My Braggot tastes HORRIBLE!!! Help!! Is it salvageable?

jpog · Jun 25, 2012

So my Braggot tastes absolutely disgusting.

A bit of background...so far I have made 3 meads..all of which have tasted great...they have all been variations of the JOA...I have made them all sweet/STRONG meads because that is what my palate likes.

My braggot...was based somewhat on hepcat receipt and another..except 1 gallon version.

Here it is:

1.25 lbs of Pure Wildflower Honey
1 lb of Amber DME
3oz of 10L crystal (Milled) Malt
3/4 oz Cascade hops
Instead of Lalvin D47 yeast (hepcat used this) I used Active Bread yeast..That it might give it a good taste. Plus I wanted a strong Braggot
Irish Moss

Starting SG 1.095..let it ferment 7 days
Finishing SG 1.007

Took a taste before I put it in the second stage fermentor...YUK..almost puked..

I can't describe the taste..very strong and harsh, no flavors at all that I could detect..almost really pithy..even though no oranges use. Could not taste any malt, or honey.

So is this salvageable? It was a lot of work. Should I back sweeten with honey and malt? If so how do I get it to carbonate in the bottle.

wayneb · Jun 25, 2012

IMO, all braggots taste somewhat like horse urine smells shortly after primary fermentation is done. It is only after some conditioning in the bottle, and carbonation, that they become at all drinkable.

I wouldn't worry yet. Although I'm not sure what your choice of yeast will do. I've never made a braggot with baking yeast before - not even the rapid rise stuff.

You will want it to "bottle condition," and there are lots of discussions about how that is done in other braggot threads here on the forum.

jpog · Jun 25, 2012

Haha..you just describe the taste for me...thanks wayneb

So should I bottle it right away, like today? Or can I let it stay in the 2nd fermentor for several days 5 days to be exact...I am going on vacation tonight and don't know if I will have the time to bottle?

hepcat · Jun 25, 2012

So sorry jpog! But don't despair! Only time will tell if it's really good or not. Man, yours finished super dry compared to mine.
I'd probably let it sit for the 5 days you'll be gone, and then prime/bottle when you get back.
If you add any more fermentable sugar, it will most likely re-start ferm (which is what you want to get carbonation in the bottle) so I'd say no to back sweetening and you can't stabilize either like you would before back-sweetening because then it would not carbonate.
And not sure this is a good idea, but I'd probably put in your fridge if you can while you're gone. Unless you keep your place pretty cool while you're gone.
Good luck!

jpog · Jun 25, 2012

Thanks hepcat...when you described the way yours tasted I got so excited...

...then I tried mine and almost spit it up..seriously...haha.

I am thinking that maybe bread yeast can ferment some of those unfermentable sugars? Is that possible?

I can definitely stick it in a fridge...I have an extra one in the garage reserved for MEAD..hehe

wayneb · Jun 25, 2012

As long as you didn't introduce lots of air into the brew when you racked it into a secondary, you can leave it alone (under an airlock) for weeks prior to getting around to bottling it. If you do leave it for more than a month or two, and especially since you used bread yeast for the initial ferment (and unlike beer and wine yeasts, I don't know how long yeast cells will stay dormant, but still alive, in a fully fermented braggot) you might want to add some more yeast as part of your priming plan. I'd use a yeast known for high ethanol tolerance and an ability to restart fermentation, and you should be good to go.

jpog · Jun 25, 2012

Thanks wayneb...I will only let it sit for 5 days..before I bottle. So should I stick it in the fridge, during the this 5 day period or just leave it out? I would imagine the cold in the fridge would cause the yeast to go dormant...do I want that?

wayneb · Jun 25, 2012

If your place will stay in a "nominal room temp" range, then it doesn't need to go into the fridge. You are correct, placing it into cold storage like that will make your yeast go dormant faster, and it could affect their ability to wake back up and support the conditioning later. I've kept stouts (and similar dark braggots) in secondary at room temp literally for the better part of a year with no issues.

hepcat · Jun 25, 2012

As dry as yours is now, I would seriously consider pitching some more yeast in addition to your priming sugar when you're ready to bottle. I had a mead finish at ~1.005 that I wanted to make a sparkling mead with. I added only 2.5 T honey to prime a gallon of it 65 days ago (based on what the newbee guide recommended) and it has not carbonated yet and don't think it ever will.

Undead · Jun 26, 2012

I did a braggot and it tasted pretty good throughout fermentation. I didn't use hops (brewing it for a friend with a hops allergy) so that might be the problem. I also added grain to mine.

hepcat · Jun 26, 2012

3/4oz hops does sound like alot for a one gallon batch. I used only one ounce hop pellets in my 5 gallon batch.
How long did you boil the hops jpog?

Boogaloo · Jun 26, 2012

I'm jumping in a bit late but wanted to share my experience. I'm on my 4th batch of braggot and I have to agree, every batch tasted like butt coming out of primary. Don't worry! It will turn into sweet nectar with time.

jpog · Jun 30, 2012

I boiled the hops for 60 min..I just looked at the pack and used 3/4 oz of hops...1/3 boiled for 60 min. 1/3 boiled for 20 min 1/3 added last 5 min of boil. Thanks for all the help.

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