Leap Year 2012?

[vincanis]

I'm starting my first mead on Monday (jaom) but I would love to be a part of this.

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I just threw a JAOM together not too long ago. I did a mixture of the original and the MAOM. I used the zest but then peeled the oranges, squeezed some juice out with my hands and then threw the rest of the oranges into the mix. In lieu of clover honey, I used orange blossom honey.

One other thing is I used blood oranges. Hopefully it gives the mead a nice crimson color. Or at least a bit red. That would be awesome. There's minimal flavor difference between a normal orange and a blood orange so it shouldn't affect the flavor too much. They just have a little bit of a raspberry flavor on the initial bite, but mellow out to a normal orange flavor.

I also put everything into the water and let it steep around 100-130 degrees for 15-20 minutes, then threw it all into a gallon carboy. Though I might need to repitch my yeast. I kinda set it to rehydrate and let it sit out a bit too long. Hopefully some bubbles start flowing soon.

 

[Penguinetti]

....I also put everything into the water and let it steep around 100-130 degrees for 15-20 minutes, then threw it all into a gallon carboy. Though I might need to repitch my yeast. I kinda set it to rehydrate and let it sit out a bit too long. Hopefully some bubbles start flowing soon.

I also just did a 1 gallon JAOM. I'm about 3 weeks in, and let me tell you, mine didn't bubble hardly at all through the airlock. I think the most I had was one bubble every 2 or 4 seconds. My advice, check the SG before repitching.

 

[PaddyMurphy]

What about a maraschino chocolate mead? I found this recipe for a 1 gallon batch. Since it needs to be set aside for 2 years anyway, how would it taste at the end of 4?

 

[turtlescales]

My boyfriend and I just finished racking our 4 meads to secondary, or first attempts at mead making. Our Orange Blossom Traditional, Raspberry Melomel, and Clementine Cyser don't taste like much at this point, just young high octane mead.

Our Bochet on the other hand, even at only 1 month old already tastes incredible. So much so, that my boyfriend has changed his mind about Bochet (he despised the taste of the must at the beginning and wasn't a fan of the smell when I cooked it in the house)

Chocolate bochet sounds killer, I'd rather like to try one with chocolate and vanila, or perhaps chocolate raspberry.

 

[Bhunter87]

my boyfriend and i just finished racking our 4 meads to secondary, or first attempts at mead making. Our orange blossom traditional, raspberry melomel, and clementine cyser don't taste like much at this point, just young high octane mead.

Our bochet on the other hand, even at only 1 month old already tastes incredible. So much so, that my boyfriend has changed his mind about bochet (he despised the taste of the must at the beginning and wasn't a fan of the smell when i cooked it in the house)

chocolate bochet sounds killer, i'd rather like to try one with chocolate and vanila, or perhaps chocolate raspberry.

+1

 

[Bugeaud]

(he despised the taste of the must at the beginning and wasn't a fan of the smell when I cooked it in the house)

Nooooooooo not supposed to heat mead you newb! lol jk.

 

[turtlescales]

Nooooooooo not supposed to heat mead you newb! lol jk.

But I only cooked it for 2 hours!

 

[lawpaw]

Chocolate bochet sounds killer, I'd rather like to try one with chocolate and vanila, or perhaps chocolate raspberry.

I'm relying on the meadowfoam for vanilla, otherwise I'd probably add some.

I like the idea of each of us adding our own special twist to the chocolate bochet or at least using different honey.

I'll post my recipe when I finalize it.

 

[crazyseany]

Just doing done reading on mead making and have never done a batch... But would be cool to do a swap after it's aged....

 

[MikeyBrew11]

So I have never made mead before, nor have I even tasted it (my first order is supposed to arrive today from NY, I'm in CA)...however this sounds so much fun.

I have a question about aging. At some pout down the aging process the yeast will go dormant and things will settle down. Do you keep the airlock on it for 4 years...or at some point can you just throw a cap on it and tuck it away (does this logic hold true to other brewing as well...like ciders)? In my mind, there is no value to the airlock post fermentation. But maybe im missing something.

I know there are a couple posts already with specific recipe ideas, but of anyone is up to a detailed step by step instruction for this chocolate bochet, the help would be GREATLY appreciated. I love vanilla...so a may consider placing a Madagascar vanilla bean for a week or so during secondary .

 

[biochemedic]

So I have never made mead before, nor have I even tasted it (my first order is supposed to arrive today from NY, I'm in CA)...however this sounds so much fun.

I have a question about aging. At some pout down the aging process the yeast will go dormant and things will settle down. Do you keep the airlock on it for 4 years...or at some point can you just throw a cap on it and tuck it away (does this logic hold true to other brewing as well...like ciders)? In my mind, there is no value to the airlock post fermentation. But maybe im missing something.

I know there are a couple posts already with specific recipe ideas, but of anyone is up to a detailed step by step instruction for this chocolate bochet, the help would be GREATLY appreciated. I love vanilla...so a may consider placing a Madagascar vanilla bean for a week or so during secondary .

You raise an interesting question regarding aging. The only reason I can think of as to why an airlock could be important is that there can be pressure shifts in the carboy with temp swings. Unless you can control your temps, you could be at risk for "popping the top" and breaking your seal. I often see an ebb and flow in the airlock liquid with only a few degrees of temp cycling.

Check out my prior posts #44 and #45 -- there's links to some other pages and a video regarding the process, and my general plan for approaching this brew.

 

[Insomniac]

There will also be compounds such as CO2 and SO2 disolved in your mead that will come out over time, sealing the bottle will stop these from escaping. As the recipe recommends leaving the mead on the cocoa for a year, I imagine I will be leaving it under airlock at least that long + what ever it takes to clear it once the cocoa is removed. Though at that point it's going in bottles, I will want my fermentor back!

 

[Athos710]

Haven't seen much action on this thread for a while. Leap Day approacheth!

Who's got their stuff together for a bochet?

(I'll be skipping the chocolate and splitting my 3 gallon batch into 1 with vanilla bean, 1 with mulling spices, and 1 without spice addition)

 

[Insomniac]

Indeed it does! I think I have everything ready, here is my current plan of action:

Starting batch size 5 litres in primary.
Final batch size 4.55 Litres after racking losses.

4.5 lb Local honey placed in big pot and cooked untill black-ish.
Leave to cool to something below 100c, add water to 4.5 liters, put in 5l carboy with 2 teaspoons nutrient, aerate for 5 mins and pitch lalvin 1116.

Place in fermentation chamer at 17c.

Once fermentation has started to slow drastically remove from fridge, top up to the full 5L, and bring up to room temp to finish off.

Once the bulk of yeast has dropped out, rack on to sorbate/sulphite to stabailise, a week later backsweeten to 1.01 or 1.02 depending on how i feel at the time either using more of the original honey or, by cooking some more of the same honey and using that.

Leave for a month in fridge at 5c to drop out anything I can, then rack on to one vanilla bean, split and scraped, and 150g raw coacoa nibs.

Leave for about a year.

Rack off vanilla and cocoa, and resume standard practice for clearing. Expecting to bottle in 3 to 6 months from this point.

 

[TheBrewingMedic]

I'm ready to jump in on this one, what better time to try my first bochet then for a special event

Going with a one gallon batch (due to resources)

Think I'm going with:
3# of Orange Blossom Honey, orange and chocolate pair well if much of the citrus survives the boil.
1# raw cocao nibs, probably 1/3 primary, 2/3 secondary
3 madagascar vanilla beans split, 1 in primary, 2 in secondary
Lalvin D-47
Goferm to rehydrate
Fermaid K for nutrients
Bottled Spring Water

Sanitize everything plus potential extra equipment (I may go overboard in this step sometimes with extra spoons, funnels etc.)

Gently boil honey to a nice dark carmelization
Cool with slow nutrient enriched water additions
Prep yeast
Add nibs and vanilla to fermenter
Add must to fermenter top of if needed
Pitch yeast
Oxygenate (just switched to pure O2 as I have easy free access)
Airlock and put to bed
Degas/oxygenate
Rack to secondary/tertiary/aging as appropriate
Bottle and wait........(maybe sneak some before it goes into hibernation)

 

[biochemedic]

I'm still planning on this brew, but unfortunately won't get to do in on Leap Day...may actually go on the 1st or 2nd...

 

[lawpaw]

I've got my recipe set. I'll be finishing up some honeys, thus the variety.

4.2 gallon batch

Boil 16 lbs. of honey (5lbs. Wildflower, 6lbs. TJ Mesquite, 1lb. Orange Blossom, .75lbs. Buckwheat, .25lbs. Dandelion, 1lb. Carrot Blossom, 2lbs. Raspberry) for around 1 hour or longer.

Boil 4 frozen then thawed bananas in 1 gallon of water for 30 minutes (skin and all).

Add banana water to bochet, top up to 4.2 gallons using 1/2 tap and 1/2 distilled water. Shooting for 1.15 SG, add honey to get to 1.15 if necessary.

Add 1lbs. chopped raisins and 1lbs. chopped dates.

When cooled to 70 degrees F 1 cup of must to K1V-1116 rehydrated in Goferm. Let rest for a few hours, then pitch into must.

SNA, double normal nutrients. Add 1lb. Raspberry honey to bottom of primary 24 hours after pitching yeast.

I'm hoping to ferment nearly dry. I will likely leave it dry for quite a while.

I am planning on boiling 3lbs. of Meadowfoam honey for 1 hour plus in 6 months to a year to backsweeten with. I would like to get between 18-20% ABV then sweeten to around 1.04.

I will deal with adding cocoa after a year or two.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

I turn 32.

That is all, carryon with what looks like a very fun idea...

 

[Tyrone]

I'm in. 1Gallon. 3.5lbs Orange Blossom will get bochet-ed.

 

[TheBrewingMedic]

Interesting lawpaw sounds like youre making a banana bochet topped with cocoa, wonder if it'll taste like those frozen bananas dipped in chocolate you can get at fairs and carnivals?

 

[lawpaw]

The bananas are just for body. Trust me, there won't be even a hint of banana flavor in the final product.

Banana scent and flavor is pretty much completely boiled out even before fermentation begins. I strain any skin or left over banana parts from the boil before adding.

I've done this for a few fruit wines and even in second run rose wines the banana isn't present.

 

[TheBrewingMedic]

ahhh so kinda like adding maltodextrin to a beer, cool

 

[lawpaw]

I've also used Extra Light DME to add body to a fruit wine without having it add any malt flavor.

 

[Insomniac]

Brew day! Well, for me anyway, most of you lot should all be sleeping! Just cleaning up my mess of a kitchen ready for me to burn it down!

 

[bigbeergeek]

Tamarind.

 

[Insomniac]

Ow, ow, ow, that ****ing hurts, ow!
Ok for all those following today, having a bbq mit nearby for when stirring is a good idea, actually using the thing would have been a better one!

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Yikes, boiling honey isn't much different from napalm. I hope it was in one little spot, otherwise you are going to need med attention...

 

[Insomniac]

Yeah it was just one bit, right on the end of the finger, one burn is a lot better than some of the attempts I've heard of on here! Hurts like hell though, will have to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get infected but I think it will be ok. The rest of you, don't get complacent, it was fine at first untill it started to darken, then it started to spit! I boiled for an hour, it's black as Guinness, will post pics later.

 

[lawpaw]

I did mine yesterday an inoculated today right at midnight.

The most dangerous part by far is adding water at the end of the boil. The honey at that point is well over the boiling point and any water will instantly boil up.

So add the water very slowly and in small amounts until the honey mixture drops below boiling.

 

[Insomniac]

Yeah that can be nasty but I was expecting that to be dangerous so was cautious. Apart from one little splash to see how much it would spit where I stood right back, I added my water after letting it cool enough to go back to almost its original size. That way when the water boils its closer to the surface which means less spitting, but also there is more pan to catch the spits too. But definaly tiny amounts at first even with these precautions.