Barbar Belgian Honey Clone wont clear

**ThatGuyRyan** · 10-01-2009, 09:33 PM

The title says it all! I brewed this off the 150 commercial brew recipe book almost 3 weeks ago and it still looks like orange-cream. Has anyone brewed this before and is this normal due to the added honey? The gravity seems ok with a OG at 1.075 just shy of the projected at 1.079 and the last reading on the 29th it was at 1.017. The book said to ferment for 7 days then rack to 2nd but my gravity was way too high to rack after seven days. It just seems that this thing is taking longer to clear than anything else. We actually drank a few of these while brewing this and while they were not clear they we definitely not what I have in my fermenter! Please someone tell me they made this and its just the slow honey and all will work out!

And would I benefit from racking this to secondary and cold conditioning it or do the honey ales prefer warmer temps? Thanks in advance for any tips!

Ryan

Grain bill
10.25 Belg Pils
1 Lb Wheat
1/2LB Cara Vienna
1/3LB honey malt
1LB honey full boil
1LB Clear Candi Sugar
1/2 LB Honey last 15
Wyeast Belgian with starter made 7 days prior

matt81 · 04-05-2011, 06:21 PM

How did this turnout? Looking to brew this soon.

Cheers!

corbomite · 04-05-2011, 08:02 PM

I brewed a barbar belgian honey ale clone from AHSa little over a year ago, it was extract but it had similar amount of honey malt and honey and belgian candi sugar. Mine never really cleared but I think its the yeast you are working with. If it is a trappist yeast it is not going to be very flocculent. Especially considering the lb of candi sugar and honey feeding those yeasties.
As far as racking after 7 days, no matter what a recipe says, I don't ever see a reason to rack that early.
When I brewed this beer my process was crap and it turned out awesome, so I think you are in for a treat.

**ThatGuyRyan** · 04-05-2011, 09:56 PM

I actually just taped my third batch of this last night. As for the first batch it was just way too soon with the honey and wheat in it. And being pretty new at the time I hurried it by following the directions on the recipe. My second batch I raised up the honey which was a mistake, it just had a off flavor so for the last batch I went back and brewed it per the book but with 3 weeks primary and a few months secondary. And this batch looks and taste like the commercial brew where the others were so cloudy you wouldn’t be able to see a spoon if you put it in the glass. Lots of honey on this most recent brew, more so than the first two. I think letting it sit and mellow allowed the honey to come up front. Still needs another week or two in the keg but I am very happy with this latest batch.