Critique my new years mead recipe, please

[scul]

Edit: This should be titled 'Leap Years Mead', not sure how I messed that up.

I'm planning to do a Bochet style Mead with stepped additions of honey to try to get the ABV as high as I can.

Tentative recipe will be based on this, with a change to starting with 2.5# per gallon. I'll start with Clover honey and the Bochet method, and then step add using some wildflower honey.

Once primary is complete and it wont take any more honey, I plan to rack onto some toasted oak (maybe some vanilla beans), age for a bit, then rack again and wait until next leap year to taste it!

Only problem I ran into... I decided on this style too late to order the WLP099, so I plan to start with Champagne yeast, and depending on how far that yeast is able to take it, I will pitch some WLP099 later.

Anyone see issues with this recipe?

 

[Vex3521]

The toasted oak (I used dark american) and vanilla in a bochet is great (I'm biased mine is in secondary lol) but seriously some great balanced notes there.

How dark were you going to take the honey? I've seen some recipes go lighter caramel, others pretty much burnt. I went in the middle and think it really played well.

Sounds like a good plan all in all. I hadn't used wlp099 yet so the info from link is great. Which champagne yeast were you looking at?

 

[scul]

Im not sure if it was clear, as I just noticed I titled it 'new years' rather than 'Leap Year'. D'oh! Fixed now. ETA: Err, I thought. How can I edit the thread title?

I was planning to take it to the middle range, as I've heard that can give some marshmallow flavors.
Any tips on that? Such as not over doing it?
This will be my first bochet.

I have some Red Star Pasteur Blanc Champagne Yeast I will use to start it off.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Arpolis]

Keep your heat on the lowest setting on the stove after getting it to start boiling. Taking your spoon and putting drops on a white plate every 15 - 30 min give you a good idea on color. For the marshmallow tones you want it still clear on the plate but a dark golden brown.

I also start the honey with about 1 part water and 3 parts honey. All that helps to keep it from burning. I have had some great results with that. Otherwise your recipe sounds fine. If you can stand the wait then it will be amazing.