Mental BOMM

Mental BOMM

I want something herbal to drink that can enhance the mind. I'm thinking this would be nice to sip while recording new music in my studio.

1 TBSP Ginger
1 TBSP Galangal
1 TBSP Ginseng
1 TBSP Ginko
1/2 TBSP Marshmallow Root

Make 1 quart of tea with the above ingredients. Allow it to brew and cool.

To a 1 gallon bottle, add 3 lbs honey.
Add cooled tea with herbs.
Add 1/4 tsp DAP, 1/2 tsp Fermaid K, and 3/4 tsp K2CO3.
-Add DAP and Fermaid K at 1.08, then Fermaid K only at 1.04.

I think I want this dry, but I'll taste at the end to see if that holds true.



Better brewing through science!

Yeah, good luck with "enhancing your mind" with booze. As for a smoothie...! Ginger, OJ, Wheatgrass etc. etc.

Dose makes the poison.

Alcohol is a great extraction/delivery method for many of the active ingredients in the herbs. Sure, if you drink too much, you won't enhance anything. One drink while recording guitar tracks won't hurt though.


Better brewing through science!

Day 3

Gravity 1.08. Added nutrients and degassed. Smells wonderful already!


Better brewing through science!

Day 6

Gravity 1.042. Add nutrients and degassed. Tastes wonderful with a very potent lemon ginger flavor from the galangal. This is going to be up there with the Szechuan BOMM. I'm seriously thinking about adding Szechuan berries to this one.


Better brewing through science!

Add some yerba mate....yerba mate is my beverage of choice while working, it's like supercharged green tea, yet technically not a tea.....am still kickin' around the idea of yerba mate-ginseng mead, maybe a gallon batch to start

fuelish said:

Add some yerba mate....yerba mate is my beverage of choice while working, it's like supercharged green tea, yet technically not a tea.....am still kickin' around the idea of yerba mate-ginseng mead, maybe a gallon batch to start

Click to expand...

You are the second person to suggest this. I have it on order, but have not received it yet. I've got to taste it first as tea to see if I like it. I'll post if I decide to add it.


Better brewing through science!

Day 15

Gravity 1.00. Tasted. Pretty good, but too dry. Nice ginger/galangal bite. Also, it needs a little citrusy something to round it out. So...

6 oz honey to 1.015.
1 TBSP Red Szechuan Berries
1 TBSP Green Szechuan Berries

I'll give that a week or two and see if it stabilizes.


Better brewing through science!


Better brewing through science!

Day 35

This metheglin is very complex. Upfront, there is a nice citrus herbal flavor with a bit of sweetness. Then, there is a ginger/galangal spiciness with a dry finish. A hint of ginseng comes through it all. It has a bit of tart vanilla from the marshmallow that is easy to pick out. After a few sips, the tongue numbs a bit from the Szechuan berries. The numbness increases with each additional sip.

Due to the numbing effect, I don't think I would want more than a glass of it, but that one glass is very tasty!


Better brewing through science!

You say that you created this for when you were doing guitar tracks. Has it worked the way you had hoped?
If it did then can you suggest how to lower the frequecy of the herbs for me, for when I play my bass.

Month 5

This metheglin is quite impressive. The nose is intense honey and ginger/galangal. There is a slight background earthiness from the Ginko and ginseng. The mead is full bodied, but I don't know if that's the marshmallow root or the honey (or a bit of both).

Despite the extreme spiciness, the honey comes through very strong. There is just enough sweet to balance the spice. I only hope this is reproducible!



Better brewing through science!

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

The last of this was consumed at Month 8. It was in the top 3 for best mead I've ever tasted. The aroma was perfumed wonderfully and the taste was spot on with above notes. The only thing I think could improve it is to use a honey with a complimentary, lingering aroma and mouthfeel.

So Day 0 of Round 2

Exactly the same except I'm using Acacia/Black Locust honey instead of Orange Blossom honey. I think this honey will give a bit more backbone to an already fantastic recipe.

Is the second batch another gallon? Sounds like it if it's exactly the same. What are the largest batch sizes you do once you have the recipe down right?

I tend to like variety more than quantity. I get bored drinking the same stuff over and over. That being said, if it is a really perfected recipe, I won't hesitate to make 20 gallons.

This recipe is getting there!

Day 2

Gravity 1.08. Degassed. Added nutrients.

Day 3

Gravity 1.06. Added nutrients as I will be busy the rest of the week.

Day 9

Gravity 1.005. Added 4.2 ounces of honey to 1.015.
Added vodka to airlock.

Day 22

Gravity 1.005. Added 3 oz of honey to 1.013. Also, added the following as well:
1 TBSP Red Szechuan berries
1 TBSP Green Szechuan berries

Day 35

Bottled. Time for the long rest. Should be perfect around December.

Yo Bray,

What yeast did you go with for this?

It's a BOMM, so it's always Wyeast 1388. I guess I never stated it though.

I guessed as much but wasn't sure. Sounds awesome as usual. It's on the list as soon as my mead carboy is open. Using it for your funky hibiscus/ginger thing listed in another thread. That mother is awesome. Sending it out for x-mas/yule presents this year after a few months maturing. It's ready to drink now, but will get nothing but better as you well know. Thanks for all your posts and knowledge that you share.