Bochet Mead (burnt mead)

[Shine0n]

Just from personal experience, after i caramelize the honey....there has to be some complex sugars that wont ferment. Every bochet iv ever done has finished at or above 1.010.

No data to back it up but only experience.

 

[Curtis2010]

Just from personal experience, after i caramelize the honey....there has to be some complex sugars that wont ferment. Every bochet iv ever done has finished at or above 1.010.

No data to back it up but only experience.

My current Brochet batch is fermenting VERY slow. I pitched a properly rehydrated packet of EC-1118 on 12/08/2019 at an SG of 1.099. Its just now at 1.059. Just pulled a sample today and even partially fermented it tastes great, no apparent off flavors and a light caramel finish. Surprisingly its not as sweet as I expected...complex sugars maybe?

What are others experiencing for Brochete fermentation times?

 

[Blacksmith1]

Using that yeast, I would be surprised if you have any sugars left when it finishes. Unless you used a lot of honey. That stuff eats sugar like a fat kid eats ice cream.

 

[CKuhns]

Just checked my notes from the last couple of batches I made. Honey caramelized to a dark toffee (Hard Ball) Last one was 1.105 OG and 1.020 FG. Same protocols TOSNA 3.0 and Cote Des blanc yeast used as for my traditional Meads. Timing was exactly as expected. Primary 21 days (All three were 21 - 30 days) down to 1.025. Secondary 30 days and bottled at 90 days at 1.020 after cold crash and clarifying without inhibiting the yeast. Now 6 months in the bottle. opened and drank one last week.

The only note not "normal" for my other Meads was the addition of 2 tsp potassium bicarbonate as the pH was a bit low prior to yeast pitch. (last 3 bochets actually had the potassium bicarbonate added)

I wonder if your pH is a bit too low slowing things down?

Blacksmith is correct EC 1118 is a beast and shoudl chew through the sugars if everything else is OK( I have used it a few times for a stall).

 

[Curtis2010]

Just checked my notes from the last couple of batches I made. Honey caramelized to a dark toffee (Hard Ball) Last one was 1.105 OG and 1.020 FG. Same protocols TOSNA 3.0 and Cote Des blanc yeast used as for my traditional Meads. Timing was exactly as expected. Primary 21 days (All three were 21 - 30 days) down to 1.025. Secondary 30 days and bottled at 90 days at 1.020 after cold crash and clarifying without inhibiting the yeast. Now 6 months in the bottle. opened and drank one last week.

The only note not "normal" for my other Meads was the addition of 2 tsp potassium bicarbonate as the pH was a bit low prior to yeast pitch. (last 3 bochets actually had the potassium bicarbonate added)

I wonder if your pH is a bit too low slowing things down?

Blacksmith is correct EC 1118 is a beast and shoudl chew through the sugars if everything else is OK( I have used it a few times for a stall).

Yes, EC118 is a beast and Ive never had an issue with it. We prefer dry meads and it can certainly do that. Dont think Ive ever had it ferm so slow though (lost many of my notes in a crash).

Im away from home now for several months so cant check ph, but recipe is same as past batches. Ive done staggered nutrient additions.

Hopefully it continues to slowly munch away with no issues.

 

[Shine0n]

We used BM4X4 and it was a slow slow ferment as it was quite cool 62f
Finished at 1.020 and is great after being aged in the barrel.

 

[Curtis2010]

Yes, EC118 is a beast and Ive never had an issue with it. We prefer dry meads and it can certainly do that. Dont think Ive ever had it ferm so slow though (lost many of my notes in a crash).

Im away from home now for several months so cant check ph, but recipe is same as past batches. Ive done staggered nutrient additions.

Hopefully it continues to slowly munch away with no issues.

Our sailing season got cut short due to the CV crisis, so Im back ashore in Panama now. Just checked the brochet and its only dropped to 1.053. Tastes yummy though and surprisingly not too sweet. Checked my hydro in RO water just to be sure it wasnt off, nope. I wonder if acidity could be offsetting the sweetness?

Wife likes it, so its not really a problem, but of course it bugs me for it not to finish.

I dont have a Ph meter here (its still back in Guatemala with most of the rest of my brew gear). We are under lock down here so cant likely get one...though pharmacy might have Ph strips.

What to do?

 

[Curtis2010]

Alcohol sales are suspended here in Panama. In a crisis you gotta drink what u got...so we tapped into this batch last night. Its a little sweet, but quite tasty.

 

[Curtis2010]

Most of my brewing supplies are still back "home" in Guatemala (we have been making an unplanned transition to Panama for like 5 years now!), but I ordered a ph meter and some sodium bicarbonate, drew off about a 2 liter sample of the unfinished mead, adjusted ph to about 4.0 (it was a 3.3), added a little yeast and it is fermenting, SG readings are dropping. In a few days it will be at the 30 day mark and I will test again. Yeah!

 

[CKuhns]

Glad the pH adjustment is working for you @Curtis2010

Thinking about the pH a bit more... Honey in general typically has a low pH. According to the National Honey Board, the acidity of honey ranges from a pH of about 3.4 to about 6.1, with an average of 3.9. The acidity of any honey is directly related to the floral sources that created it.

No science here just my thoughts….
I suspect the pH goes down even further as water and of course volume is removed during heating. In essence if you remove 20% of the volume through boiling off the water you would expect to see pH drop as the source of the acidity is the nectar converted to honey not the water or moisture.

As we know the fermentation process drives acidity up (pH down) and will definitely be something I will continue to check and adjust for at the start of the ferment.

 

[Curtis2010]

Yes, I will be checking Ph more closely in the future too. Will be interesting to check at different stages of the brew process.

Whenever I can return to Guatemala again, I will do some Ph investigation there too. Interesting that the local honeys bewteen the 2 areas in Panama & Guatemala are so different on Ph. Never checked nor had an issue in Guate.