T'ej BOMM - Round 2 (Lazy Version)

[loveofrose]

Finally in the new house. Time to Christen it with the initial batch of mead!

T'ej BOMM - Round 2
1 gallon batch

Add 3.09 lbs of Orange Blossom honey to carboy (SG ~1.12)
Add 1 TBSP Fermaid O (~10 grams) and 1/2 tsp K2CO3.
-Add another TBSP of Fermaid O at 1.08 & 1.04.
Add 1 oz gesho. No boil. No wash.
Add water to 1/2 cup shy of gallon.
Add a starter of Wyeast 1388.

Once the SG is 1.00ish, add a pound of honey to bring to 1.02.
Hopefully stops around 1.01.



Better brewing through science!

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See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[loveofrose]

Day 4
Gravity 1.07. Added nutrients.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[buzzerj]

Welcome to your new digs Bray! Hope your brewing/mead making set up there goes well for you. My last T'ej ended up a little too hot because I used D47 yeast in addition to the gesho. I should have went with the gesho alone. I used about 12 oz of gesho and you just used one ounce? I understand to make it a BOMM you'd use the 1388 yeast. When you add honey back in are you measuring closely with your hydrometer to get as close to your desired 1.020 as you can? What's your process there? I have trouble with measuring well in one gallon because I like to do it in the jug and many times the hydrometer bottoms out.

 

[loveofrose]

Welcome to your new digs Bray! Hope your brewing/mead making set up there goes well for you. My last T'ej ended up a little too hot because I used D47 yeast in addition to the gesho. I should have went with the gesho alone. I used about 12 oz of gesho and you just used one ounce? I understand to make it a BOMM you'd use the 1388 yeast. When you add honey back in are you measuring closely with your hydrometer to get as close to your desired 1.020 as you can? What's your process there? I have trouble with measuring well in one gallon because I like to do it in the jug and many times the hydrometer bottoms out.

I measure the weight of the honey container before and after I add honey. Simple subtraction gives you exactly what you added!


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[bernardsmith]

What makes this a "lazy" version of t'ej?

 

[loveofrose]

My initial version required boiling the gesho and using a lot of it. This is lazy because I'm using the gesho like an oak cube. Small amounts without boiling.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[loveofrose]

Day 6

Gravity 1.048. Added nutrients. Smells like wonderful T'ej!


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[biochemedic]

My initial version required boiling the gesho and using a lot of it. This is lazy because I'm using the gesho like an oak cube. Small amounts without boiling.

Will be very curious to see which you like better between the boiled gesho and the "dry-geshoed" version...I have seen both ways of using gesho documented in the past, and have wondered whether a combination of both methods would be best...coming from more of a beer background (even though technically the first thing I brewed was mead), it fits in my mental model of boil-hops-plus-dry-hops. I think comparing a purely boiled gesho model with what you are doing now is a good place to start....

 

[loveofrose]

I'm hoping there isn't much difference. The first round was very good, but I hate boiling. I was initially concerned with native flora on the gesho. Now, I'm curious if it adds something.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[biochemedic]

I was initially concerned with native flora on the gesho. Now, I'm curious if it adds something.

My understanding is that this is traditionally how T'ej was fermented...wild bugs from the gesho is how it seems to be explained by one of the older online resources of info on T'ej

 

[loveofrose]

You are correct. I didn't explain fully. I wanted to see specifically what the gesho flavor was like independent from flora on the initial batch. Now I want to see if the flora add a positive flavor profile.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[bernardsmith]

But you inoculated the must with 1388. Won't that overwhelm much of the local bacteria in the gesho? Are you using the leaves or the stems?

 

[loveofrose]

I'm hoping the 1388 takes over so that I don't need to boil. Still using the sticks (gesho), not leaves (kitel).


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[gunit00]

My understanding is that this is traditionally how T'ej was fermented...wild bugs from the gesho is how it seems to be explained by one of the older online resources of info on T'ej

Yes. You are correct. There is no need to boil the gesho. Just throw it in the primary. The way to make Tej :https://www.youtube.com/embed/O60_S25EoFI

 

[loveofrose]

Yeah, that's the original way. I prefer using current techniques for a consistent product. Just my preference.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[loveofrose]

Day 12

Gravity 1.000. Removed gesho from the fermenter and added 9 oz honey by weight.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[gunit00]

How did your tej turn out? Pics would be great too!

 

[loveofrose]

Day 38

Bottled at 1.02. Very delicious with a light gesho flavor. I'll post tasting notes after a test bottle chills.

 

[loveofrose]

Day 42
Just as delicious as before. This method produces an equal quality product faster with less effort and less gesho. Good to know!

 

[loveofrose]

Day 69
Very tasty! Cheers!
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1438648636.461404.jpg

 

[gunit00]

Bravo! Was 12 days enough for the gesho flavor to emerge? I have seen recipes call for up to a month of gesho.

 

[loveofrose]

The gesho flavor is surprisingly a bit strong. While it's quite good now, a few months to mellow out would be optimal.

 

[bernardsmith]

One ounce of gesho (the stems, inchet?) and the flavor really stands out? I just made a gallon and used 4 oz of the inchet with white sage honey (also no heat) but kept the stems in the mead for 6 days (half the time you had it in the liquor) and IMO the flavor is quite muted. Its definitely there but is not excessive.

 

[loveofrose]

Deleted

 

[loveofrose]

Double the amount of time in the mead will extract more flavor for two reasons: 1. More time (obviously) 2. Higher ABV. Alcohol extracts different compounds than water. If this case, perhaps alcohol is what extract the gesho flavor?

Of course, personal taste plays in here as well. Perhaps I like a little and you like a lot!

 

[happydad40]

I've got a bomm about to go into secondary. What's the downside of racking into some gesho for a few days. I didn't have gesho when I started this. Thanks in advance.

 

[loveofrose]

It should work just fine. Sample once a week until it gets to the intensity you want.