braggot

[alaktheman]

So I've been making mead for a few years now and that's all I've made and was wondering how much different it would be to make a brag got. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[Arpolis]

There are a few schools of thought when doing a braggot. 1 method is to brew a traditional mead in one carboy and an ale or other beer in another and then blend the two afterwards.

Another school of thought is to run a mash like you would any beer style but when calculating the sugar content you add honey doubling the sugar content of the mash and the cooling it sparging with water and pitching yeast once cool just like a beer.

What I have done is make a mead just like I normally do but use half the honey and replace that with LME (liquid malt extract) and just ferment with that just like a mead. Hops are optional.

The easier of the options IMO is my method so take that with a grain of salt and see what you want to do.

 

[alaktheman]

What I have been thinking is what you do. Using LME and honey

 

[swmalone]

Good luck on your braggot. I am making my first mead right now, and just tasted my first braggot this weekend. It was one from Rogue. It was delicious.

 

[Arpolis]

Some of my favorite mead/braggots have been citrusy and refreshing in nature. A good citrusy braggot would look like.

1 gallon recipe
1lb orange bloosom honey (lightly Caramelized)
1lb pilsner light LME
1/4 oz Saaz hops pellets (dry hopped for aroma)
3/4 tsp potassium bicarbonate
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1/2 tsp yeast energizer
Yeast London ESB 1968

Mix the honey 50/50 ratio with water and put under a medium low flame. Once it starts to boil start timer for 45 min. Before flame out mix in two cups hot water and add LME. Transfer to gallon jug or bucket. Add cold water to 1 gallon and mix in hops and nutrients and potassium bicarbonate. Use a staggard nutrient addition method for best results. Take gravity reading and adjust with more water or honey for desired gravity. I like lower ABV on braggots so a gravity of 1.060 should still get about 9% ABV and that is perfect for a refreshing braggot IMO. Once cool pitch yeast. It should finish fermenting within 30 - 60 days. Rack off the sediment. Let bulk age another 2-3 weeks to let any additional sediment drop out, then bottle.

 

[Chadwick]

I made a braggot once by spiking a mild ale recipe with about 6-8 pounds of honey. It turned out ok, but it did take extensive bottle conditioning before it tasted good.

In the end it isn't something I'd repeat. Sure it was ok, but it wasn't anything great. I decided after that experiment honey, in my opinion, is best used in making mead. (other than eating it on warm biscuits)

If I want a to add an easily fermented sugar to lighten my beers I would make invert sugar instead of honey. It's way cheaper than honey to make/use and I can darken it to a nice amber for a wonderful flavor addition too if I like.