4th generation has been pitched, still deciding on secondary flavors, standard bochet in primary. 3 lbs honey, 3/4 SNA and water to a gallon. SWMBO started a blood orange JAOM as her first batch and won't stop fiddling with it. Might need to hide it at our workshop.
Bochet GROUP BREW - Solera Style
- Thread starter MarshmallowBlue
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Hello everyone. We are almost at the 2 year mark from when this was started. How is everyone? I will admit I have a rough time and stopped with my brew stuff for a while. But that just means that my projects have been bulk aging all this time! I have 3 gallons of my solera project but there was a terrible mishap. In the processes of moving I mixed up my batches and lost their order 
... So I blended all 3 and will start the process over with the blended batch. I will bottle two bottles soon, top off two gallon jugs. Put the remainder in a third and top off with new must and yeast.
I even still have the original yeast! Had it sitting in the cold part of my fridge just chilling. Added some sugar/water and 1/4tsp nutrient to see if I can wake them up. If they do then I can keep the tradition of using the same yeast each time. Anyone tasted theirs yet and have any thoughts on the process?
... So I blended all 3 and will start the process over with the blended batch. I will bottle two bottles soon, top off two gallon jugs. Put the remainder in a third and top off with new must and yeast. I even still have the original yeast! Had it sitting in the cold part of my fridge just chilling. Added some sugar/water and 1/4tsp nutrient to see if I can wake them up. If they do then I can keep the tradition of using the same yeast each time. Anyone tasted theirs yet and have any thoughts on the process?
MarshmallowBlue
Well-Known Member
I'm doing good, I'm ready to so some bottling and blending.
HawleyFarms
Well-Known Member
A month late already on my 2nd generation. Hopefully will get it started in the next couple weeks. Although the bochet cyser dessert style from my first batch is fantastic, I think I'm going to switch it up and just do a regular bochet for the 2nd Gen. Maybe with some vanilla and cinnamon.
SWMBO flies home this afternoon and then visiting the LHBS before returning home. It's the two month mark for her first JAOM and my 4th gen. has been clearing and bulk aging all this time. Transferring off last of the Lee's tonight, and should do a tasting on it before aging some more.
MarshmallowBlue
Well-Known Member
I bottled 2/3 of the 1st batch and blended the second in to fill the space. I can't believe how old these meads are already.
Right? Today I have planned some time to bottle up a couple bottles and then start fermenting the half batch of new must and Bochet. I'll see if I can rob a taste then and post preliminary results.
I am IN!!! I have only been making mead and beer for about a year now, but I have the bug BAD! I just listened to the podcast where you talk about this project. I made up the first two gallons today. Yes, I am doing two different runs of gallon batches.
Base is 5 lbs. of raw wildflower honey on med to med high heat for about 75 minutes. I stopped it as soon as I started to get a collection of smoke in the kitchen. Amazing really opaque copper hue.
Using a SNA program and 71B for the yeast.
One run I am keeping basic. Just different batches of burnt honey.
The other run I am going to make into a capsacimel (sp?). Billie's Chilies is one of my favorite beers. So I am going to use the different peppers I grow in different batches to create a wonderful blend of flavor. I am pretty sure the heat won't survive the aging, but I want that chili flavor to pair with the sweet smoke of the bochet.
I am a student of the craft first, and am excited to jump in on this project with all of you guys that have basically been my instructors indirectly over the past year.
Base is 5 lbs. of raw wildflower honey on med to med high heat for about 75 minutes. I stopped it as soon as I started to get a collection of smoke in the kitchen. Amazing really opaque copper hue.
Using a SNA program and 71B for the yeast.
One run I am keeping basic. Just different batches of burnt honey.
The other run I am going to make into a capsacimel (sp?). Billie's Chilies is one of my favorite beers. So I am going to use the different peppers I grow in different batches to create a wonderful blend of flavor. I am pretty sure the heat won't survive the aging, but I want that chili flavor to pair with the sweet smoke of the bochet.
I am a student of the craft first, and am excited to jump in on this project with all of you guys that have basically been my instructors indirectly over the past year.
MarshmallowBlue
Well-Known Member
BGBC
Well-Known Member
So my current plan is when I rack off the lees in a month, and I will add around 2.5 grams of ghost pepper in a hop sack to secondary for 5 days. Next batch will be the same with habanero, then cayenne, then jalapeño, then serrano. I am going from hottest to mildest as I go. I want to do a new batch every 3-4 months, then start blending.
Like I said this is the plan, you all know what happened to plans when the rubber meets the road.
You guys have much experience with chilis? I have made one habanero mead so far, and I WAY over dosed it that time.
MarshmallowBlue
Well-Known Member
I'm probably going to do a peach bochet for round 3.
Currently working on moving by the end of the month, basement has been surrendered to the brewer by swmbo. First batches planned in the new shop are a traditional, peach/mango melomel and really wana figure out a butterscotch/Bochet. Anybody had luck or experience with butterscotch at all?
HawleyFarms
Well-Known Member
Finally getting around to starting my 2nd gen. Tasted the 1st one (bochet cyser) again a few days ago and it's one of the best meads I've ever made. Can't wait to get it bottled.
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HawleyFarms
Well-Known Member
My first generation bochet cyser is phenomenal, really wishing I had made a 5 or 6 gallon batch instead of a 3 gallon. Probably going to bottle it up in 12oz bottles to ship to a few bigger comps as I feel it's one of the best meads I have ever made. Going to bottle up half of it next weekend and top up with part of the 2nd generation bochet back-sweetened with cider.
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HawleyFarms
Well-Known Member
This is my 2nd gen bochet. Straight bochet, and instead of fermenting WITH cider, going to backsweeten it with cider instead. Not a fan of this generation. Tastes ok, but the aroma is of bananas foster. Going to top up whatever needs topping on my first gen next weekend, and then rack 1 gallon of it onto custom toasted dark oak chips that were used to mellow a white Poitin, and now has 1 gallon of clover traditional on them. Whatever is left with be getting put into 1 gallon jugs with generic brand cinnamon red hot candies.
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MarshmallowBlue
Well-Known Member
well now I need to take some photos
HawleyFarms
Well-Known Member
Synaster
Well-Known Member
Anyone have a recommendation of type of honey to use for this? I wanna do a 12 gallon batch and split into 2 different barrels ( Bourbon and Red wine barrel).
HawleyFarms
Well-Known Member
I've just been using clover because it's cheap. I can't imagine there will be a HUGE difference in flavor using more expensive varietals but I've not tried it.
HawleyFarms
Well-Known Member
Did you end up doing the peach bochet? Thought about either using the peach mango juice from Welch's refreshingly simple line or Knudsen's pear juice in place of the fresh cider to throw together one more quick batch before harvest.
HawleyFarms
Well-Known Member
How many of you guys are using oak in this project? Barrels or chips? I haven't oaked any of mine yet but planning on picking up a 15 gallon rye whiskey barrel through Great Lakes soon. Just missed 2 five gallon wine barrels on the local Facebook yard sale page by about 12 hours.
MarshmallowBlue
Well-Known Member
I've been using chips.
Also, I haven't started the next round yet, but I still wanna do peach.
Also, I haven't started the next round yet, but I still wanna do peach.
MarshmallowBlue
Well-Known Member
Bumping, who's still alive?
HawleyFarms
Well-Known Member
Still alive! Just really far behind on starting my 3rd batch.
Synaster
Well-Known Member
I recently came across a few wine barrels and a whiskey barrel. I'm trying to figure out how I should start thus project.
MarshmallowBlue
Well-Known Member
In the same boat 100%
HawleyFarms
Well-Known Member
Actually planning to taste and filter my 2nd gen this weekend along with about 15 gallons of other meads. Will take a couple more photos. Brewing 2 batches of beer this weekend as well so, with all that going on, I probably won't have time to press apples or caramelize honey for my 3rd gen. Hopefully before the first of the new year I will get it done.
HawleyFarms
Well-Known Member
Everybody still alive? Starting my third addition of these in the coming weeks. Been so busy with work that I've only been doing one of these a year instead of my original intentions to do one every 4 months.
This brewer has been quiet a bit to long, time to wake up the yeast and find my hydrometer again. Hey everybody, after nearly 2 years handling life I'd like to say it's time to do that 5th generation haha. Cleaning out my shop making way for more storage and future home projects, I found myself wondering what these bottles and jugs of dark amber liquid were. Kind of crazy how you can lose track of time and especially when i realize when we started this so many years ago. Hope there may be some blends still out there going strong, i'll hopefully update on the state of mine since my yeast/lees are certainly gone but I'm curious how the 4th gen tastes from the bottle now.
Cheers all!
Cheers all!
HawleyFarms
Well-Known Member
Never did manage to get one made last year and 2016's blend is still sitting in the carboy. Life really got in the way in 2017 and I just never had time for brewing of any sort. I think my first batch is by far the best one.
I hear ya there, life and started having kids for me so ya, life really takes off on you sometimes. After checking my 4th gen it's really a wonderful cloudy/vinegar mix in a jug so... At least my first 3 gens were bottled and sitting quietly on the shelf. Swmbo tried giving me grief but ultimately told me to start brewing again because she misses drinking it. Planning to brew this afternoon and start a new solera style bochet line. I was reading some old notebooks and comparing knowledge from then and now is just so much fun.
Just pitched my New 1st gen. and its going to be a work in progress from my previous notes with subtle variants along the way. Planning a bochet/cyser with maple, vanilla, hazelnut and butterscotch in respective generations. Every gen will be distinct while planning that blend at around the 3rd and 5th gen. to be an option for future large brews. Smells so good around here now, making the pregnant wife crazy for food haha.
Cheers all!
Cheers all!
MarshmallowBlue
Well-Known Member
I have my second blend sitting in a carboy, but I'm thinking of starting over rather than adding into it. I had tried a sour fermentation with the 2nd round and it just didn't come out good. The regular brett bochet was great, which I have a couple bottles of, but I'd rather start fresh and make great stuff each blend, rather than wait for the sourness to fade out of the blends. I'll be doing this once I get a free carboy.
Sounds good Blue, my newbie is clearing in the fridge currently. down to a 1.000 and aroma is sweet and warm, taste... dry and waaarm, once it's moved to aging i'll have more details but i can't tell if there's a slight off flavor already or not. Going to wait a couple weeks and see whats up before thinking about critiques.
Hi everyone. I was really happy to see people still active in this thread as I just got into making mead and this style immediately appealed to me. I’m going to start a Solera Bochet Project. To try and benefit from people’s experience is there any yeast recommendations to try? How much oak are people using per carboy (6 month batch)? Does it get too oaky?
I found this article describing the solera system of a rum. Looks interesting. https://refinedvices.com/ron-zacapa-part-ii-solera-system-explained
Can’t wait to start this.
I found this article describing the solera system of a rum. Looks interesting. https://refinedvices.com/ron-zacapa-part-ii-solera-system-explained
Can’t wait to start this.
MarshmallowBlue
Well-Known Member
I've just been using a handful,nothing too oaky yet.
