Braggott Question

[hepcat]

Yeah I tend not to boil DME longer than my hop addition, I tend to do a (close to) full volume boil and I practice the 1/3 DME at the beginning of the boil and adding the last 2/3 with 15 minutes left to reduce the darkening affects so that probably explains why I've never experienced it when I've used DME.

So TAKeyser, for a 3 gallon batch of basic braggot, would you use about 2 gallons water for your boil? And before that, do you heat the 10L crystal malt for about 20 minutes, remove it, then use that water for the boil, add in 1/3 the dme and about .5oz Cascade hop pellets, boil for about an hour, adding in the other 2/3 dme about 15 min remaining boil, and, add in Irish Moss about 10 minutes boil time remaining, then cool, then add in honey then pitch the yeast and put under airlock.

Is that about right?

 

[TAKeyser]

So TAKeyser, for a 3 gallon batch of basic braggot, would you use about 2 gallons water for your boil? And before that, do you heat the 10L crystal malt for about 20 minutes, remove it, then use that water for the boil, add in 1/3 the dme and about .5oz Cascade hop pellets, boil for about an hour, adding in the other 2/3 dme about 15 min remaining boil, and, add in Irish Moss about 10 minutes boil time remaining, then cool, then add in honey then pitch the yeast and put under airlock.

Is that about right?

For what I'm getting from what you just posted I would think your recipe looks something like this.

3 lbs DME
3 lbs Honey
? oz 10 L Crystal Malt
.5 oz Cascade Hops (pellet) for bittering
1/4 tsp Irish Malt
Yeast

Step 1. Heat 2 liters water to 158 degrees add Crystal Malt and steep for 30 minutes maintaining a temp of 150-158
Step 2. Boil 1 1/2 Gallons Water (I'd usually turn this water on while the Crystal was steeping to save some time). When it reaches a boil add the steeping liquid, 1/3 of the DME and your bittering Hops
Step 3. with 15 minutes left in boil add remaining DME and Irish Moss
Step 4. Cool your liquid and add Honey when ready
Step 5. Pour in your Carboy, top off to 3 gallons and Pitch your yeast.

If you want to add some Flavoring Hops throw them in when you add the Irish Moss and Remaining DME. Aroma Hops can be added when you take off the heat.

 

[hepcat]

For what I'm getting from what you just posted I would think your recipe looks something like this.

3 lbs DME
3 lbs Honey
? oz 10 L Crystal Malt
.5 oz Cascade Hops (pellet) for bittering
1/4 tsp Irish Malt
Yeast

Step 1. Heat 2 liters water to 158 degrees add Crystal Malt and steep for 30 minutes maintaining a temp of 150-158
Step 2. Boil 1 1/2 Gallons Water (I'd usually turn this water on while the Crystal was steeping to save some time). When it reaches a boil add the steeping liquid, 1/3 of the DME and your bittering Hops
Step 3. with 15 minutes left in boil add remaining DME and Irish Moss
Step 4. Cool your liquid and add Honey when ready
Step 5. Pour in your Carboy, top off to 3 gallons and Pitch your yeast.

If you want to add some Flavoring Hops throw them in when you add the Irish Moss and Remaining DME. Aroma Hops can be added when you take off the heat.

Excellent TAKeyser!! Thanks so much! Wanted a general flow of what to do. Thanks again.

And about 10 oz 10L Crystal Malt. Does that sound about right for 3 gallon batch?

And another question: If you're using 2L water to heat the Crystal Malt and then 1 1/2 gallons for the boil, then adding 3 1lbs honey, you'll end up with alot more than 3 gallons.....maybe about 3.5 gallons? And that's fine, I guess, just wondering about abv...

 

[TAKeyser]

And about 10 oz 10L Crystal Malt. Does that sound about right for 3 gallon batch?

What are you trying to get out of the Crystal? 10 oz will only bump your gravity about .05, but you'll get some mouthfeel and a little color with it.

And another question: If you're using 2L water to heat the Crystal Malt and then 1 1/2 gallons for the boil, then adding 3 1lbs honey, you'll end up with alot more than 3 gallons.....maybe about 3.5 gallons? And that's fine, I guess, just wondering about abv...

2 Liters for the steep added to the 1 1/2 gallons is only 2 gallons and you'll lose some of it as it boils. Adding the 3 lbs of honey will maybe bring it up to 2 1/2 gallons so you'll still need to top it off.

And I suggest using an Ale Yeast as opposed to a wine yeast. This recipe will come it at around 9%abv

 

[hepcat]

Ooops yes that's only ~2 gallons for the steep and the boil. Thanks again TAKeyser. And yes I'll use an ale yeast for sure.

 

[TAKeyser]

Good Luck with your Braggot

 

[jpog]

If you want a little more then 9%ABV what other yeast might you use besides an Ale yeast?

 

[TAKeyser]

If you want a little more then 9%ABV what other yeast might you use besides an Ale yeast?

You can use a wine yeast plus many Ale Yeast will go up higher than that if you give them fermental sugars to eat the recipe as written will only go to the 9% mark, so if you increase the honey and DME a bit it will increase the alcohol. I've seen braggots in the 15-16%ABV range. I just feel that they start to taste out of balance when they start getting up that high.

 

[jpog]

Thank you as always.

 

[hepcat]

So I was thinking of starting a
3.5 gallon braggot batch
with:
5 lbs honey, probably orange blossom
5 lbs DME
1 lbs 10L Crystal Malt
3/4oz Cascade Hop Pellets
1/2oz flavoring hop/pellets
1/4t Irish Moss
~5g of an ale yeast

Mead Calculator says OG would be 1.051. And a potential ABV of 7.04%.

Does the DME affect the gravity much? Raise it?

 

[TAKeyser]

So I was thinking of starting a
3.5 gallon braggot batch
with:
5 lbs honey, probably orange blossom
5 lbs DME
1 lbs 10L Crystal Malt
3/4oz Cascade Hop Pellets
1/2oz flavoring hop/pellets
1/4t Irish Moss
~5g of an ale yeast

Mead Calculator says OG would be 1.051. And a potential ABV of 7.04%.

Does the DME affect the gravity much? Raise it?

You should have about a 1.120 starting gravity with the DME and Crystal added. You should end with a final Gravity of roughly 1.025-1.030 since there is unfermentables in the DME and Crystal, so you'll end up with something around 12%abv

 

[hepcat]

12% ABV sounds good to me.

Is 1.120 a high starting gravity for a braggot?

 

[TAKeyser]

12% ABV sounds good to me.

Is 1.120 a high starting gravity for a braggot?

Higher than I normally make them, but within reason. Usually when I make one with a gravity in that range I will pitch the Ale yeast and let that get going for a couple days and when I get near the 1/2 sugar break I'll than add another couple grams of a wine yeast such as DV10 just to insure I don't finish with too high a final Gravity.