Bochet/Burnt Mead - My take

So, I discovered the Bochet recently. I found an old recipe in wrote in ancient French, which I studied a bit when I was studying French Litterature. Anyway, I took this recipe that comes from the 14th century, and created down my own interpretation of it.

Please tell me what you think!

Going for a 2.5 Gallons batch

-6.5 lbs of Buckwheat Honey
-Ginger, cardamone, nutmeg and cloves
-1/8 lb beech smoked barley (Rauch Malz) (my addition)
-1/8 lb oak smoked wheat (my addition)
Lalvin K1 yeast

Honey caramelization: Heat up a cast iron cauldron, pour the honey in it, and let it caramelize until it stops creating foam and until the color is dark brown/black. Add some water and let it simmer to dissolve everything. I think it's better to pour it warm in the fermentator before it begins to harden, then add the rest of water to mix it well.

Malt processing: I will use them as steeping grain in the appropriate amount of water, and add it to the mead must.

Spices: I will probably add a tiny bit of each directly in the honey when it simmmers. Then adjust in the secondary, if needed, by cold infusing spices for few days.

Unless you are dealing with a plastic bucket for a fermenter I wouldn't pour the honey in first, add some water and it will cool it down quick. The heat of the honey will break a glass carboy. Even then I wouldn't recomend it. I recomend adding at least equal volume of water, carefully. I did a Bochet this past sunday and it carmelized up nicely, but when I added room temp water the first few cups immediately vaporized and nearly scalded my hands. The honey didn't come up with the steam but it was enough. I added the rest of the water quickly and that does nicely to cool it down. I only carmelized 6 pounds of honey and added, after cooled down a bit, 6 more pounds of non-carmelized honey. It is still black as night. It took me 70 min to carmelize it. Also, keep an eye on it toward the end it browns up and blackens quickly.

Take a paper plate and put a dot of the honey on it every 10 min after the first 15 or so of boiling. You will see the color change and know when it is almost dark enough. I went to a nice deep chocolate brown color. Also, it starts almost getting done when you get puffs of smoke rather than puffs of steam, for me it was about 20 mins from done. Stiring foamed honey is a trip too. I decided to keep it moving to keep it evenly carmelized.

Just some suggestions. Also, do it inside if you can, I hear that the bees and wasps come running at the smell of it. It is best that I did it inside and in winter.

Hope it works well for you.
Matrix

I will take your advices. I was already planing to do it inside. My cast iron cauldron isn't that big, so I couldn't add that much water. Maybe I could take a bigger one, but it would be a stainless steel one. I guess it would work just fine. Then I could be able to add way more water to cool it.

Tiroux said:

I will take your advices. I was already planing to do it inside. My cast iron cauldron isn't that big, so I couldn't add that much water. Maybe I could take a bigger one, but it would be a stainless steel one. I guess it would work just fine. Then I could be able to add way more water to cool it.

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Be careful if your pot is not VERY big. The honey bubbles up to 7-10 times the original volume. Even on low heat it will do it. And the foam doesn't go down quickly when the heat is off, so if your pot is too small it will overflow quickly and you won't be able to coarse correct quickly enough to keep from having a mess to clean up.

nitack said:

Be careful if your pot is not VERY big. The honey bubbles up to 7-10 times the original volume. Even on low heat it will do it. And the foam doesn't go down quickly when the heat is off, so if your pot is too small it will overflow quickly and you won't be able to coarse correct quickly enough to keep from having a mess to clean up.

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ok then I'll guess I'll go with my big stainless pot. thanks!

This is the video many of us who've made Bochet learned from.

Revvy said:

This is the video many of us who've made Bochet learned from.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoPbfJ3BwwM

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Yhea, I have seen it. That about the type of cauldron I have, but since I will be using over 6 lbs of honey, it will probably overboil, as it's been said. I'll juste to it on my stove in a stainless pot.

How did this turn out?!
I’m making a big batch of buckwheat mead and have been looking for a good recipe. Love more details on this old French one you found.

This is a thread from '12 so it's probably dead, there's a bit more info in a thread about Solera style Group brew Bochets, but it's been quiet for a while I believe. I'd suggest starting a new thread with you ideas and ask for tips and tricks, everything Tiroux did is pretty standard for how everyone started back in the day and Bochets have come a long way.

Just my recommendation, any questions and I'd be glad to help, getting ready to start my next Bochets as well.

Very valid point. I hate starting a new thread when it is already covered elsewhere but this is old.