Help with an orange mead recipe

I have been considering an orange mead for a while now and could use some input. I have seen orange wine/mead recipes, but most I've found are variations of JAOM, or at least involve some sort of spices. Want this to have a good orange flavor, but my main concern is too much acidity. After doing some research on orange/lemon meads and wines, this is what I've come up with-

5 gal batch

- 12lbs orange blossom honey
- 10-15 oranges, juice and zest (primary or secondary?)
- 1 tsp tannin
- 5 tsp super ferm energizer and nutrient
- Lalvin d-47 yeast

My thought is using 10 oranges in the primary, and 5 in the secondary. Peel the "zest" of 10 oranges with a peeler, removing any white pith. Then boiling it in some water for 10-15 mins, adding the zest and water to the primary. Juice the 10 oranges, add to primary along with tannin, super ferm, and OB honey. Pour in about a gallon of warm water (rinsing the honey bottles) and swirl/shake to dissolve the honey. Top with water to 5 gallons and shake to aerate. Pitch yeast and attach airlock. Rack after 1 month adding juice and zest from 5 oranges. Maybe sparkling, will decide at bottling time.

Let me know what you think. I kind of feel it could use more oranges, maybe even orange juice, but I don't want it to taste like stomach acid...
Any input is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
wickerman

I would say to add less oranges to primary (such as 5) and add the juice of 10 to secondary. It will possibly help with clarity, calming the yeast down, and more of an orange flavor.

I just did a blood orange that had half the juice and all of the zest in primary, then the reserved juice and some passion fruit in secondary. It's completely clear and aging now and it's very promising.

Bluespark said:

I just did a blood orange that had half the juice and all of the zest in primary, then the reserved juice and some passion fruit in secondary. It's completely clear and aging now and it's very promising.

Click to expand...

That sounds delicious. I've always wanted to do a blood orange batch. Do you have a recipe?

Here it is:

Zest of 3 blood oranges.
2 cups blood orange juice(20 or so oranges)
3.5lb clover honey
Nutrient, energizer, pectin enzyme
Water to 1 gallon
Lalvins D47 yeast

SG 1.095.

Added more nutrients on day 2 and 4, aerated daily. Heavy layer of sediment by day 10, racked, gravity 0.998, added approx(increase gravity to 1.010) 0.5 lb clover honey, juice of 5 more blood oranges(half cup). flesh of one passionfruit. Racked off passionfruit after 7 days,

Racked today(less than three months old, don't have my notes on me) and it tastes....fascinating. Very young, but extremely floral, and...I don't know, unique. Never tasted anything like it before.

Thanks for the recipe Bluespark. I think thats what I'm going to go with, only substitute the clover honey with orange blossom beacause I have some. Also, after thinking about it, 1 gallon batch is probably the way to go.
wickerman

Orange blossom is crazy expensive up here, but that sounds great. Here is what it looks like bottled: