about it once it's happened though.
Actually, there isn't. Geraniol is one of the more stable compounds when it is present in a mead or wine, and there isn't anything that you can add to a wine afflicted with it in order to neutralize the smell, that won't utterly destroy the wine in the process.
I shrank the .jpg down to 44kb but still no luck. I was thinking, you don't have to be a patron to post pics do you?
I used a power drill and a scrubbed wall bit to make the hole in my lid bigger when the one they shipped me was too small for my rubber stoppers. You could always measure your stopper, drill your lid, sand it smooth so no uglies get in deep scratches, and viola! Hole for airlock!
Not that I know of...
Easiest is to host your image elsewhere (Picasa, Flickr, Photobucket, etc) and link the image here.
No - I was just reading about how it could happen. I've been in the habit of adding k-meta an sorbate at the same time. Perhaps in the future I should add k-meta then wait a bit before adding sorbate. After all the time and expense, I would like to minimize the possibility of the batch going bad!
Thanks!
Connie
I think if you're adding them both at the same time you'll be fine, the problems seem to arise when it's been treated with sorbate but there's not enough sulphite present.
That said, I'm sure I've at least once or twice used sorbate with no sulphites and had no problem, but why risk it when you know better...
That said, I'm sure I've at least once or twice used sorbate with no sulphites and had no problem, but why risk it when you know better...
Another update - I racked today and removed the spices. I went ahead and added honey to sweeten a little bit. We are currently "testing" to make sure it's okay. ;D Pretty tasty now, but I think give it a year and it will be real nice!
Thanks again!
Connie
Thanks again!
Connie
