braggot be mighty sweet

[pangaeamaposa]

Hello folks, I have a question regarding a tripel braggot I've been making. The recipe goes something like:

Batch size: 6 gal
12.4 # Pilsner malt
2 # table sugar
3.5 oz. aromatic malt
15 # clover honey
2 oz. Tettnang hops
0.5 oz Saaz hops
Wyeast 1762 Begian Abbey II yeast (one quart starter)
White Labs 99 High Gravity yeast (no starter)

Experience-wise, I've made dozens of beers and three meads (all three of which went swimmingly), but this is my first attempt at blending the two worlds. OG was 1.126. Racked to secondary after four weeks, gravity was 1.020. Gravity stayed at 1.020 for a week, so I added a packet of champagne yeast. After 8 weeks total, gravity is at 1.010. I am in no rush to bottle, and plan on leaving it alone for six months or so. But the thing is, even with such a low gravity, it tastes incredibly sweet, like candy sweet. Is this normal for a braggot? Will the cloying sweetness subside as it ages? Should it ferment any further? I ask this because all of the meads I've made have ended up below 1.000, at least according to the hydrometer. Any thoughts?

 

[fuelish]

I ask this because all of the meads I've made have ended up below 1.000, at least according to the hydrometer. Any thoughts?

Malt contains unfermentable sugars....braggot's not likely to ferment out anywhere close to a straight up mead....or it's not done fermenting yet...my guesses, anyways

 

[fatbloke]

Well, I'd have thought that 1.010 puts it squarely in the "medium" range.....

"Cloyingly" sweet to me, is the dessert mead sort of level (1.035-1.045 sort of area)......

I'd say just let it finish and then do a small experiment with extra acid (small sacrifial quantities that can extrapolate up when the right extra acid level to taste is worked out)......

Oh and I'm always wary of any recipe that uses table sugar. Mead is just honey with the possibility of fruits or malts for extra fermentable sugars - table sugars add nothing but extra alcohol........