Advice Sought on flawed bochet

[LostBoyScout]

Hey Meadsters,

So I've made only one batch of mead, which is a sweet bochet. I basically aimed for a high enough OG that it would finish at 1.030 when the yeast (71B-1122) hit its alcohol tolerance (OG of 1.135).

The issue I'm having is that it has a rather strong wood-glue kind of smell to it. It also has nice aromatics mixed in there too, and taste-wise it's pretty good (still overly sweet at around 1.050 at last check) but I had hoped the glue smell was a product of fermentation that would have diminished by now. It's been just over 2.5 months since it was made, and I transferred after 4 weeks. It's completely clarified as well, though that happened quite quickly.

I added nutrients initially ("yeast superfood" and "yeast energizer"), after a handful of days, and then again at 2 weeks. I think I provided plenty of nutrient, but aeration after the first day was meager at best which I appreciate more now.

Pardon the long backstory, but my question is this: what course of action do you guys feel is the best bet: do I leave it for a few months and the smell will eventually dissipate? do I pitch some more yeast, nutrient, and aerate again? is it doomed at this point to remain flawed?

 

[Paps]

If it's still 1.050 I'd pitch a different yeast.
Don't throw it out no matter what.
Time can do wonderfull things in brewing.

 

[JJack887]

Agreed with the re-pitch. And, most important of all, patience.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

2.5 months is still really early for a bochet. Also how dark did you cook it? Like the previous posts, you have to get that fermentation started again as well.

 

[LostBoyScout]

Thanks guys! I will re-pitch tonight.

 

[bernardsmith]

I would make a starter - perhaps use EC-1118 - and then keep doubling the amount in starter with the stalled bochet. Adding yeast to a stalled wine is asking for the problem in the wine to overtake the yeast you just pitched but adding the stalled wine in batches to the starter allows the starter to dominate and then (hopefully) remove the problem. This is not a five minute solution it can take many hours

 

[Vex3521]

I'd say run a starter and just wait it out. It's going to be a long haul with the bochet as I'm learning on mine =) but I really have a lot of expectations for something awesome once it's had the time it needs. Good reason for the solera project also!

 

[WVMJ]

You could also just dump in some grain alcohol to balance out the sweetness especially since its already cleared, a little oak, maybe a vanilla bean. Your glue smell could just be from the yeastiness or just to young, hard to tell with so much sugar still left in it. WVMJ

 

[LostBoyScout]

Yeah after more thinking about it, I think I'll leave it be for a while longer. Could be something like pH is slowing down the process and it'll take a while to clear up. As for the sweetness, I'm not too worried about it (and it might just continue to plug away at the SG for a while), it's not a heck of a lot sweeter than I want anyway (as I said, 1.030 was my plan and figured a little higher would be okay). I could always make a dry mead to blend it with. It's just the glue smell that I'm worried about.