Bochet

[Sailor323]

Interesting article. The Quest to Recreate a Lost and ‘Terrifying’ Medieval Mead - Gastro Obscura (atlasobscura.com)

 

[David Violante]

Very interesting article... I (just) made a Bochet relatively recently (February). The caramelization process smelled absolutely amazing. And the honey indeed expanded in volume quite a bit. I went with a more modern version than the author, but I'm interested in doing one with wild yeast just for the sake of having done one that way. I used D47, and the TOSNA schedule of nutrient addition, and oaked with vanilla. I only made 1 gallon and used a honey / water ratio to bring the SG to 1.100. Holy moly it tastes amazing. It's super early too. It should get better with time. I don't think it's going to make it that long...

 

[Rice_Guy]

I appreciate the line “you have never really been scalded till you have boiling honey on you.”
Was introduced to bochet in the vinters club a few years back, so have tried some. I cheat and look at safety . . .

. . . . a crock pot all day gives good control. . . HUMM,,, I should walk a case of mead down to the neighbor and ask how the hives are doing.

 

[David Violante]

. . . . a crock pot all day gives good control. . .

I think I followed a post that you made about the color / temperature / time…? It was a clock of darkening color samples on a paper plate…

 

[BernardSmith]

I appreciate the line “you have never really been scalded till you have boiling honey on you.”
Was introduced to bochet in the vinters club a few years back, so have tried some. I cheat and look at safety . . .
View attachment 77729
. . . . a crock pot all day gives good control. . . HUMM,,, I should walk a case of mead down to the neighbor and ask how the hives are doing.

But so does an oven. After all, the sugars in honey caramelize at 230 F (fructose), and at 320 F for glucose and sucrose. So if you set your oven to 320 and you measure the temperature at the center of the pot of honey when it reaches 320 then you have caramelized the three main sugars in the honey without any danger of scalding yourself OR burning the honey. And while a crock pot heats slowly, 10 hours would seem like an eternity to caramelize sugars.

 

[Ty520]

But so does an oven. After all, the sugars in honey caramelize at 230 F (fructose), and at 320 F for glucose and sucrose. So if you set your oven to 320 and you measure the temperature at the center of the pot of honey when it reaches 320 then you have caramelized the three main sugars in the honey without any danger of scalding yourself OR burning the honey. And while a crock pot heats slowly, 10 hours would seem like an eternity to caramelize sugars.

Burning is always a concern with bochet - if you take it to 320, wouldn't the fructose have burned?

 

[BernardSmith]

Great question. I do not know enough about candy making but I think at 320F fructose may want to form a hard candy when it cools back down to room temps , and people loved boiled candy so it won't be burned. My guess is that many people who think they are making bochet get their honey to about 500 F and at that temperature it is carbon and not honey. But Rice_Guy is the food scientist.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Using the infra red temp check in the photo I stopped at/ ran up to 210F. ,, If you actually have the honey up to 320F you will have driven all the moisture out and will create a tar like glass which has low solubility. My experience in running food driers is if the exhaust/ recirculating air is at 350F I have some to a lot of browning depending on residence time. (caramelizing is a time and temperature function/ creating a glass is a melt temperature function)

My approach was be lazy and give an hour or so time band as an end point.
To dissolve the honey I wound up heating it again to melt the sugar glass, stirring would have taken some effort, ,,,, and that wouldn’t be very lazy.

Burning is always a concern with bochet - if you take it to 320, wouldn't the fructose have burned?

edit @BernardSmith a coffee roaster operates at about 450F air temperature, the dark vs light roast is determined based on residence time,,,, well 500F can be used for a moist surface as steak where browning is desired, ,,, another reference point, an oil based fryer is 350 to 375F

 

[Kitchen]

I just bottle a Bochet that was a real hit as a recent party I hosted. Three different levels of caramelization combined with some raw honey. OG was 1.112 and finished at 1.000, so semi-dry in taste. I partially barrel fermented and sur lee aged it in a new European oak barrel (using two different yeast) and blended in about 30% non-barreled after 6 months of aging.

It was the party favorite for an after dinner drink. I still think it needs another 6 month though.

 

[Juniper Hill]

Bochet has been on my short list of to try for years. Very interested in giving it a go. I'll try the crock pot method.