Simple Braggot

[rustyknives]

Was wondering if anyone had a "simple" braggot recipe for someone (me) to try out. Keeping in mind of course that I am new at brewing ha. Thanks!

 

[fatbloke]

Ha! You're picking something with a lot of definitions...

Braggots are sort of meads with malt yes ?

So a traditional but back sweetened with extract and a bit of honey ?

Like a wine or a beer ?

Still or carbonated ?

All grain ?

Etc etc.......

Have a look in recipes but here its likely to be quite beer-like

Maybe check over at gotmead as there might be something more wine-like.....

You'll just have to work out what you want from a "braggot"........

 

[Arpolis]

Here is a no fuss simple braggot style Bochet that is made more like a mead rather than beer so is super simple:

5 gallon

3lb honey
2 lb bries pilsner light DME
1/2 oz Saaz hops
5 tsp yeast nutrient
2.5 tsp yeast energizer
Water to 5 gallons
Ale yeast (I have become partial to London ESB 1968)

Mix honey with 2 cups hot water in large cooking pot and bring to boil. Honey expands to 4 times or more in volume if left alone to boil so once it starts bubbling then reduce heat to lowest setting and stir constantly. Continue this for 45min - 60min. Then slowly add another 2 cups hot water,DME and half your hops in a hops bag. Boil for another 55min. Add last of your hops in another hops bag and boil for another 2-5min. Remove heat, hops bags and allow pot/must to cool in an ice bath in the sink. Once below 100*F you can mix into carboy adding cool water up to the 5 gallon mark. Original gravity should be in the 1.038 - 1.040 range. Rehydrate or prepare yeast as package directions dictate. Mix in nutrients and yeast once the yeast is ready.

Slowly mix this twice daily for the next 5-7 days till the yeast activity slows to near nothing. If started in a bucket then rack to carboy and airlock. If already In a carboy then just wait and rack every 30 days or when 1/4 - 1/2 inch of lees is formed until there is no more sediment dropping out. Once no more sediment is dropping then feel free to continue aging or bottle then.

 

[fatbloke]

Which is what I mean.......

I just would use more honey, ferment dry and the add the malt extract with a bit more honey. No hops as its a mead and shouldn't need a bittering agent......

Plus I'd still use a wine yeast.......

But the braggots are a f****r aren't they. Little standard to meads, even less with bloody braggots

 

[rustyknives]

But the braggots are a f****r aren't they. Little standard to meads, even less with bloody braggots

Yeah I was honestly just reading through that pictures of mead thread and thought that the braggots looked really good hahaha. Plus the idea of a hybrid mead/beer seems very interesting and cool

 

[Curtis2010]

Yeah I was honestly just reading through that pictures of mead thread and thought that the braggots looked really good hahaha. Plus the idea of a hybrid mead/beer seems very interesting and cool

Yes, the style guidelines for braggots are very broad. However, I think the real defining characteristic is an even balance between honey and malts by getting about half your fermtables from each. Other than that it is pretty wide open. Just look at sample recipes and you will see how widely they vary.

And yes they are very tasty.

Another factor to consider is blended vs brewed. You can create a braggot by blending mead with a base beer. I've done this with a simple traditional mead and an IPA and the end result was awesome. An upside to this approach is that you get several products to consume (mead, beer, and braggot). And you can blend to taste. You can also just create a recipe and brew from the start as a braggot.