Cinnamon Honey Wheat help

JRock06 · 01-31-2011, 01:39 AM

So, I am heading towards my third batch and decided to try something new. Actually, I started brewing so I could either make things that I can't buy or can't find. This might help to explain why I'm designing my own recipe so soon. Ok, down to business.

Recipe Type: Extract
Yeast: Suggestions??
Yeast Starter:
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter:
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity target: ~1.050
Final Gravity:
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Estimated IBU: ~25

5 lbs Wheat LME (60% wheat, 40% barley)
0.5lb Light DME (I have some leftover)

1 lb Honey malt (Brumalt)

0.75 oz Sterling (~7% AA) 60 min.
1 oz Hallertau (~3% AA) 30 min
0.5 oz Hallertau (3% AA) 10 min

3- 2" cinnamon sticks @30 min
1- 2” cinnamon stick @10 min
1 lb Honey at flameout

Yeast: Undecided

Steep the Honey malt at 165 for 30 min. with 1.5qt water.
Boil mash for 60 min adding for times above.
I have read mixed results for using cinnamon so i decided to treat it like hops, 30 min for flavor and 10 min for aroma. I also plan to keep one cinnamon stick in the primary.

My main question is about balance. I am unsure if my IBU is right because the honey malt and honey will make a sweeter brew, but the cinnamon should tone it down a little, right? But, I'm trying to create a nice balance with this batch, no dessert beer. I am open to any suggestions here, I just want to make something different and don't want to waste $$ and time. If I'm way off here just let me know. Thanks for the help.

pkeeler · 01-31-2011, 02:39 AM

I've never brewed with spices, but I have done honey. A pound of honey is not going to sweeten things all that much. The yeast will have no problem eating all the sugars in the honey. It will give a nice aroma and thin out the beer a bit, which might let your cinnamon flavor come through more.

Speaking of which, I would forget the cinnamon in the brew kettle. What gets extracted will probably be driven off by primary fermentation. I would add the cinnamon to the fermenter (primary or secondary) after the yeast go quiet. Taste daily until you get enough taste.

Another way to go would be to make cinnamon tea and use that to dissolve your priming sugar.

JRock06 · 02-01-2011, 11:17 PM

Thanks for the advice. I think what I will do with the cinnamon is try three stages just to experiment. Boil it and taste it before racking to secondary and add some there if needed. And if I still need more flavor before bottling then I'll try the cinnamon tea. I'll be brewing this in a few weeks and let you guys know how it goes. If anyone else has suggestions on the ingredients I'm open for advice.