Makin 5 gallons of braggot this weekend, along with 5 gallons of mead, 5 gallons of melomel and 3 gallons of cyment. Looking for a good recipe for the braggot using simple malt syrup. Mead party in South Milwaukee this Saturday!!!
Braggot
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fatbloke
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"cyment" ? is that cyser, pyment or cement
As for braggot recipes ? well you're probably gonna have better luck either somewhere like Gotmead (you may have to mod the link so it goes to the main site, not the forums) or just hitting google with a recipe search for it......
There seem to be a million and one ideas about braggots, because some like to use the malt in the main ferment, some like to just add to secondary, some to tertiary, some like it like a "wine like" recipe, others like to make it more "beer like", etc etc.
Me ? the closest I've got so far, is to get a couple of jars of "malt extract" from the health food store, and I'll add it add it a couple of table spoons at a time when topping up after racking, but I'm putting a lot of thought in to decide whether it'll be to a traditional or whether I can work out what fruit it might go well with, as I'm not in any rush to make one, but if the chance arises to make a mix with something else etc etc......
regards
fatbloke
As someone who prefers malty beers to hoppy beers, I like Ken Schram's Barleywine style braggot in his book "The Complete Meadmaker". It calls for boiling 3 lbs of malt extract with 1 to 2 ounces of hops at the beggining of the boil, then adding in 10lbs of honey. I made it using only 1 ounce of hops. It tastes great, but next time I make it, I think I am going to increase the malt extract by a couple of lbs or so, and decrease the honey slightly, basically keep adding the honey and checking the gravity until I get the same gravity as the first batch. Since I am using more malt, it would take a little less honey. I would also add a total of 1.5oz to 2oz. of hops at the beginning instead of 1oz.
By the time you boil your water and malt for an hour, and then add in the honey, it makes a 5gallon batch. I think you mix the malt extract with about 4 gallons of water or so, boil for an hour with the hops added at the beginning. Start chilling it down and add in the honey. If needed top off with water to 5 gallons.
By the time you boil your water and malt for an hour, and then add in the honey, it makes a 5gallon batch. I think you mix the malt extract with about 4 gallons of water or so, boil for an hour with the hops added at the beginning. Start chilling it down and add in the honey. If needed top off with water to 5 gallons.
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Thanks for the help. Cyment is mead with the addition of both apple and grape. Not a real well known but very good product.
As far as the book. I am an owner of it and have found it very usefull in developing some of my recipes. Not being one for a real "hoppy" product I cut the boil down to about 40 minutes.
The brew party went great and am looking forward to trying my wares.
As far as the book. I am an owner of it and have found it very usefull in developing some of my recipes. Not being one for a real "hoppy" product I cut the boil down to about 40 minutes.
The brew party went great and am looking forward to trying my wares.
didn't know that. why not call it a pyser? hehe
Braggot Recipe
I made a braggot last year that I'm very proud of and am planning on making 10 more gallons of it soon. Basically I took a Brewers Best Irish Red Ale kit and made it with a late addition extract boil and added 9 lbs Mrs Crockett's Desert Wildflower honey and an extra ounce of Willamette hops at the end and 6 ounces (half a bag) of frozen cranberries. Fermented for 2 months, primed with corn sugar and it turned out great. Everyone that has had it loves it. Oh yeah, I used Lalvin D47 on it.
GTG
I made a braggot last year that I'm very proud of and am planning on making 10 more gallons of it soon. Basically I took a Brewers Best Irish Red Ale kit and made it with a late addition extract boil and added 9 lbs Mrs Crockett's Desert Wildflower honey and an extra ounce of Willamette hops at the end and 6 ounces (half a bag) of frozen cranberries. Fermented for 2 months, primed with corn sugar and it turned out great. Everyone that has had it loves it. Oh yeah, I used Lalvin D47 on it.
GTG
WildSeedGrrrl
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Some things I've learned making braggots.
Been working on my braggots over the last few years and think I have finally got a handle on working with honey. I thought I'd pass on somethings I have learned.
1. Not all honeys are a like. I know it seems simple but I've tasted way to many braggots, both homebrewed and commercial and it seems like honey is treated more like a base malt or a 'go to ingredient to beef up gravity' adjunct than the star that it is. Granted those generic honeys like clover or wildflower don't have real stand out characteristics but you can't treat buckwheat honey like it was wildflower.
2. Tailor the beer style and or ingredients to the honey, not the other way around. You don't want to make an IPA with a fireweed or raspberry honey. For example, the buckwheat honey I had, had such a pasture like aromas and pungent earthy flavor that, it really needed a beer style and yeast that wouldn't battle with the honey, but rather compliment it. So I used a english brown ale as the base beer style. The hops were subtle and the pasture flavor went perfect with the yeast esters.
3. Higher ABV isn't always better. Just because honey can increase alcohol doesn't mean an 8% ABV or higher is better for the honey or the palate. I've had braggots that totally overwhelmed by the alcohol burn and you couldn't really appreciate the flavors.
4. Don't stop at barley and hops, add some herbs and flowers. My best braggot had rosehips and hibiscus in it as well as hops.
5. Take care of your yeast. Honey is hard work for yeasties. Pitch a starter or extra yeast package, make sure you have some nutrient in there, add lots of oxygen, and don't be afraid to try gradual feeding of honey if you really have to have a high gravity product.
Been working on my braggots over the last few years and think I have finally got a handle on working with honey. I thought I'd pass on somethings I have learned.
1. Not all honeys are a like. I know it seems simple but I've tasted way to many braggots, both homebrewed and commercial and it seems like honey is treated more like a base malt or a 'go to ingredient to beef up gravity' adjunct than the star that it is. Granted those generic honeys like clover or wildflower don't have real stand out characteristics but you can't treat buckwheat honey like it was wildflower.
2. Tailor the beer style and or ingredients to the honey, not the other way around. You don't want to make an IPA with a fireweed or raspberry honey. For example, the buckwheat honey I had, had such a pasture like aromas and pungent earthy flavor that, it really needed a beer style and yeast that wouldn't battle with the honey, but rather compliment it. So I used a english brown ale as the base beer style. The hops were subtle and the pasture flavor went perfect with the yeast esters.
3. Higher ABV isn't always better. Just because honey can increase alcohol doesn't mean an 8% ABV or higher is better for the honey or the palate. I've had braggots that totally overwhelmed by the alcohol burn and you couldn't really appreciate the flavors.
4. Don't stop at barley and hops, add some herbs and flowers. My best braggot had rosehips and hibiscus in it as well as hops.
5. Take care of your yeast. Honey is hard work for yeasties. Pitch a starter or extra yeast package, make sure you have some nutrient in there, add lots of oxygen, and don't be afraid to try gradual feeding of honey if you really have to have a high gravity product.
