Oak aging

[Sharkman20]

So I sampled my bochet for the first time last night and it kind of reminded me somewhat of a port wine, with lots of alcohol and some residual sweetness. It got me thinking that I may want to age it with an oak spiral or something to impart some of that flavor. Has anyone done this with a bochet before? If so, how did yours turn out?

 

[Sharkman20]

Nobody has done this before? I guess I'll have to be the first to try.

I was reading up a bit on the types of oak and it seems that the american oak will impart more of a bourbon flavor, which isn't necessarily what I'm going for. I'm thinking about using some french oak chips or spirals and charring them.

I've read that with whiskey and wines, they tend not to age when they are kept in metal or glass containers, so I would assume the same would hold true with meads. I've also read that something about the charred oak helps absorb some of the volitile oils and harsh alcohols that are present in a younger spirit. This is more of what I'm going for rather than a strong burbon cask flavor.

 

[lawpaw]

Oak spirals won't effect aging. It is the micro-oxygenation that helps the aging process in barrels. Micro-oxygenation still occurs in a corked bottle. Even in an airtight enclose some aging happens; you can also get reduction.

I've never hears American oak described as tasting like bourbon. Usually I hear it is just more pronounced and has more vanilla in it.

All bourbon and scotch tastes strongly of oak, so maybe what they mean is that you really get the oak flavor in bourbon.

I'm making my first bochet soon and will definitely oak it with heavy toasted American oak. I'm sure French is fine. I'd prefer Hungarian, but I have a ton of American already.

 

[Sharkman20]

Well, I plan on aging it a minimum of one to two years depending on how it progresses. It's not the aging I'm really trying to get out of the oak, but moreso the alcohol mellowing qualities that charred oak is supposedly supposed to have as well as the vanilla flavors that come out, which hopefully will give it some nice complexity. I definately don't want to overdo it though, which is why I'll be going with the french oak. From what I've read it's much more mellow than the american oak so I should be able to let it oak longer.

 

[Hrahn1995]

Well i dont know much about oak but the alcohol mellowing properties you speak of are for because char is just activated carbon, the same stuff they jam down the throats of people that drank WAAAAYYY too much. How has the Bochet turned out? im going to start on on the 17th and am deciding if i should work in some herbs and spices to make it a nice metheglin.

 

[lawpaw]

I'm 8 days into a very high OG bochet (1.15 plus another .01 added later, 1116 hopefully will take it near dry for now).

The good thing about fruit and spices is that you can always add them later if you think you need them. I plan on adding chocolate to most of my batch after 1 year.

 

[Sharkman20]

Mine just hit 3 months and has stabilized at 14.36% abv, completely dry to the taste. It cleared completely already and I just racked it off the sediment so I'll let it bulk age in the carboy for an undetermined amount of time. When I tasted it a month and a half ago it was very harsh and tasted pretty burnt. I tasted it again when I racked last weekend and it's still harsh, but not as harsh as before. It's definitely improving. I'll give it another few months or so and then taste it again and add some oak.

 

[Hrahn1995]

Hey I was wonder what your starting gravity was and how much honey you used? the burnt flavor is it a pleasent burnt or can you describe it better? i still havent started my batch that im hoping to get to about 14% and want to make sure its worth the effort

 

[Sharkman20]

Hey I was wonder what your starting gravity was and how much honey you used? the burnt flavor is it a pleasent burnt or can you describe it better? i still havent started my batch that im hoping to get to about 14% and want to make sure its worth the effort

I have a thread about it and the whole process with pictures here.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/my-first-meads-orange-blossom-bochet-286491/