Bochet Pyment? Am I crazy?

[thedrunkdutchman]

Has anyone ever tried a bochet pyment? Do you think that this would work, or do you think that the flavors would clash?

 

[videojunkie1208]

So your recipe would have some number of lbs of cooked honey (I would use the cheapest clover honey I could find for this) and then add grape juice as the liquid?

Bochets tend to have a caramel / toasted marshmallow flavor and I think that might work well with a white wine grape (like a Pinot or a Chardonnay) but with a darker grape like a Zin or a Merlot I think the flavors would clash.

If I were making this, I'd probably cook about half of my honey, let it cool a little bit, and then add it slowly to my pre-mixed remainder honey and juice making sure that I didn't wind up with a big lump of caramel at the bottom of my fermenter. I'd probably do this while stirring with an aerator or something (If I was feeling particularly adventuresome, I'd set up my pump as a recirculator and add the cooked honey then).

For the love of good mead, make sure that you use proper nutrients (not raisins or other garbage), the grape juice will help, but I think the yeast will want to be pretty robust. I'm assuming that your target ABV for this will be in the 12-14% range?

I think I'd pay close attention to my PH for this brew making sure to keep it in the 3.6-4.0 range.

Keep in mind that your probably looking at a multi-year aging process for this batch. so make sure you have a good aging space and container. I'd probably use a SS keg so I can sample easily, and make sure that I have good oxidation control.

Good luck! I'm interested to hear how it turns out.

 

[Ty520]

I dunno

So your recipe would have some number of lbs of cooked honey (I would use the cheapest clover honey I could find for this) and then add grape juice as the liquid?

Bochets tend to have a caramel / toasted marshmallow flavor and I think that might work well with a white wine grape (like a Pinot or a Chardonnay) but with a darker grape like a Zin or a Merlot I think the flavors would clash.

If I were making this, I'd probably cook about half of my honey, let it cool a little bit, and then add it slowly to my pre-mixed remainder honey and juice making sure that I didn't wind up with a big lump of caramel at the bottom of my fermenter. I'd probably do this while stirring with an aerator or something (If I was feeling particularly adventuresome, I'd set up my pump as a recirculator and add the cooked honey then).

For the love of good mead, make sure that you use proper nutrients (not raisins or other garbage), the grape juice will help, but I think the yeast will want to be pretty robust. I'm assuming that your target ABV for this will be in the 12-14% range?

I think I'd pay close attention to my PH for this brew making sure to keep it in the 3.6-4.0 range.

Keep in mind that your probably looking at a multi-year aging process for this batch. so make sure you have a good aging space and container. I'd probably use a SS keg so I can sample easily, and make sure that I have good oxidation control.

Good luck! I'm interested to hear how it turns out.

I actually think it could work well with a soft tannin red, like Counoise and Pinot - i recently had a counoise that developed a toasted marshmallow aroma and flavor that was amazing

 

[videojunkie1208]

I dunno


I actually think it could work well with a soft tannin red, like Counoise and Pinot - i recently had a counoise that developed a toasted marshmallow aroma and flavor that was amazing

That could work as well with careful grape selection.

I wonder if you could get a smokey flavor from the cooked honey and pair it with a more robust grape.

 

[Ty520]

That could work as well with careful grape selection.

I wonder if you could get a smokey flavor from the cooked honey and pair it with a more robust grape.

Could be nice, but tricky not to take the honey into acrid territory.

 

[videojunkie1208]

You could use charred oak spirals during aging.

 

[madscientist451]

Make the Bochet mead and then blend with wine to taste.

 

[videojunkie1208]

Make the Bochet mead and then blend with wine to taste.

Lol... that's way too easy a solution... and I'm not sure it would still be a pyment...

 

[thedrunkdutchman]

Lol... that's way too easy a solution... and I'm not sure it would still be a pyment...

I think technically yes it would, but that's no fun

 

[Miraculix]

I would at least try mixing a mead with a wine before, just to see if the result is at least a bit drinkable before potentially wasting a whole batch.

 

[madscientist451]

Lol... that's way too easy a solution... and I'm not sure it would still be a pyment...

Mead and wine fermentations have different requirements. Sure, you can put everything together and hope for the best, but for me, blending to taste has been more reliable way to produce something I really like. Honey and good wine grapes are somewhat expensive so I tend to be more careful with those items. But back to the OP question, I hunted around and found this:
Edit: (sorry, wasn't trying to put a giant photo on here, just a link, if you click on the photo it takes you to the article)

 

[Dan O]

Mead and wine fermentations have different requirements. Sure, you can put everything together and hope for the best, but for me, blending to taste has been more reliable way to produce something I really like. Honey and good wine grapes are somewhat expensive so I tend to be more careful with those items. But back to the OP question, I hunted around and found this:
Edit: (sorry, wasn't trying to put a giant photo on here, just a link, if you click on the photo it takes you to the article)

Love that fermentation vessel!

 

[MightyMosin]

I did a Cab Sauv pyment with Trader Joe's Mostly Mesquite honey. That bold honey cut through nicely.

I wanted some sweetness and I used blueberry blossom honey to back sweeten. I also used a small amount of bocheted mesquite which went very well with the overall flavor.