Bochet GROUP BREW - Solera Style

[JFARROILDOC]

I was until I got tired of the bees dive bombing me, currently 1.25 hours in the cook, but been on stove for 45 min or so now lol. And having to cook honey in batches, only got a 3 gallon boiler and it ain't big enough

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Batch one for me was gas (stove), then I move so batch 2 is electric (stove)

 

[HawleyFarms]

My batch was on an electric stove. This weekend I am probably going to rack off all the lees and top up. Was at 1.00 a few days ago so we'll see.

 

[JFARROILDOC]

Alright! 16 lbs honey and a forearm covered in splatter burns later, I got must cooling, wyeast 4632 smack pack expanding, and debating on pour aerating or going to Walmart and getting an aquarium aerator and a sixer of blue moon Belgian white and being lazy. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1446157383.319232.jpgView attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1446157395.033343.jpg
I'll update with an og when it cools, before I pitch.
My recipe is basically 16 lb honey, burnt, water to 5 gallons, 2 vanilla beans split and scraped into must with 3 tbsp earl gray, leaves, not bags with tea dust. Come racking time I may regret not bagging them but oh well.. Lol any advice will be appreciated

 

[JFARROILDOC]

Updated... 1.20 at about 90 degrees, room temp water was 1.000 ?? Desert wine if I'm reading it right

 

[HawleyFarms]

My batch was on an electric stove. This weekend I am probably going to rack off all the lees and top up. Was at 1.00 a few days ago so we'll see.

Got my batch racked off lees and onto 2 more pounds burnt honey, mixed with 1 quart water and 1 quart fresh pressed cider. Checked gravity after re-racking and it's at 1.02

Haven't seen anymore activity in the last 2 days since adding the extra honey. Taste was actually pretty good for the abv. Not too shabby. Can't wait to see how it tastes in a year.

Will probably re-rack again in December after it has had some time to clear up.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Got my batch racked off lees and onto 2 more pounds burnt honey, mixed with 1 quart water and 1 quart fresh pressed cider. Checked gravity after re-racking and it's at 1.02

Haven't seen anymore activity in the last 2 days since adding the extra honey. Taste was actually pretty good for the abv. Not too shabby. Can't wait to see how it tastes in a year.

Will probably re-rack again in December after it has had some time to clear up.

I wonder if you'll need a fresh pitch of yeast to kick that gravity back down. How old was the batch?

 

[HawleyFarms]

I wonder if you'll need a fresh pitch of yeast to kick that gravity back down. How old was the batch?

Started it less than 2 months ago but the first week was not ferm time. I could still see some kolsch yeast cropped around the sides but abv is too high for that strain. Also siphoned up some slurry on accident but I think I might add a teaspoon of champagne to get it kicking again. This whole batch has been a disaster from the start. Has 4 different yeasts in it. Actually surprised at the final product for how many things went wrong on it.

If it stays at 1.02 I could still be satisfied with it. I think I've decided on alternating my batches between traditional bochet and apple bochet so the next one will be a regular bochet.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Started it less than 2 months ago but the first week was not ferm time. I could still see some kolsch yeast cropped around the sides but abv is too high for that strain. Also siphoned up some slurry on accident but I think I might add a teaspoon of champagne to get it kicking again. This whole batch has been a disaster from the start. Has 4 different yeasts in it. Actually surprised at the final product for how many things went wrong on it.

If it stays at 1.02 I could still be satisfied with it. I think I've decided on alternating my batches between traditional bochet and apple bochet so the next one will be a regular bochet.

I ran into plenty of issues too with batch 1! I was doing all Brett C at first but ended up adding more Brett and Wine yeast on top of that. It's one of my finest meads haha.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Well Thread, I got ot tasting my second bochet a few weeks ago. It was made using ECY20. I don't think it's my favorite. The actual lactic acid sour character doesn't go too well in the young bochet. I won't be doing it again. However, thankfully I can blend it down!

Also, I was recently a guest on the Mead Makr Podcast to discuss bochets in general as well as the Bochet Solera Project, So hopefully we'll have even more group brewers when it airs Monday!

Cheers.

 

[HawleyFarms]

I was actually just telling someone that was looking into souring a mead to check out your project. That's awesome, hope to see some more people. I'm 2 months in with my bochet cyser and it tastes awesome. Thinking of cutting my times down to 4 months instead of six but not sure yet.

 

[Synaster]

Hey.. what's that website? I have soured a few meads and have had mix results.. I'm curious what the process was you used..

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Hey.. what's that website? I have soured a few meads and have had mix results.. I'm curious what the process was you used..

My original Lambic mead is (Per Gallon)

1.6 lbs OB honey
.25lb Maltodextrin
Wyeast Lambic Blend

Recipe log and my blog with other sour meads
https://hivemindmead.wordpress.com/2015/11/06/lambic-mead-sour-mead/

 

[Kyzaboy89]

First day off all season, aside from Thanksgiving, and I finally get to brew again. Missed my bochet brew day back around August and as harvest picked up momentum just couldn't find the time. This time I wanted to play with temps and timing to see how consistent I could be. Caramelized 1 lb at a time with 3 lbs local wildflower/clover honey. I'll most likely do this again for the simple reason its easier to stir, doesn't boil up so high and I can mix caramel varieties. Add a gallon spring water, SNA, and I used EC 1118 yeast for this one. I've started using 1118 a little more since I'm experimenting with step fed sack meads, and I'm starting to like it more and more.
O.G. 1.09

 

[HawleyFarms]

Just about that time to do my 3rd racking. A bit of lees still left so will probably add some more cider. First racking topped up with only cider. Second racking topped up with a caramelized honey cider mix and this third rack will be straight cider again. Filling to the top as I probably won't be touching this for 12-14 months til it's time to bottle.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Yeah I'm looking at 6-8 months until I bottle the half first round. It will be just about 2 years at that point.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Here's the Bochet Podcast everyone
http://www.meadmakr.com/mm024-bochets-with-hive-mind-mead/

Cheers!

 

[SmCranf]

I would love to add to this solera project if it's still going on!

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Sure is.

 

[HawleyFarms]

Finally got a chance to taste my apple bochet again and it is FAN-FRICKING-TASTIC! Seriously, probably my favorite recipe now. Unfortunately, I have no way of knowing how to make it exactly again. I am so tempted to just bottle it in a week or 2.

Needs one last racking and some sorbate and then I'm plugging it for good to keep my filthy hands out of it til October. Decided on going with 4 months between batches. Not going to oak either. And probably going to keep doing the apple bochet style instead of going back and forth between regular and apple.

 

[Vex3521]

Count me in on this one! Empty carboys are a horrible thing and this style really intrigues me!

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Sweet, another victim. I mean participant. I'll be starting batch three soon!

 

[Vex3521]

I look forward to 6 months passing and number 2 getting started!!

 

[HawleyFarms]

Starting 2nd batch end of February/beginning of March. The first batch is turning into a fantastic dessert wine. Very happy with it. Just siphoned a pint off of the top of the yeast slurry that I had in the fridge. Even sitting on yeast and lees it is amazing.

 

[Kyzaboy89]

Hey all, getting ready to rack my December batch into aging and it got me thinking. This is my 3rd generation that I made a few months past the mark, I've a brew day approaching and realized my calendar says "Solera Bochet 4th gen." On February 15th. Anybody's thoughts on brewing and adding the next generation or should I wait until the new date for 6 months? Any thoughts are welcome.

 

[HawleyFarms]

Hey all, getting ready to rack my December batch into aging and it got me thinking. This is my 3rd generation that I made a few months past the mark, I've a brew day approaching and realized my calendar says "Solera Bochet 4th gen." On February 15th. Anybody's thoughts on brewing and adding the next generation or should I wait until the new date for 6 months? Any thoughts are welcome.

I ended up dropping down to 4 months between batches because mine won't be taking more than a year to be very good. I actually can't wait to bottle.

I'd say you'll be fine to work back to being on track with your original schedule. But then again I'm just a participant in this fun brew.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Hey all, getting ready to rack my December batch into aging and it got me thinking. This is my 3rd generation that I made a few months past the mark, I've a brew day approaching and realized my calendar says "Solera Bochet 4th gen." On February 15th. Anybody's thoughts on brewing and adding the next generation or should I wait until the new date for 6 months? Any thoughts are welcome.

Go for it. Or you can bottle from gen one, and top up Gen 3 with new must.

 

[Kyzaboy89]

That's what I was thinking, lately swmbo has been tracking my schedule and even bought me some local clover and basswood honey so we will see what happens. I think she's catching the bug with as much as she has been reading HBT, here's hoping it gets her.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

That's what I was thinking, lately swmbo has been tracking my schedule and even bought me some local clover and basswood honey so we will see what happens. I think she's catching the bug with as much as she has been reading HBT, here's hoping it gets her.

As long as you don't mind becoming a couple of hoarders with no limits, and all your visitors / neighbors think you're running a meth lab.

 

[Kyzaboy89]

Well I have the approval for a 4th gen. next month and cannot wait to get the kettle boiling. Thinking of little ways to make this one distinct and also cohesive with the rest. Recently saw a toasted coconut addition somewhere, kind of interesting... Who knows but I'll keep you all posted.