There have been reports of 2500 year old recipes of braggot found in celtic graves and village sites. after a bit of digging what was found was spent grains that tested to have been malted, with other traces of honey, lavender chamomile and even goats milk. Braggot? No one really knows but there are several traditional recipes that are several hundred years old and below we have included some variations of those for your drinking enjoyment.
BRONZE AGE BRAGGOT BEER RECIPE From Radical Brewing
Specifications
Batch Size: 5 gallons
OG: 1.100
ABV: 12-13.5%
IBUs: none
Ingredients (Braggot Recipe All-Grain)
8 lbs. wheat malt
8 lbs. cranberry honey
1 lb. two-row malt
0.1 oz. bog myrtle
1 wintergreen Lifesaver and a few drops of liquid smoke (or a few ounces of smoked malt)
1 packet wine yeast (such as Lalvin D-47)
Ingredients (Braggot Extract Recipe)
6 lbs. Wheat LME
8 lbs. cranberry honey
0.1 oz. bog myrtle
1 wintergreen Lifesaver and a few drops of liquid smoke (or a few ounces of smoked malt)
6 lbs. cranberries, frozen then thawed (or 1/2 gallon of pure cranberry juice)
1 packet wine yeast (such as Lalvin D-47)
Directions: For all-grain, mash the grains with 1.5 qts. of water and hold at 150°-154°F. for 60 minutes. Sparge to collect 3-4 gallons of wort and bring to a boil. (For extract, mix LME with 3 gallons water and bring to a boil.) Add the bog myrtle and boil for 60 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the Lifesaver and liquid smoke (if not using smoked malt). Mix in the honey. If needed, top off with enough clean water to make five gallons.
Cool to about 60°F., aerate, and pitch yeast. Towards the end of primary fermentation, transfer to a sanitized secondary fermenter containing the cranberries or cranberry juice. Allow to ferment for an additional 2-4 weeks, then transfer to a third fermenter and allow to clear. Traditionally, this type of braggot beer would be still, but you may carbonate if you wish.
A final word of advice: Whenever doing heavy homebrew experimentation, it’s a good idea to start with a small batch, as little as one gallon. Honey can be expensive, so it’s worth giving your braggot a few tries to get the braggot beer recipe right. You may wish to cut the above recipe in half the first time around
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English Braggot
This recipe is featured in Radical Brewing: Recipes, Tales & World-Altering Meditations in a Glass by Randy Mosher.
INGREDIENTS
For 5 gallons (19 l)
12 lb (5.4 kg) Amber/Biscuit malt
6 lb (2.7 kg) Pale malt
2 lb (0.9 kg) Honey
0.8 oz (23 g) Cinnamon
0.8 oz (23 g) Black or Long Pepper
0.8 oz (23 g) Chopped candied ginger
0.2 oz (6 g) Galingale
0.2 oz (6 g) Cloves
0.5 oz (14 g) Low-alpha English hop (optional)
Alcohol-tolerant English ale yeast
SPECIFICATIONS
Original Gravity: 1.104
ABV: 10.5-11.5%
DIRECTIONS
Mash grains for 60 minutes at 153-155* F. Collect wort and bring to boil. If using hops, add them to the boil kettle at the start of the 60 minute boil. Rack to primary and pitch your favorite alcohol-tolerant English ale yeast.
Add honey and spices to secondary fermenter. Mature for 8 to 12 months. This braggot can be served still or with a lower level of carbonation.
