Braggot Recipe check

[knowlesbrew]

I got this recipe from the Compleat Meadmaker book. I got the ingredients and am ready to start. I was wondering everything looks good or if there is any suggested changes. It is an AG recipe, which I have done several beers in the past. I will add the honey after the wort is off the flame so not to boil the honey, then cool it to yeast pitching temps with an ice bath, and use a siphon sprayer to aerate it.

I will make a yeast starter for the yeast. I usually use one cup of DME and a pint of cooled boiled water. But I think I will double that considering the amount of fermentables.

I also plan to carbonate it using 3/4 cup corn sugar.


8 lbs Pale ale malt
2 lbs Vienna Malt
1 lb Dextrin
3 oz Cascade Hops 60 min
1 oz Cascade Hops 30 min
1 oz Cascade Hops 2 min
9 lbs honey
2 tsp yeast energizer
2 tsp yeast nutrient
10 g Lavin Dried yeast D-47

 

[wildaho]

Hey KB,

A couple of thoughts on this. I'd wait until your wort is cooled to pitching temp before adding the honey instead of doing it at flame out. That high temp will still drive off aromatics. If the siphon sprayer your talking about is what I think it is, do more! They splash a little bit but don't really do much for aeration. If you add your honey after cooling, you'll want to do some vigorous churning to make sure it's dissolved anyway. You can combine the mixing and aeration into one step.

When I build starters for beers, I shoot for 1.040 for the starter wort. Beyond that, the yeast change priority to eating instead of breeding and can get stressed. If you feel you need a higher cell count, just step it up in stages. In other words, start with a cup and let it ferment, then add another cup of wort. After that add two cups, 4 cups, etc., doubling the volume of your wort each time.

But, having said that, that's my procedure for using wimpy beer yeast! Since you are planning on using D47, I would just rehydrate with GoFerm and proceed like normal for a mead.

:cheers:
Wade

 

[knowlesbrew]

Thanks for the advice. I wasnt aware of the honey losing aroma when added at near boiling temps.

I was wondering if you think I will need a blow off tube due to the huge amount of sugars that will be in the fermentor. by my calculations I should get a ABV of around 15 percent or so, which is by far the strongest concoction I have made.

 

[Vino]

I also plan to carbonate it using 3/4 cup corn sugar.

Is this based on a recipe, or was it calculated?

Carbonation levels not only help to define the style, but can have a real impact on the final experience.

I have seen great beers ruined by brewers not taking the time to calculate the actual amount of priming sugar needed (flat or fizzy). YMMV

The BJCP style guidelines for Braggots is 1-3.5 volumes CO2 which leaves a lot of room for that style.

So the actual level would be subject to your preference.

First you need to determine how many volumes of CO2 you want in the finished product. Other factors will be how much CO2 is already in the beer after fermentation which is relative to the temperature of the beer.

Temperature alone can vary the amount of CO2 in the finished beer by as much as 1 volume.

Here is a link to an online calculator that I have used before and it has never failed me.

One other note...for accuracy, always use weight and not volume to measure your sugar...just like you would for Fermaid and Goferm.

 

[wildaho]

Thanks for the advice. I wasnt aware of the honey losing aroma when added at near boiling temps.

I was wondering if you think I will need a blow off tube due to the huge amount of sugars that will be in the fermentor. by my calculations I should get a ABV of around 15 percent or so, which is by far the strongest concoction I have made.

Anything that I primary in a carboy gets a blow off tube. You just never know and it's better to be safe than sorry. But then again, I rarely primary in a carboy anymore, buckets just have too many advantages.

 

[Vino]

I rarely primary in a carboy anymore, buckets just have too many advantages.

Totally agree with you on this...I made the progression from bucket - carboy - corny...and then back to buckets.

 

[knowlesbrew]

Is this based on a recipe, or was it calculated?

Carbonation levels not only help to define the style, but can have a real impact on the final experience.

I have seen great beers ruined by brewers not taking the time to calculate the actual amount of priming sugar needed (flat or fizzy). YMMV

The BJCP style guidelines for Braggots is 1-3.5 volumes CO2 which leaves a lot of room for that style.

So the actual level would be subject to your preference.

First you need to determine how many volumes of CO2 you want in the finished product. Other factors will be how much CO2 is already in the beer after fermentation which is relative to the temperature of the beer.

Temperature alone can vary the amount of CO2 in the finished beer by as much as 1 volume.

Here is a link to an online calculator that I have used before and it has never failed me.

One other note...for accuracy, always use weight and not volume to measure your sugar...just like you would for Fermaid and Goferm.

It is based on his recommendation in the book. I will probably use a little less than the 3/4 cup though, I want a low amount of carbination in it.

 

[knowlesbrew]

So I brewed it up today. I didnt get the gravity he had in the book I only got 1.092, where as he got 1.12 in the book. I am guessing to get that he must of had it figured that his volume would be 5 gallons even with the honey addition, where as I did a 6.5 gallon boil.

Oh well it still should be well over 10% ABV. Which sounds enjoyable to me.

 

[knowlesbrew]

Just to keep everyone updated on my Braggot. I stirred it twice daily for the first three days and now after a week I took a hydro and I had 1.030, which would be my 2/3 break. The activity had dramatically slowed so i added a TSP of yeast nutrient and energizer, and gently stirred to mix the trub. Hopfully that will get the yeast in gear and finish out my fermentation.

 

[knowlesbrew]

My Braggot that I described below has been in the fermentor for almost two weeks now. it had an OG of 1.092 and is currently down to 1.030

I didnt add anything on the 1/3 break because the Compleat mead maker book didnt say to in his recipe. It is currently stalled out, all activity has stopped, I have gotten the 1.030 three separate times in the last four days.

3 days ago I added a TSP of Nutrient (diammonium phosphate) and Energizer hoping to get it down to around 1.012. I also stirred it in a little to make sure that it got properly mixed in.

Still no activity, so today I added another half a tsp of both. Could it be that I am adding too small of amounts to get it going again?

 

[knowlesbrew]

Something is wrong

So I have a stuck fermentation on the braggot I described below. I added 1 teaspoon of Nutrient/Energizer twice to try to get it going and it didnt work. I thought it is probably the PH was too low or something like that, I bought the test kit and I had a PH of 3.8, I did the test twice because I figured that had to be it.

My Gravity is stuck at 1.030, my OG was 1.093, I am using Lavin D-47 so It isnt the ABV getting to high for the yeast. It has been in the fermentor for a little more than 3 weeks and got down to 1.030 in one week and has been stuck there ever since. It taste fine very sweet and the Honey still dominates the hops and malt flavor.

Any ideas, I know I probably havent provided adequate information but let me know what else I need to say. I searched around and couldnt find much.

 

[Oskaar]

Stop adding DAP and Fermaid K, they won't do you any good at this point.

The way I see it at 1.092 you had a PABV of 12.34 and at 1.030 you're at about 8.66% ABV. You're biggest risk at this point is oxidation and infection.

First step is to check the pH, if it's lower than 3.4 add some K Bicarbonate and bring it up to 4.0.

If that doesn't kick start it make up a starter of EC-1118 and let it get up a good head of steam. Just use honey in the starter and rehydrate your yeast properly before inoculating the starter must. Your target gravity for the starter is 1.050 and your volume should be one gallon. Once you have a strong starter going, add 2 grams of Fermaid-K to the starter and add 10 grams of yeast hulls to your stuck must.

Add 0.5 gallons of the stuck must to your one gallon starter and wait until it's going this could take an hour or more. Add 0.5 gallon increments of your stuck must to the starter over the course of several hours, or however long it takes to let the newly added (formerly stuck must) to get going strong until all of the stuck must is used. If you don't have a vessel large enough to do it all in one. Use two buckets and take a gallon of the re-started must into a new bucket and repeat the original process until all your stuck must is in with the restarted must.

Cheers, Oskaar

 

[knowlesbrew]

Hey thanks for the advice, it looks like I need to get some of that yeast. I have used the EC-1118 before and it doesnt take time to get going.

I did a PH test and I got 3.8, like I said earlier I was expecting it to be too low so I did it twice and got the same thing. Would it be advisable to add alittle of the K Bicarbonate to bring it up to 4 or just leave it alone?

One question though, could I use Dried malt Extract to make the starter instead of honey? Just wondering because I have tons of DME sitting around, and since its a Braggot the malt shouldnt affect it much.

 

[Oskaar]

You can use whatever you want at your own risk.

What I recommended will work, what you want to use might work. If you choose to modify what I've recommended that's your choice.

Take a chance . . . . Custer did!

 

[knowlesbrew]

Stop adding DAP and Fermaid K, they won't do you any good at this point.

The way I see it at 1.092 you had a PABV of 12.34 and at 1.030 you're at about 8.66% ABV. You're biggest risk at this point is oxidation and infection.

First step is to check the pH, if it's lower than 3.4 add some K Bicarbonate and bring it up to 4.0.

If that doesn't kick start it make up a starter of EC-1118 and let it get up a good head of steam. Just use honey in the starter and rehydrate your yeast properly before inoculating the starter must. Your target gravity for the starter is 1.050 and your volume should be one gallon. Once you have a strong starter going, add 2 grams of Fermaid-K to the starter and add 10 grams of yeast hulls to your stuck must.

Add 0.5 gallons of the stuck must to your one gallon starter and wait until it's going this could take an hour or more. Add 0.5 gallon increments of your stuck must to the starter over the course of several hours, or however long it takes to let the newly added (formerly stuck must) to get going strong until all of the stuck must is used. If you don't have a vessel large enough to do it all in one. Use two buckets and take a gallon of the re-started must into a new bucket and repeat the original process until all your stuck must is in with the restarted must.

Cheers, Oskaar

I followed your advice as close as I could, and fermentation started but then stalled again at 1.020. I added a little more nutrient and Energizer but nothing happen. My PH was 3.5 so I dont think thats a problem. I was wondering if anyone has any advice.

My question is if i were to bottle it now would I get any carbonation? and would the balance be off since i didnt get to the 1.014 I was hoping for.

I am worried about bottling it and using the bottles to age for a year and then it not turn out very good.

I am def not in a hurry to bottle though.