Blueberry Braggot

[pdilley]

A non Ken Schramm Braggot recipe this time

5# (2.27kg) Light DME
5# (2.27kg) Blueberries (fresh frozen)
0.5# (227g) Crystal malt 120L
0.5# (227g) Beglian Special 'B' malt
10# (4.54kg) Honey
1/2 of a Black cardamom pod (lightly crushed) (danger, very potent) (optional, remove if not interested)
Yeast Nutrient (Bintani Yeast Nutrient)
Yeast Energizer (DAP)
Go-Ferm (No Australian equivalent, go for plain water rehydration of dry yeast instead)
1 1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1/8 tsp Potassium Metabisulfite
10g 71B-1122 yeast
10g Champagne yeast (optional)
OG Estimated: 1.110
FG Estimated: 1.005


Day 1
Place 2 US Gallons (7.57 L) of water into a large 12 quart pot (11.36 L) and heat to 170F (76.6C). While the water is heating, crush grains and mix with the half cardamom pod and place in a grain bag tying the end off.

Once at 170F (76.6C) remove pot from heat, reserve all but 2 quarts (1.9 L) of water, and steep the grains in this water while covered for 30 minutes. Remove the grain bag and rinse with the reserved water allowing the bag to drain in a bowl after it is removed. Collect 7 quarts (6.6 L) of sweet wort and add to a 6.5 US Gallon (24.6 L) primary fermenter and cover.

Add 2 US Gallons (7.57 L) of water to the large pot and heat to approximately 110F (43.3C). Slowly add the DME while stirring briskly with a whisk. Take your time adding as too fast and you will have the DME form clumps. Once dissolved, pour half of this mixture into the fermenter containing the sweet wort. With the remainder stir in the honey. Transfer the mixture to the primary fermenter and add 0.5 US Gallons (1.9 L) of water. The total must volume should be close to 5.5 US Gallons (20.8 L). mix very well, cover, measure the must SG, and seal under an air lock.

When the must temp is approximately 85F (29.4C), rehydrate the 71B yeast.

After the primary fermenter temperature falls in between 75F and 80F, infuse the must with oxygen, add the rehydrated yeast, and the 1st stage nutrients. Seal the primary fermenter under an airlock.

[Nutrient Additions]
1st Stage: 5.2g each of Yeast Nutrient and Yeast Energizer
2nd Stage: 3.2g each of Yeast Nutrient and Yeast Energizer
3rd Stage: 2.1g each of Yeast Nutrient and Yeast Energizer

24-36 Hours before Racking to Secondary
Place 1 quart (0.95 L) of water into a large pot and heat to 150F (65.5C). Turn off heat, add the frozen blueberries, cover, mix well. When thawed, mash berries, and add the pectic enzyme to the fruit. Place the berry slurry into a 6 US Gallon (22.7 L) fermenter under an airlock seal. After one hour, add the KMETA and swirl berries to mix well.
Wait 24 hours before racking the fermenting honey mixture.

Monitor the SG until the SG is about 1.025, and then rack the fermenting honey mixture onto secondary containing the treated berries. After 10-14 days on the fruit, rack mead to another 6 US Gallon fermenter leaving the fruit behind. After 30 days, rack mead to a clean fermenter.

Bottle the Braggot in beer bottles using oxygen-barrier caps. Then age bottles at least 6 months to 12 months.


Cheers,
Brewer Pete

PS. Note: Honey/Liquid dilution is 6.5:1. Honey fermentable contribution = 0.065 gravity points.

 

[raven19]

BP - these braggots are certainly interesting. Have you brewed these yourself as yet? I have a rasberry wheat down at the moment, but like the idea of the blue berries.

Does the acid from nearly 50% blueberries destroy the flavour?

Edit: And make it way too acidic???

 

[pdilley]

BP - these braggots are certainly interesting. Have you brewed these yourself as yet? I have a rasberry wheat down at the moment, but like the idea of the blue berries.

Does the acid from nearly 50% blueberries destroy the flavour?

Edit: And make it way too acidic???

Im on the group brew for this recipe which starts at the end of this month. Sharing in case anyone wants to jump on. I just have to clear out my primaries as they are all full or finish cleaning my 54 litre olive brining demijohn and get it ready to go back into Mead production

The acidity from the fruit is not going to be overpowering. Hightest as a brewer, if you have listened to the radio shows on brewing is one of the most respected Mead makers, the "nerdy engineering type" who has fruits down to an exact science and their contribution to a Mead recipe. One person, even Ken would stop and listen to

I have an open unanswered question with the group which is a Northern Brewers group that because the seasons are reversed for the southern hemisphere and I brew going into winter if it will skew their group data they are collecting for the brew. Once I hear I can see if its time to go around looking for who has good deals on frozen berries in quantity.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete


PS. Let me add that the champagne yeast is optional for purposes only for carbonating in the bottle after fermenting out the Braggot with 71B. Just don't want anyone new to think to use it in place of 71B in the primary fermenter.

 

[raven19]

Nothing wrong with nerdy engineering types... that is what I am... minus some nerd I hope!

Will be keeping a keen eye on this topic and results once they are in. I like the idea of a blueberry braggot!

Cheers.

 

[pdilley]

Nothing wrong with nerdy engineering types... that is what I am... minus some nerd I hope!

Will be keeping a keen eye on this topic and results once they are in. I like the idea of a blueberry braggot!

Cheers.

I'm a bit disappointed in the northern brewers. Still no response to my question about skewing their results and if its ok to start with them, grrr.


Now that I'm posting, ran the honey component through my program to get the exact amount of litres for those who would rather measure than weigh:

In [25]: '%.2f' % (honeyscales.pounds_to_litres(10))
Out[25]: '3.18'

In [26]: '%.2f' % (honeyscales.kilograms_to_litres(4.5359237))
Out[26]: '3.18'


3.18 Litres of honey will do your 10 US Pounds called out for in this recipe.


Still working on my volumetric engine to scale all the recipes up and down from 5 litre demijohns to 60 litre demijohns and still let you enter the original US 5 gallon recipe in as the input


Cheers,
Brewer Pete

 

[raven19]

It would appear I am going to need more fermentors to attempt these brews! And patience to leave them down for 6+ months...

Thanks for the replies there BP.

 

[Pumpy]

Brewer Pete,

Blueberry Braggott that sounds Awesome !!

Pumpy

 

[Phoney]

G'day BrewerPete..

This sounds awesome, but where do you get the following ingredients:

Yeast Energizer (DAP)
Pectic Enzyme
Potassium Metabisulfite
71B-1122 yeast

Ive looked at several HBS websites and havent been able to find any that stock them....

 

[brettprevans]

G&G sell DAP
Pot meta is campden tablets.

wine supplies will sell all of these items.

edit: cant find the wine supplier i was trying to find for you. Brewer Pete is best to answer

 

[Airgead]

G&G sell DAP
Pot meta is campden tablets.

wine supplies will sell all of these items.

edit: cant find the wine supplier i was trying to find for you. Brewer Pete is best to answer

The LHBS should have pectic enzyme. Even my local kits n bits LHBS has it.

71-11B is a dry white wine yeast from lalvin/lallemond. There are alternatives from red star and gervin that are more widely available here in Aus. You can also get liquid cultures from white labs and wyeast.

Cheers
Dave

 

[pdilley]

Sorry, was out at Bunnings getting pots for all my new hop rhizomes, about $10 a pop at the LHBS beats the online prices anyday, go Collin!

Dave and citymorgue2 have come to the rescue with good information. I am lucky that Brew Your Own at Home in Kambah, ACT stocks a full yeast refrigerator full of all sorts of lovely yeasts harder to find around most Beer only or Commercialised LHBS places.

You can always give Collin a ring at Brew Your Own at Home about yeasts or better yet get your yeast farming going and then you can order in these harder to find yeasts and keep a constant stock on hand and never have to worry again

Ross at CraftBrewer also has some wine yeasts but Collins selection is currently better.

For Oz, the FAN I use is DAP which is easy to find and for yeast nutrient I use the Bintani Yeast Nutrient from Colling at Brew Your Own at Home.

Most mead makers overseas end up using D-47 by far more often than any other variety and luck has it Collin stocks plenty of it on hand. Also used in descending order: K1V-1116, 71B-1122, EC-1118, and RC 212. For the beer yeast side, US-05 by far is the the most used yeast to make meads.

In Meads, D-47 makes for a nice crisp character. Leaves a nice white zinfandel character that some people dislike but others love.Yields chardonnay buttery flavors. Good with cysers. Be sure to supplement with yeast nutrients, especially usable nitrogen. 71B-1122 is a very nice yeast. Ferments and ages quickly, compared to other mead yeasts.Leaves nice fruity character to mead that makes it a great choice for melomels and pyments. US-05 gives a sparkle to the taste, with a touch of clove and vanilla character.


Cheers,
Brewer Pete

 

[Lee in Texas]

I've got a batch going. I thought the fermentation was stuck after I racked over the fruit. I had planned to pour it down the drain, but waited forever to do it. I finally got around to it last weekend, but just for the hell of it, I took a gravity reading. It had fermented to just a tick over 1.000. It's now in Tertiary, waiting for another racking.
:icon_drunk:

 

[pdilley]

I've got a batch going. I thought the fermentation was stuck after I racked over the fruit. I had planned to pour it down the drain, but waited forever to do it. I finally got around to it last weekend, but just for the hell of it, I took a gravity reading. It had fermented to just a tick over 1.000. It's now in Tertiary, waiting for another racking.
:icon_drunk:

Oh my god that report has suspense, drama, fear, and tension release all rolled up into one! :chug:

Never ever contemplate chucking a Mead!

Glad you got it all sorted and back on track.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete