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Bochet (carmelized) mead

Posted: Wed Aug 11, 2010 6:40 am
by MixnMatchBrew
The official recipe from 2008 Nov/Dec Zymurgy page 46. Article starts on page 45 - "Mead: Party Like its 1949"

18.5 lb light honey
4.0 g yeast extract or yeast nutrient
0.1 g zinc fortified yeast as nutrient
3 Tablespoon yeast (40g) dried champagne or mead yeast (Prise de Mousse recommended)

Target original gravity 1.130 - 1.138
Approx Final Gravity 1.028-1.038
Alcohol 14 to 15% by volume

Add honey to pot. Do not add water. Gently boil the honey until dark and tastes caramelized.

Add 1 gallon of water, zinc fortified yeast and blend into the "scorched honey" Stir until dissolved well.

Blend hot honey and water mixture to 2 gallons of cold water and add to your primary.

Top up to 5 gallons total volume. Aerate extremely well and add dissolved yeast nutrient (yeast extract)

When temp is below 80 F add re hydrated yeast. Ferment between 70-75 F

It may take 3 weeks to 3 months to finish primary.

Rack and transfer to secondary. Store at cooler temperatures Rack off sediment after six months to a year. Bottle when clear and all fermentation ceased. Cork in wine bottles for long term aging.

Re: Bochet (carmelized) mead

Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 8:17 pm
by mtodd
I just brewed a bochet a couple of weeks ago and I gotta say it tasted excellent in the gravity sample. I ended up using 24 lbs of honey and increased the total batch size to almost 7 gallons.

Re: Bochet (carmelized) mead

Posted: Fri Mar 21, 2014 10:05 am
by peccavi
What would be the best indicator that it is done in primary? 3 weeks to 3 months is a pretty big window...