Bochet Mead

[catfishhoward]

I was wanting to try to make a bochet mead and I've heard you can add oak to it? Could someone explain when to add the oak and can I just add oak chips from Home Depot for smoking?

Any other ingredients I could add like spices or fruits?

 

[catfishhoward]

How about adding apples in the secondary for a couple weeks?

 

[Shine0n]

Try cubes from the brew shop, they're already toasted to which ever level you like.
I use them after primary and mostly clear.

Apples sounds good too!

 

[catfishhoward]

I have found 1 course on line so fars that says to add oak chips in the secondary for 2 weeks then rack. Maybe I could add 1 apple and 1 cinnamon stick with the oak chips? (1 gallon)

 

[Paul_F]

I'm no oaking expert, but I would NOT use the same oak chips made for use in a smoker - they may not be the right variety of Oak to lend good flavor. Get oak cubes from a winemaking supply that are made by experts to make wines/meads tasty.

As for adding other ingredients in secondary - I'm also not an expert on that, but I'd add apples, or cinnamon first, then once those have given their "all" to the project, remove them, and THEN do the oaking. I'm not even sure why I say that, but it seems that oaking seems to me to be part of "aging", not "flavoring".

If someone with more experience speaks up, listen to them, though.

 

[SKBugs]

I agree with Paul in this. What I really recommend is to use the search function at the top of page. Type 'bochet' or 'oaking' and it will give you years of advice from some really smart operators.
But oak and cinnamon in a bochet would be awesome. I think also the hardware variety is white oak instead of red oak (maybe). And according to Schramm it will make your mead taste like poop (paraphrasing).
But run your searches and see how you go.

At the end of the day, give it a go. If you like it, great. If you don't, change it.

 

[catfishhoward]

I've never had bochet before but someone said it tasted like a nice toffee or butterscotch flavor so I looked on this site for a simple bochet adding apple, cinnamon, vanilla or spices and couldn't find one so I think I will just wing it.

Could I use apple juice or would chopped apple be better? Granny smith or red apple? I want a lot of the butterscotch flavor but a hint of apple/cinnamon would be nice.

 

[catfishhoward]

I just got back from the store and figured I would put some apple butter in the primary along with 1 Honey Crisp apple and decide at the secondary stage if I should add anything then.

update: The apple butter mix taste great, honey with a slight apple cinnamon flavor (14%).

also did a raspberry/blackberry one since I had more honey, it also taste good (16%).