Supermarket Honeys For Mead

[white.grant]

This thread has whetted my appetite so I have bit the bullet and grabbed a couple of kilos of Iron Bark honey at the deli this morning ($8/kg) and have just pitched some white wine yeast on my first ever mead. Only 5l but you have to start somewhere.


cheers

grant

 

[Chookers]

I have a Braggot mead ready for yeast, its to be more on the mead side of things, so what yeast can you guys recommend I have at hand SN9, T-58 and Safbrew.. aswell as EC-1118 (which I have used too many times)

 

[Chookers]

I have a Braggot mead ready for yeast, its to be more on the mead side of things, so what yeast can you guys recommend I have at hand SN9, T-58 and Safbrew.. aswell as EC-1118 (which I have used too many times)

I've decided to go with the SN9, this time.

 

[barls]

just put down my braggot with sweet mead from white labs.

 

[leiothrix]

I get my honey straight from the Orchard in Darkes Forest. (just past the shire going south)

do you have any details at all? Price, location, etc?

thanks,
rob.

 

[Chookers]

I have a question about Braggot.. I have read different opinions on Braggot.. is it supposed to be a mead type Beer or a beer type Mead???

Is it supposed to be flat or carbonated.. I thought it was supposed to be more mead style so I made mine to be flat.

Was I wrong?

 

[barls]

i find its generally a blend of the two. well thats how i make mine. normally id recommend trying the commercial example but they arent much chop in my book for the money they will cost you.

i carbonate mine.
jump on gotmead.com and have a look at the style guides on there.

 

[Chookers]

i find its generally a blend of the two. well thats how i make mine. normally id recommend trying the commercial example but they arent much chop in my book for the money they will cost you.

i carbonate mine.
jump on gotmead.com and have a look at the style guides on there.

thanks barls, I'll checkout that site.
I think I'll carbonate a few bottles just to see how it is, its my first attempt at braggot, so this is all a learning experience. How do you think it would go to use a beer kit in place of malt in a braggot..(I am an amature so I dont use any grain recipes)

Cheers

 

[Airgead]

I have a question about Braggot.. I have read different opinions on Braggot.. is it supposed to be a mead type Beer or a beer type Mead???

Is it supposed to be flat or carbonated.. I thought it was supposed to be more mead style so I made mine to be flat.

Was I wrong?

No not wrong.. it can be either.

Mine tend to be more beery than meady. Others make them more meady than beery. Any drink with a mix of malt and honey is technically a braggot.

Cheers
Dave

 

[Muggus]

Mine tend to be more beery than meady. Others make them more meady than beery. Any drink with a mix of malt and honey is technically a braggot.

The line isn't particularly clear cut on what exactly a Braggot is, but for me a Braggot should have a discernable amount of honey characterstic, especially if it's a very flavoursome variety used, and generally should be at around Mead strength...so nearing wine in alcohol content.
That's just my take anyway.

 

[Chookers]

My braggot has not been fermenting, and now Im thinking to add some Diammonium Phosphate, its the first time I have used this stuff and it stinks, Im afraid it might make my Braggot taste like Diammonium Phosphate smells.. anyone used this and would you recommend it, for braggots and other mead types.

 

[The_Duck]

I have a question about Braggot.. I have read different opinions on Braggot.. is it supposed to be a mead type Beer or a beer type Mead???

Is it supposed to be flat or carbonated.. I thought it was supposed to be more mead style so I made mine to be flat.

Was I wrong?

As someone above said, mixing malt wort into your ingredients for Mead gets you a Braggot. I prefer my strong Meads to be flat and my light Meads and Braggots to be carbonated. Just the way I roll I guess.

I entered a strongish Braggot in VicBrew 2010 and got mixed results. One of the main issues was lack of carbonation. So depending on what you are doing with your creation you may want/need to carbonate some and leave others still.

Personally, I tried the above Braggot still and carbed and I have to say the carbed version was better IMHO. It had a beautifully thick creamy head on it that stayed to the bottom of the glass. My problem was I forgot it was 13%+ and cranked thru 2 stubbies of it before it hit me like a baseball bat. :drinks:

My headache the next morning drummed into me (for the rest of the day) that I need to offer my creation its due respect.


Duck

 

[Chookers]

Another stupid question, I assume you drink it cold if its carbonated.. So do you drink it cold if its flat also??

Because I am so new to the idea of braggot.. I just dont know..

I drank my mead a room temp.

 

[O'Henry]

Wouldn't mind seeing your recipe Duck, if you don't mind sharing, and any aging you did on it?

 

[The_Duck]

Another stupid question, I assume you drink it cold if its carbonated.. So do you drink it cold if its flat also??

Because I am so new to the idea of braggot.. I just dont know..

I drank my mead a room temp.

I drink my Braggot cold but let it warm up to release some complexity. I drink sparkling Mead frosty cold like champagne. Still mead IMHO should be consumed cool but not cold.

Duck

 

[The_Duck]

[quote name='O'Henry' post='701570' date='Nov 8 2010, 10:45 PM']Wouldn't mind seeing your recipe Duck, if you don't mind sharing, and any aging you did on it?[/quote]

Sure..

3.7kg Pale Ale Malt
900g Vienna Malt
450g Cara Pils
85g Cascade @ 60 mins
28g Cascade @ 30 mins
28g Cascade @ 2 mins
13g Fuggles @ 0 mins

Mash in 10.5l @ 63C for 30 mins. Mash out @ 74C. Sparge with 3.5 litres of 85C water.

do a standard 60 min boil then add 4.1KG of honey (use a strong scented honey) at flameout.

Add 2tsp each of yeast nutrient and yeast energiser.

I used Wyeast 4632 Dry Mead yeast due to it's high ABV tolerance.

The above recipe will come in between 13-18% ABV.

Mine sat in the primary for 3 months, then a secondary for 6 months then my baby was born :icon_cheers: It will be pretty hardcore for a while but you need to let it age for a bit, 3-9 months but it should keep for a few years or more.

I bottle conditioned as normal.


Duck

 

[barls]

very similar to the one we did at isb. but it was only 8%

 

[Chookers]

I have two braggot experiments going at the moment.. I forgot to check the S.G before adding the yeast, would it make a great difference to the readings if I took it after adding the Yeast???

I also have a Pyment experiment going and it is not making bubbles or changing the water level in the airlock at all. There is a bit of deposit on the surface though, I used SN9 yeast in it... Any suggestions on how I can get it working.??

 

[O'Henry]

You could just have a leak in the seal somewhere, if it looks like there is activity or the gravity is dropping then it is fine. Airlock is not to be believed.

I was worried about a beer on the weekend having a slow start, but lent on the lid (completing the seal) and it was going ganbusters. Had a big krausen on it though, so wasn't worried. Moral of that one: turn the light on when checking on your beers.

 

[Chookers]

I think it was the seal, I pushed the airlock in further and it was bubbling away..

On my second braggot I just added the yeast today safbrew T-58, and when I checked it tonight I had foam comming out of the airlock.. Whats going on, it will still be good to drink right?? Im glad I found it now before it made a bigger mess.