Berliner Weiss Braggot

[beerandloathinginaustin]

Hi all,

I've gotten interested in Braggots after hearing the latest Brewing Network Sunday Session. Has anyone ever tried to sour a mead or braggot? Also, does anyone with experience have advice for what honey might work well with this ill-advised project?

Thanks...and please feel free to link me to any threads with good info that I may have missed in my searching.

 

[Paul_F]

"Stupid Noob" throws himself on his sword, bravely, so that other might learn without having to ask;
What's a Braggot, exactly?

 

[JNEL73]

currently have a sour braggot (2.5g) 3 # orange blossom with a 1.040 wheat/ 2 row beer fermented with 05 and repitch of white labs lambic plus dregs of jolly pumpkin/ boon/ de font. 4 months old not happy were its at sour with orange blossom flowery/citrus but still has time for magic to happen (up to the bugs). starting to think blending is the right way but will see. like the idea of Berliner braggot. there is a link storm mead has some discussion of sour mead and the mad fermentationist (oldsock) had a post of a sour honey beer. hope this helps.

jon

 

[tominator]

"Stupid Noob" throws himself on his sword, bravely, so that other might learn without having to ask;
What's a Braggot, exactly?

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style26.php

It's a type of mead that also has malt. Michael from Moonlight Meadery was saying you need at least half your points from honey and you can start with any beer style.

 

[beerandloathinginaustin]

Thanks JNEL73. If I find more good info I'll post links in this thread. I just brewed the base Berliner Weiss, so when/if I split it into a Braggot version I'll post results.

 

[galttfwo]

I have done a Berliner Braggot before.. Came out really nice actually. I am of the school of thought of blending a finished beer with a finished mead to create a braggot (instead of a mixed ferment)

I did 50/50 of a cherry melomel, and a berliner weisse. The final product was nice and tart, very drinkable.

I would stick with a dry mead for a sour blend (just my opinion), as I think a sweet mead might be a bit odd. Also, there is at least 1 commercial example I can think of and that is Mead the Gueze by Hanssen's

 

[beerandloathinginaustin]

Awesome! Thanks for the good info!

I'd be curious to see how a mixed ferment would come out versus a blend. Sounds like I have all sorts of experimentation to get into.

 

[galttfwo]

a mixed ferment is totally do able. I just think the end product is much less predicable (which can be a good thing!).

How I go about it, I know when my beer is done, and I know when my mead is down. I can then figure out the best ratio for my taste (or whatever ratio to fill the keg.. but that is out of laziness). Also, I can let each yeast strain do their magic to both the beer and to the mead. I really like 71B for my meads because of how it performs. If it were going a mixed ferment, I would not be pitching that one, just the beer yeast/bugs.

 

[beerandloathinginaustin]

Interesting. I'll probably split 2-2.5 gallons off of my current Berliner and see how it does with some honey. I have yet to add mead maker to my resume.