# Any experience with Bochet



## Gillie-Girls

I decided that a good over-winter hobby would be Mead making. I came upon a style called Bochet ( boo- shay') where a large portion of the honey is cooked to the point of caramelization. Just made a two gallon batch (OG=1.110) with only minor kitchen mess. ( adding very hot water to boiling honey is volatile). Using Lavlin K1-V1116 yeast. Added Nutrient & Energizer.
Anyone tried this style? Tips appreciated.
-Gillie Girl.


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## Vance G

That should work out to fairly dry on the hydrometer, but will still have the non fermentable carmelized sugar. I use my melter honey to 1.125 and it goes to .990 pretty fast with that yeast and brewspace in low seventies. Then I add fruit. It works dry again by the hydrometer but never tastes dry. I think you willbe happyif you like semi sweet wine.


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## Tenbears

I think that 1.110 Starting SG is too high for a bochet Or even a bochemel. The caramelization of the honey is to provide the mead with a caramel or toffee flavor profile. An SG of 1.110 will produce 16 1/5 %+- ABV. Without oaking (which will mask the toffee,) the finished mead will be to hot to be able to appreciate the bochet I would cut the SG back to 1.085 Mind you this is based on my personal preferences and experiences.


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## Gillie-Girls

I bottled the Bochet this past Saturday. I'm very happy with the results and find the style intriguing.
The final gravity ended at 1.008 and it cleared nicely after I racked it to a gallon jug. The color is a bit darker than Newcastle Ale. The caramel flavors are evident, but not in-your-face-, same with the sweetness. I hope to save a couple bottles to enter in a competition later this fall.

I have a 3-gallon carboy sitting with a Black-cherry Bochet in it. (used tart, black cherry organic juice from Knudsons)

After the first boil-over, I think I've perfected the way to add the hot water back into the caramelized/cooked honey - brought the saucepan off the fire for a few minutes and added the hot water very slowly.


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## Tenbears

With a finish SG of 1.008 Assuming you did not change the Starting SG from 1.110 you should have a ABV of around 15% It is my experience that mead based beverages (bochet, pyments, melomels) taste good at the 3 to 4 month state, But go down hill to the 9month range, then begin improving and tend to be poor until their first birthday. I would be very suppressed it the legs were anything but thin and thread in the fall. I try to resist the urge to consume and never offer out a mead based beverage until it is properly aged. You will not regret it. Salute :applause:


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## Gillie-Girls

Thanks for the reply, 10 Bears.
Having been a homebrewer of ales and lagers for many years (like20+) I am not used to the recommended aging process for meads. Waiting for up to a year is difficult; especially when one is trying to interpret the results of the experiments. Everything I've bottled since December has been tasting quite good.

Tell me what you do to clarify your meads? Do you use products like bentonite, Issinglass, etc - or any filters?

thanks
Gillie-Girl


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## Tenbears

Time. I use no bentonite, no sparkloid, Nothing. If I have a pectin haze I will add pectic enzyme. Other than that, I allow time and gravity to clear. As a rule I rack into fresh carboy at the end of fermentation, then in 30 days, then in another 30 days, then every 3 months, I add 1/4 tsp Potassium Metabisulphite to 5 gallons to protect at each racking. My meads and wines come out perfectly clear. I have bottles that are several years and not so much as a wisp of sediment.


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