Belgian Dark Strong Braggot?

[TheUnit]

What do you folks think of this? I want to make a braggot, with some complexity. What I finally decided on, was to take the Dark Strong Ale recipe out of Brewing Classic Styles, and convert it to a mead. Since a braggot is 50%+ honey fermentables, this eventually meant removing the extract entirely, and replacing with honey.

I've never made a mead before, do you guys think I am missing anything?


Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.078 (recipe based estimate)
Efficiency: 35% (steeping grains only)
Original Gravity:
1.107
Final Gravity:
1.027
ABV (standard):
10.51%
IBU (tinseth):
25.93
SRM (morey):
20.54

Fermentables
Amount Fermentable PPG °L Bill %
11.75 lb Honey 42 2 70.1%
1 lb Cane Sugar 46 0 6%
12.75 lb Total

Steeping Grains
Amount Fermentable PPG °L Bill %
1 lb Belgian - CaraMunich 33 50 6%
1 lb Belgian - Aromatic 33 38 6%
1 lb Belgian - Special B 34 115 6%
1 lb German - Melanoidin 37 25 6%

Hops
Amount Variety Type AA Use Time IBU
2.42 oz Hallertau Hersbrucker Pellet 4 Boil 60 min 25.93

Yeast
Wyeast - Belgian Abby Ale II 1762

 

[loveofrose]

What do you folks think of this? I want to make a braggot, with some complexity. What I finally decided on, was to take the Dark Strong Ale recipe out of Brewing Classic Styles, and convert it to a mead. Since a braggot is 50%+ honey fermentables, this eventually meant removing the extract entirely, and replacing with honey.



I've never made a mead before, do you guys think I am missing anything?





Boil Time: 60 min

Batch Size: 5.5 gallons (fermentor volume)

Boil Size: 7.5 gallons

Boil Gravity: 1.078 (recipe based estimate)

Efficiency: 35% (steeping grains only)

Original Gravity:

1.107

Final Gravity:

1.027

ABV (standard):

10.51%

IBU (tinseth):

25.93

SRM (morey):

20.54



Fermentables

Amount Fermentable PPG °L Bill %

11.75 lbHoney 42270.1%

1 lb Cane Sugar 4606%

12.75 lb Total



Steeping Grains

Amount Fermentable PPG °L Bill %

1 lbBelgian - CaraMunich33506%

1 lbBelgian - Aromatic33386%

1 lbBelgian - Special B341156%

1 lbGerman - Melanoidin37256%



Hops

Amount Variety Type AA Use Time IBU

2.42 ozHallertau HersbruckerPellet4Boil60 min25.93



Yeast

Wyeast - Belgian Abby Ale II 1762

That is a ton of specialty grains. Too much in fact for a light base such as mead. I would adjust quantities as follows:

8 ounces - CaraMunich
4 ounces - Aromatic
2 ounces - Special B
8 ounces - Melanoidin

Forget cane sugar. Just use more honey.

Also, I've tested the yeast you suggest and it makes horrible mead. Try Wyeast 1388.

Also, keep your IBU in the 15-20 range if you want to get any honey notes. Much higher yields so much bitterness that the honey is masked.




Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[IJesusChrist]

Yes, as a recent user of 1.5lbs total specialty grains in my last brew, 1.5 is too much!