Bray's One Month Mead

[Dan O]

Last night I bottled my 3 gallons of BOMM... 70 bottles (5 ounces each) for samples to friends & family. I bottle dry, semisweet and sweet for those people that requested it. Through the BOMM process, I've learned a lot about mead making. Thank you, again @loveofrose & ALL others on here that have chimed in on questions that I or others have had about any subject regarding mead making. Out of 3 gallons, I had about 4 ounces left for my own consumption,. Mind you, that's not including the Angel's share along the way
.
I LOVE this hobby!
Happy meading!

 

[cmac62]

So the BOMM was at a dry 1.000 before adding the blueberries. The berries were in the mead for 18 days. I racked to another 1/2 gallon jug using a bottling wand to reduce splashing. I didn't think/ know to take another gravity reading after removing the blueberries. And I didn't take a gravity reading after adding 1 cup on honey to sweetening to my wife's taste since I was more interested in making it so she will drink it.

How would you suggest mixing in the honey for back sweetening in the future? Would purging with CO2 the shaking be okay?

I have a 2.5 gal batch that I am planning on back sweeting. My plan is to mix the honey into a small amount of warm RO water and add it to my bottling bucket (ss brew bucket fermenter) with the appropriate amount of K-meta and K-sorbate. I also want to add some mouthfeel, and was wondering if wine tannin and or acid blend will do this?

 

[Alexcc1]

I am new to mead making. Consequently, I cannot offer any educated advise in the subject of adding mouth feel. However, if you head over to the link below, there is a writeup on using Glycerin to add mouth feel written by Bray Denard, PhD, also known as Loveofrose on this forum. The site also has a BUNCH of mead recipes, experiments and articles that are very informative.

Denard Brewing



I also suggest checking reading the oak experiment. I am currently oaking 3 batches of the Classic BOMM, 1/2 gallon with American Oak, 1/2 gallon with French Oak, and 1/2 gallon with Hungarian oak. I still have little over a month to go on all three before reaching the 3.5 month point suggested in the experiment.

I also made a 1/2 gallon batch of the American and French oak blend. In Dr Denard's oak experiment I think this one was ready after 12 days of oaking, but I left the oak in for 28 days. In my opinion, this one is great at 28 days! I drank the 1/2 gallon batch quicker than I care to admit, and I liked it so much that I made a 6.5 Gallon BOMM specifically for the American and French Oak blend. This one should be ready on February 15, and I am really looking forward to trying it.

Denard Brewing

I hope this helps.

Alex

 

[Miraculix]

I pitched 1 teaspoon of lutra slurry into 4.5 litres of soon to be mead for an abv of roughly 10,5% when fermented dry. As per bomm instructions for a lower abv mead, all the nutrients went in together with the yeast, 5.6g of fermaid o. After one hour, the first bubble appeared, after 12 hours it was at the peak of bubble production and this morning, after 1.5 days, it started already to slow down.

I'm really curious if it's already almost done or if it's going to stall. Anyway, won't open it before it completely cleared, so we got to wait it out. Lutra is a beast.

 

[Dan O]

I am new to mead making. Consequently, I cannot offer any educated advise in the subject of adding mouth feel. However, if you head over to the link below, there is a writeup on using Glycerin to add mouth feel written by Bray Denard, PhD, also known as Loveofrose on this forum. The site also has a BUNCH of mead recipes, experiments and articles that are very informative.

Denard Brewing



I also suggest checking reading the oak experiment. I am currently oaking 3 batches of the Classic BOMM, 1/2 gallon with American Oak, 1/2 gallon with French Oak, and 1/2 gallon with Hungarian oak. I still have little over a month to go on all three before reaching the 3.5 month point suggested in the experiment.

I also made a 1/2 gallon batch of the American and French oak blend. In Dr Denard's oak experiment I think this one was ready after 12 days of oaking, but I left the oak in for 28 days. In my opinion, this one is great at 28 days! I drank the 1/2 gallon batch quicker than I care to admit, and I liked it so much that I made a 6.5 Gallon BOMM specifically for the American and French Oak blend. This one should be ready on February 15, and I am really looking forward to trying it.

Denard Brewing

I hope this helps.

Alex

I have made several of @loveofrose's recipes and have loved them. The Christmas spice BOMM is my favorite so far, followed by the Perfect BOMM, The Perfect Tej' BOMM, Sweet Meadowfoam BOMM, original BOMM, JAO BOMM, & I also have the Acacia Rose BOMM that's almost done, which I'm stoked for, because it smells amazing!
I made 3 gallons of the Christmas spice BOMM to age for a year & give out as gifts for 2021 to friends & family. I make the Christmas spice BOMM as soon as I start getting low on it, because it's so yummy.
Next on the list (from Denard brewing) is Mead of Ra, Dragon's Blood Mead, Herbal Ginger BOMM & Mental BOMM .
Some of his recipes have a lot of ingredients & some can seem a bit overwhelming for a beginner, but, in my own experience, worth the effort.
That said, I have pretty much switched to BOMM protocols for most of the meads I make, mainly because I like the idea of a drinkable product in a shorter amount of time.

 

[Miraculix]

I have made several of @loveofrose's recipes and have loved them. The Christmas spice BOMM is my favorite so far, followed by the Perfect BOMM, The Perfect Tej' BOMM, Sweet Meadowfoam BOMM, original BOMM, JAO BOMM, & I also have the Acacia Rose BOMM that's almost done, which I'm stoked for, because it smells amazing!
I made 3 gallons of the Christmas spice BOMM to age for a year & give out as gifts for 2021 to friends & family. I make the Christmas spice BOMM as soon as I start getting low on it, because it's so yummy.
Next on the list (from Denard brewing) is Mead of Ra, Dragon's Blood Mead, Herbal Ginger BOMM & Mental BOMM .
Some of his recipes have a lot of ingredients & some can seem a bit overwhelming for a beginner, but, in my own experience, worth the effort.
That said, I have pretty much switched to BOMM protocols for most of the meads I make, mainly because I like the idea of a drinkable product in a shorter amount of time.

Are you backsweetening? If so, how?

 

[Dan O]

Are you backsweetening? If so, how?

I have backsweetened a couple of them. I tend to like things on the semisweet side & I'm not really a fan of dry. The ones that do ferment dry, I step feed 1/2 ounce of honey @ a time, until the gravity doesn't change after sweetening, then finish back sweetening to where I like it, between 1.012-1.020. I don't like adding anything I don't need to, so step feeding has worked out well for me, although, some have gone beyond 18%ABV!
This sometimes has restarted fermentation, so, some of these have taken a little longer than @loveofrose's 30 days. I should also add that all of my mead making is done in my basement, where ambient temperatures are roughly 61°F, which is where my temperature control pretty much stops, which also consequently adds to fermentation time.
Anything I bottle, though, is in Grolsch (swing top) bottles & I burp them once in a while just to be sure of no bottle bombs.

 

[Dan O]

It's also worth mentioning that, because I like things on the semisweet side, if the recipe calls for less than 3 pounds of honey, I generally prefer to bump it up to the 3 pound mark so they finish closer to semisweet on their own, but, again, some still go to dry, even with 3 pounds, which I then step feed.

 

[Miraculix]

It's also worth mentioning that, because I like things on the semisweet side, if the recipe calls for less than 3 pounds of honey, I generally prefer to bump it up to the 3 pound mark so they finish closer to semisweet on their own, but, again, some still go to dry, even with 3 pounds, which I then step feed.

Ok, I thought that you are not throwing that much honey in, as the BOMM uses not so much. I was asking, because I also like it almost dry to semi sweet, but a little bit of residual sweetness really aids the flavour and I am fermenting a mead right now, that will finish dry with about 10,5 abv... so now I am looking for possibilities to backsweeten without adding chemicals and without restarting fermentation.. I think I will bottle pasteurise this one.

 

[Dan O]

so now I am looking for possibilities to backsweeten without adding chemicals and without restarting fermentation.. I think I will bottle pasteurise this one.

Other than step feeding, pasteurization is the only other non chemical additive way that I know of, besides the yeast reaching tolerance, that is, to stabilize safely. I have never pasteurized any of my meads, but if I were to skip the step feeding & want to stop fermentation, say @ a lower ABV, I think I would try that.

 

[Miraculix]

Other than step feeding, pasteurization is the only other non chemical additive way that I know of, besides the yeast reaching tolerance, that is, to stabilize safely. I have never pasteurized any of my meads, but if I were to skip the step feeding & want to stop fermentation, say @ a lower ABV, I think I would try that.

I did the "throw it all in at once" approach once or twice... Mead came out ok, but really needed time to age.

I cannot recommend that over step feeding, although the abv came out a few percent lower then step feeding would have reached. But it was hot...

 

[resif]

Hi,
I'm trying the BOMM recipe with a couple of different yeasts (Lallemande Belgian and Safale Belgian) with different OGs.
Since each jug got PH > 4,6 I didn't added potassium bicarbonate.

Now it's day 18th and the jugs with OG = 1,100 have almost arrived to the end ( it should be less than 1,010 now; I'm goign to test it) but what concern me is the PH level that is now 3,4 for each jug.

Is it a good level at this time of the process?
What can it cause to the mead?
Should I act now is someways?

Thank you!

 

[cajunrph]

First mead session occurred Monday night. I did three one gallon batches. One was a traditional JAOM with bread yeast. I even have the highly authentic balloon for an air lock. A second with D47 JAOM and a thrid with Lellemand Abbaye Belgian style yeast done BOMM style. All got an inital dose of 1/4 tea DAP and 1/2 tea Fermaid K. The D47 and Abbaye Yeast I followed the BOMM protocol. These mofos are fermenting away. Dropped down to high 1.08 range by Wednesday morning. Too much fissing to tell for sure. I went ahead and feeded the yeast the first feeding. Not wanting to miss the break while at work. The JAOM with the bread yeast will only get the inital feeding. I will degas them all. The SG for the JAMO with Bread Yeast was 1.12. The SG for the D47 was 1.1 and the SG for the Boom with Lellemands Abbaye Belgian yeast was 1.122. All should end up north of 12% alcohol.

My last brew was beer back in 2008 to 2010. I think I kegged it and never drank a drop. My marriage was in a tailspin at the time and other obligations got in the way of taking care of the beer. Beer goes bad the longer it sits, mead just gets better. This seems to be a better fit for me. I will say you could have more things to do with mead after day 0 vs beer. You leave beer alone after putting it in the primary other than racking to a secondary. Mead can involve degasing, nutrient additions and SG readings during the feeding period. And I'm sure other things I forgot.

The reason I didn't go with 1388 is that the homebrew shop closest to my house was out of it at the time I was there. The closest one to me is about an hour away. I did pick up a plethora other yeast to try in my mead making journey. I was about a forth through the thread, not to the point where Bray did the test on the alternate yeast. I emailed them sunday and they did have the Abbaye yeast in stock. So I drove back to get that. Along with other stuff. You can't make an hour trip for a $4.99 pack of yeast. Gotta make it worth it. Haha.

Three done, many more to go.

P.S. It goes without saying we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Bray for all his help on this thread. He has shown the patience of Job with all the questions. Even the ones answered many times over. You have helped many new mead makers get a fantastic start.

 

[Miraculix]

First mead session occurred Monday night. I did three one gallon batches. One was a traditional JAOM with bread yeast. I even have the highly authentic balloon for an air lock. A second with D47 JAOM and a thrid with Lellemand Abbaye Belgian style yeast done BOMM style. All got an inital dose of 1/4 tea DAP and 1/2 tea Fermaid K. The D47 and Abbaye Yeast I followed the BOMM protocol. These mofos are fermenting away. Dropped down to high 1.08 range by Wednesday morning. Too much fissing to tell for sure. I went ahead and feeded the yeast the first feeding. Not wanting to miss the break while at work. The JAOM with the bread yeast will only get the inital feeding. I will degas them all. The SG for the JAMO with Bread Yeast was 1.12. The SG for the D47 was 1.1 and the SG for the Boom with Lellemands Abbaye Belgian yeast was 1.122. All should end up north of 12% alcohol.

My last brew was beer back in 2008 to 2010. I think I kegged it and never drank a drop. My marriage was in a tailspin at the time and other obligations got in the way of taking care of the beer. Beer goes bad the longer it sits, mead just gets better. This seems to be a better fit for me. I will say you could have more things to do with mead after day 0 vs beer. You leave beer alone after putting it in the primary other than racking to a secondary. Mead can involve degasing, nutrient additions and SG readings during the feeding period. And I'm sure other things I forgot.

The reason I didn't go with 1388 is that the homebrew shop closest to my house was out of it at the time I was there. The closest one to me is about an hour away. I did pick up a plethora other yeast to try in my mead making journey. I was about a forth through the thread, not to the point where Bray did the test on the alternate yeast. I emailed them sunday and they did have the Abbaye yeast in stock. So I drove back to get that. Along with other stuff. You can't make an hour trip for a $4.99 pack of yeast. Gotta make it worth it. Haha.

Three done, many more to go.

P.S. It gies without saying we owe a huge debt of gratitude to Bray for all his help on this thread. He has shown the patience of Job with all the questions. Even the ones answered many times over. You have helped many new mead makers get a fantastic start.

You might want to check on bray's website, he did some experiments with dry yeasts there and has some final notes about which one did best in an bomm plus some additional instructions.

 

[KyleinMN]

I have my first BOMM going which just hit 1-month and I have a question. SG was 1.134 and it is now sitting at 1.022 which means it should have an ABV of 14.7%.

I've mostly been fermenting it right at 70F but it may have gone down to 60F for a while which slowed it down and now I'm thinking the yeast is about tapped out as the gravity is moving sl slowly as to be hardly noticeable if at all. I've degassed it but when I come back later and swirl the carboy it does release more CO2 so I'm thinking it's still fermenting just very slowly.

I'm OK with a semi-sweet but not sure if 1.022 will put it into very sweet territory. Should I just wait a while before cold crashing and bottling to see if it settles a bit more?

I didn't notice any off smells or anything like I did with my first mead (a dry traditional with wine yeast) so I don't think the yeast was really stressed out or anything. Just kind of in a state of limbo where it's 99% done fermenting but just doesn't know it...is that typically how it goes when fermenting with residual sugars vs fermenting dry, stabilizing and backsweetening?

 

[cajunrph]

I have my first BOMM going which just hit 1-month and I have a question. SG was 1.134 and it is now sitting at 1.022 which means it should have an ABV of 14.7%.

I've mostly been fermenting it right at 70F but it may have gone down to 60F for a while which slowed it down and now I'm thinking the yeast is about tapped out as the gravity is moving sl slowly as to be hardly noticeable if at all. I've degassed it but when I come back later and swirl the carboy it does release more CO2 so I'm thinking it's still fermenting just very slowly.

I'm OK with a semi-sweet but not sure if 1.022 will put it into very sweet territory. Should I just wait a while before cold crashing and bottling to see if it settles a bit more?

I didn't notice any off smells or anything like I did with my first mead (a dry traditional with wine yeast) so I don't think the yeast was really stressed out or anything. Just kind of in a state of limbo where it's 99% done fermenting but just doesn't know it...is that typically how it goes when fermenting with residual sugars vs fermenting dry, stabilizing and backsweetening?

Don't bottle till you get SG readings the same over the course of a week or so. I'd check again in 3-4 days, if it's is still 1.022 then check again in an additional 3-4 days. If the SG stays the same over that length of time, the yeasts are done. It is possible they are still working on the sugars. You never know unless you get consistent SG readings over a week or longer.

 

[loveofrose]

Hello all! As I’ve stated before, I’ve been working on a mead making book. The problem with a book is that you cannot instantly update it as better products/methods are discovered. As a result, I’ve been searching for a different way to distribute mead making knowledge while keeping things perfectly up to date. I’m happy to say I found a solution. Welcome to Mead University:

Mead University — You To Brew

We are starting with a few key articles, but new content will continue to be uploaded. The goal is to have complete answers to all the questions you may have. If you have any article requests, be sure to let me know! Enjoy!

 

[Miraculix]

Hello all! As I’ve stated before, I’ve been working on a mead making book. The problem with a book is that you cannot instantly update it as better products/methods are discovered. As a result, I’ve been searching for a different way to distribute mead making knowledge while keeping things perfectly up to date. I’m happy to say I found a solution. Welcome to Mead University:

Mead University — You To Brew

We are starting with a few key articles, but new content will continue to be uploaded. The goal is to have complete answers to all the questions you may have. If you have any article requests, be sure to let me know! Enjoy!

Great!!

I think the most pressing question for most of us (including myself) is, which dry yeast is best for the bomm protocol?

Also, different nutrient amounts for different yeast types (wine vs. ale)?

Different nutrients for dry vs. liquid yeasts?

What about kveiks (made one with lutra, used only fermaid O, never fully cleared but is really clean tasting without yeast bite)?

Easy stove top pasteurisation protocoll? I did it recently, it is very easy to do and for myself it is much better than adding additional chemicals.

That's what came to my mind.

Cheers!

 

[bushpilot]

Hello all! As I’ve stated before, I’ve been working on a mead making book. The problem with a book is that you cannot instantly update it as better products/methods are discovered. As a result, I’ve been searching for a different way to distribute mead making knowledge while keeping things perfectly up to date. I’m happy to say I found a solution. Welcome to Mead University:

Mead University — You To Brew

We are starting with a few key articles, but new content will continue to be uploaded. The goal is to have complete answers to all the questions you may have. If you have any article requests, be sure to let me know! Enjoy!

I looked at it, great start!

You should start another thread, as this announcement will otherwise be lost in the depths of the BOMM thread. It is worthy of getting the word out.

 

[loveofrose]

Great!!

I think the most pressing question for most of us (including myself) is, which dry yeast is best for the bomm protocol?

Also, different nutrient amounts for different yeast types (wine vs. ale)?

Different nutrients for dry vs. liquid yeasts?

What about kveiks (made one with lutra, used only fermaid O, never fully cleared but is really clean tasting without yeast bite)?

Easy stove top pasteurisation protocoll? I did it recently, it is very easy to do and for myself it is much better than adding additional chemicals.

That's what came to my mind.

Cheers!

No dry yeast can fully check all the boxes for Wyeast 1388, but the closest I’ve found is currently W15.

I have a nutrient protocol article up now on the site that covers ALL yeast. Dry or liquid:Staggered Nutrient Addition (SNA) - Mead University — You To Brew

A Kveik article is on the list. I need to do a bit more experimentation to fully write the article.

I will never condone pasteurization. It works, but pressurized bottle bombs are not something I want to promote when stabilization is so easy. I do have an article on stabilization to make it easier to use. Hope that helps!

 

[JP_BeerFan]

Awesome, Bray! Nice site, nice layout... nice clear writing, too!

I was going to ask a question about the buffering. I think I've read on your site, or somewhere, that Potassium Carbonate or Potassium Bicarbonate are usable, (interchangeable?) but was wondering if there should be a difference in amount, or not?

Did some investigating, and reading into buffer solutions, gets a bit complex quickly, for a guy who didn't do any formal Chemistry study past HS... I ended up with a vauge idea that Carbonate is a stronger base, and thereby might have a stronger buffer capacity for the same amount? Or not?

I currently have some Bicarb from the brew store, all they had. Let me know if it's worth changing the amount... or even forgoing the Bicarb altogether.

 

[Miraculix]

No dry yeast can fully check all the boxes for Wyeast 1388, but the closest I’ve found is currently W15.

I have a nutrient protocol article up now on the site that covers ALL yeast. Dry or liquid:Staggered Nutrient Addition (SNA) - Mead University — You To Brew

A Kveik article is on the list. I need to do a bit more experimentation to fully write the article.

I will never condone pasteurization. It works, but pressurized bottle bombs are not something I want to promote when stabilization is so easy. I do have an article on stabilization to make it easier to use. Hope that helps!

Nice one, exactly the one yeast that i cannot buy in Germany as single sachets, but would have to buy a 125g pack

The nutrient protocol sounds good you linked to.

What do you mean by pressurized bottle bombs? Pasteurization gone worng (lower temperature/not enough time)? Explosions during pasteurization or exploding bottles afterwards?

 

[Miraculix]

No dry yeast can fully check all the boxes for Wyeast 1388, but the closest I’ve found is currently W15.

I have a nutrient protocol article up now on the site that covers ALL yeast. Dry or liquid:Staggered Nutrient Addition (SNA) - Mead University — You To Brew

A Kveik article is on the list. I need to do a bit more experimentation to fully write the article.

I will never condone pasteurization. It works, but pressurized bottle bombs are not something I want to promote when stabilization is so easy. I do have an article on stabilization to make it easier to use. Hope that helps!

Did you ever try Mangrove Jack´s M 05 - Mead? I read good stuff about it, but never tried it myself... Thre was one big theread here on hbt about a guy really digging deep into the diferent (mead) yeasts and this one was the winner, do not remember the link though. He did a lot of test brews.

 

[JP_BeerFan]

Nice one, exactly the one yeast that i cannot buy in Germany as single sachets, but would have to buy a 125g pack

Sounds like you would need to find a friend in the US or somewhere, to mail you 8g packets. Uh, hypothetically speaking...

 

[Miraculix]

Sounds like you would need to find a friend in the US or somewhere, to mail you 8g packets. Uh, hypothetically speaking...

Yep, should actually be possible for me to find a helpfull person here who would send me some packs via mail. But I somehow did not think about this possibility yesterday when placing a drunken 100 Euro order at the online hbs which includes now 4 packs of mj 05 mead yeast. They are repacking yeasts so chances are there that it actually is W15 but could be obviously also anything else..... I will give it a try. If it does not go well, I´ll take a look for W15 again.

 

[Alexcc1]

Chocolate or Chocolate Cherry BOMM?

I have 2 x 5 gallon BOMMs aging in 5 gallon corny kegs. I would like to try to make either a Chocolate or Chocolate Cherry BOMM by adding cocoa and or cocoa nibs to the secondary of one and cocoa, cocoa nibs and cherries for the second batch.

I found a recipe here "Holy Cacao! Chocolate Mead | Chop & Brew" that suggests 1/4 cup of cocoa nibs, 3 oz of Dutch process cocoa, and 1 vanilla bean. Before I jump in and try this, has anyone made a BOMM into a chocolate BOMM doing all of the flavor infusion in the secondary fermentation?

Looking for your inputs and suggestions.

 

[Dan O]

I just had some of a BOMM that I made in February. FG was 1.003 & it was amazing! I'm normally not a fan of dry meads, but, the honey really came back & made it taste more like a semisweet than a dry. Thanks again, Bray! I love the BOMM!

 

[loveofrose]

Nice one, exactly the one yeast that i cannot buy in Germany as single sachets, but would have to buy a 125g pack

The nutrient protocol sounds good you linked to.

What do you mean by pressurized bottle bombs? Pasteurization gone worng (lower temperature/not enough time)? Explosions during pasteurization or exploding bottles afterwards?

That’s not true anymore! You to Brew now ships to Europe!
https://www.youtobrew.co.uk/

 

[loveofrose]

Chocolate or Chocolate Cherry BOMM?

I have 2 x 5 gallon BOMMs aging in 5 gallon corny kegs. I would like to try to make either a Chocolate or Chocolate Cherry BOMM by adding cocoa and or cocoa nibs to the secondary of one and cocoa, cocoa nibs and cherries for the second batch.

I found a recipe here "Holy Cacao! Chocolate Mead | Chop & Brew" that suggests 1/4 cup of cocoa nibs, 3 oz of Dutch process cocoa, and 1 vanilla bean. Before I jump in and try this, has anyone made a BOMM into a chocolate BOMM doing all of the flavor infusion in the secondary fermentation?

Looking for your inputs and suggestions.

For chocolate mead, definitely go with a sweet mead, then add toasted cacao nibs post fermentation. Vanilla is also a good call.

For a cherry mead, go with this:Denard Brewing

 

[loveofrose]

Did you ever try Mangrove Jack´s M 05 - Mead? I read good stuff about it, but never tried it myself... Thre was one big theread here on hbt about a guy really digging deep into the diferent (mead) yeasts and this one was the winner, do not remember the link though. He did a lot of test brews.

Last time someone asked about this, I couldn’t get the yeast! Now that you reminded me, I have it ordered. Thanks!