Bochet mead

Alcoholic beverages which are not classified as spirits.

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Shine0n
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Bochet mead

Post by Shine0n »

I did a test batch of 1 gallon of this a month or so ago and it turned out so well I made a 5 gal batch.

15lb clover honey
lalvin 1116 dry yeast
water to 5 gallons
go ferm
fermaid o nutrients
I heated the honey to a very slow boil for an hour, when the honey got to the color and flavor I wanted I added about 1 gallon cool water.

Put it in the 7.75 gal fermenter and added water to the 4.75 gallon mark.

Made a starter the morning of and let it start working until 10pm when I pitched.

She's happily fermenting atm and should be finished I another week or so.

I degased for the first 5 days and it's been going like mad ever since.

I'll age this in one of my barrels for 6 months then check.
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fizzix
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by fizzix »

I get to sample more meads at my Brew Club and I'm getting a hankering for them.
Appreciate your take on it.
Shine0n
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by Shine0n »

Thanks, I had my first take on a traditional at the Maryland Ren fest close to 20 years ago.
That was the only time of year I drank it and loved it and always thought it was not worth making because of all the talk that it took many years to age it before drinking so that alone had me not mess with it.

MAN! A little research and talking to other forums and members about modern ways of making mead made me try and now I'm hooked like a fish.

I have very drinkable meads within 3 months for most part, not to say they won't age well but there's absolutely no need to wait.

With my next bochet I'm adding a dark fruit and will age 1 year on Hungarian med toast oak.

Endless possibilities :thumbup:
Shine0n
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by Shine0n »

This one turned out Fantastic after aging in the bourbon barrel for a while, the honey notes pop out and it's delicious to say the least.
I did take one gallon and add some boysenberry and blueberry and it's hasn't cleared yet and I may have to dose it with pectic enzyme to help with the haze but it's still freaking good.
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Yonder
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by Yonder »

Good work Shineon. Sounds like a delicious 'burnt pile' type bouchet. One of my very favorites. The caramel notes really sing. Gettin ready to start some mesquite and Im thinking of the same sort of treatment.
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by WillieP »

ShineOn
Did you use DAP and Fermaid or a yeast bomb?
The reading I've done says that without the added help, the fermentation creates a lot of off flavors that then take forever to age out. With a happy and healthy fermentation you can have drinkable Mead much quicker.
Just curious,
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by Shine0n »

No I dont n use DAP, only fermaid O.

Not all the time do I do a starter but for some reason on this one I did, you don't need one if you rehydrate properly and have a strong pitch rate.

say for instance if I have only one pack of yeast and I'm doing a 5 gal batch, I'll rehydrate with goferm and add some must slowly for 2 days to build a strong colony. Although 1 pack of yeast says it's good for up to 5 gallons, it's not sufficient for such high gravity musts.
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by WillieP »

Shine On
Great advice.
Thanks for your reply.
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Yonder
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by Yonder »

Good points, ShineOn. I always start with goferm, as well. I do use DAP alternating days with nutrients/energizer for 4-6 days depending on what I'm making. Never failed to ferment dry as a bone. Many ways to skin this cat!
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by Shine0n »

Absolutely Yonder, I tell ya and this is no lie...I LOVE THIS SHIT!

I took my break last year and made alot of mead, only bad thing is we drink the mead way too quickly. lol

I'm about to ferment my next bochet in the barrel with blueberry and black raspberry. I'll transfer to a bucket and clean out the barrel from the gross lees and then return it for secondary and aging vessel. I'll age 6 months this time I promise because it's time to break out one of my rye barrels now for a fog and date bohet.
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by DetroitDIY »

I also have recently adopted the step feeding. Using Goferm for the starter, Fermaid K and DAP in steps. May try the Fermiad O in the future. Rigged up a nice aquarium air pump with a good filter. Built a fermentation chamber capable of heating and cooling (2) 5 or (2) 8 gallon musts at a time. I've only done one cyser since stepping up my game with these tools and practices, and have yet to bottle it. I'm a bit longer than the three months you describe ShineOn, but that's mostly about not having time and not prioritizing.

Here's a nice tool for those of you wanting to do step feeding. I've used the TOSNA 2.0 which has now been updated to this TOSNA 3.0. Haven't used this one yet, but I will next mead batch I make. https://www.meadmaderight.com/tosna.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow

I have definitely done the simple fermentation and stressing the yeast. Still drinking the repercussions of those behaviors. It's funny, what I once thought was pretty good I now taste and it's not so good. I think the more I make, the better it gets, the higher my standards grow. My latest that I've bottled and am drinking is a dessert strength cyser of an ice cider and a bit of bochet mead. Pretty good, but I expect my new ferments will be better.

I like seeing all your mead adventures ShineOn, and what other are doing. Keep up the good work and the posting. I'll keep looking for them. Some day we'll have to convene at one of these meet ups and share a few bottles.

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Yonder
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by Yonder »

ShineOn yer givin' giving me a woodie! Sittin' here sippin' UJ and thinking smoothness, tartness, what else? Love making whisky, but damn me mead is just special because of all of the variations possible. Maybe a touch of chocolate? Damn, that made me think of chocolate - raspberry. Endless....
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by Shine0n »

Thanks guys, Detroit... That's the best and most updated tonsa calc. It takes the guess work out of everything even fruit, that's nice and thanks for posting it.

Yonder you're right and the possibilities are endless and when money allows I do what I can.

I was going to caramelize the honey today but it's really nasty outside with the rain and wind so it's on hold now.

I did last night prep the barrel even more and it's ready, I'm looking forward to this one and hope to get started very soon.
P.S. keep the wood in the mead. lol
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DetroitDIY
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by DetroitDIY »

I learned yesterday from my mead making friends that the MeadMadeRight site for the TOSNA link I provided above:

"Here's a nice tool for those of you wanting to do step feeding. I've used the TOSNA 2.0 which has now been updated to this TOSNA 3.0. Haven't used this one yet, but I will next mead batch I make. https://www.meadmaderight.com/tosna.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow "

just switched to a paid service as of yesterday. $60 annual subscription to the site going forward. I think it's back to simple calcs, GoFerm, Fermaid K 'n DAP, and simple step feeding for me. Which should work just fine for me, and be a better regime than I've been following for most of my mead making years.
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by Shine0n »

Crappy that you can only use that one now if you're a paying customer. Cheap but I think they've done folks wrong by making them join mead made right to use the calc.
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Yonder
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by Yonder »

Right you are. Leave 'em alone and do your own calcs based on recommended dosage, volume, and number of days. There's nothing special about it and you don't need some fancy calculator to make it work. You are makin your own product.
By the way ShineOn, my mesquite hit 1.000 today an tomorrow i'm doing the expresso build. Clean, earthy taste. Wish me luck.
Double, Double, toil and trouble. Fire Burn and pot still bubble.
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by Shine0n »

Damn I'm late but good luck like you needed it lol. Hope it turns out well, Let me know for sure!

When i return home hopefully Friday i need to tend to a barrel fermented bochet and rack off the lees (RC212) and get in on some fruit but now youve mentioned coffee and its got me thinking of that now. Sumatra from starbucks is my favorite so ill get some beans to toss in secondary.

Back to 2nd shift, Cya!
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by subbrew »

Thought I would put my recipe in here. It has been consistent. Fairly strong burn sugar, caramel flavors and ages very well.

9 lb honey cooked for about 1 hr and 20 minutes until chocolate milk brown
stir in 1.5 gallons of hot water so it doesn't turn into candy
Allow to cool a bit and transfer to a 5 gal carboy and fill with water to just over the three gallon mark.
Add 1.5 tsp yeast energizer (I used JD Carlson)
Add 1.5 tsp yeast nutrient
aerate for 15 to 20 minutes with a stone hooked to an aquarium pump.
Pitch 3 pks 71B yeast
Always had trouble getting a good gravity on mead due to honey wanting to settle but calculated is 1.112 OG

About 6 hrs later I give it another 10 minutes of aeration.

For the first week I shake the carboy vigorously for a couple minutes each day to degas.

when activity stops I give it another week and cold crash then rack to a 3 gal carboy. Top up with water if needed to fill the carboy.

Put in a cool dark place for 6 months or so and then bottle. It ages well. 6 years is my oldest and it seems to just get better.
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Re: Bochet mead

Post by Bradster68 »

I'm on my 7th batch of mead. Always use the calculator. ( sometimes try different methods) but the fermaid o and the go ferm make it alot easier. just sipped one last night from April. Very pleased.
After reading this post the current batch will be getting some toasted oak for sure. Thanks guys🍻
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