Feedback on proposed Honey Wheat recipe

Hilbert · 02-10-2009, 05:18 PM

I created this recipe from posts on this site and looking at other recipes. This is the first wheat beer I have done so I am really clueless. Any honest criticism will be appreciated.

I'm looking to make a wheat beer with minimal undertones of honey and citrus. Not really looking to go too high on the IBU scale but I do want to balance the sweet out.

Honey Wheat Ale
1 lb Carmel Malt Grains (Steeped @ 160 for 20 Mins)

6 Lbs Plain Wheat DME

1 oz Hallertau Hersbrucker pellets (60 Mins)
1 oz Hallertau Hersbrucker pellets (30 Mins)
1 oz Amarillo pellets (5 Mins)
2 Lbs Orange Blossom Honey (1 Min)
White Labs 380 Hefeweizen IV Yeast
Ferment: 2 Weeks
Secondary: 2 Weeks
Bottle Condition: 2 Weeks

Thanks

TopDog · 02-10-2009, 05:34 PM

Without knowing the AAU on your hops, it's hard to say for sure, but it looks like you're a bit heavy handed on those hops for the style. Others may disagree, but maybe cut the bittering hops by 50%.

Hilbert · 02-10-2009, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TopDog

Without knowing the AAU on your hops, it's hard to say for sure, but it looks like you're a bit heavy handed on those hops for the style. Others may disagree, but maybe cut the bittering hops by 50%.

I haven't thrown this into beersmith yet but I may cut out the second ounce of Hallertau. Or take it even further by splitting the remaining ounce between the 30 min intervals.

bubbachunk · 02-11-2009, 06:46 PM

I generally do 1oz at 60, .5oz at 30 and .5oz at flame out for my hops when making wheat beers.

**Coastarine** · 02-11-2009, 06:49 PM

I'd back off to a pound of honey and add it directly to the primary at high krausen.

Hilbert · 02-11-2009, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coastarine

I'd back off to a pound of honey and add it directly to the primary at high krausen.

I know this has been debated like crazy on this site but I get real nervous about adding anything to my primary or secondary without sanitizing it.

I know if you boil the honey it kills the flavor but I guess my question is what are the chances the honey will cause an infection? That was my thought behind giving it a quick boil at the end and bumping up the volume of honey.

**Coastarine** · 02-11-2009, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hilbert

I know this has been debated like crazy on this site but I get real nervous about adding anything to my primary or secondary without sanitizing it.

I know if you boil the honey it kills the flavor but I guess my question is what are the chances the honey will cause an infection? That was my thought behind giving it a quick boil at the end and bumping up the volume of honey.

I've added honey to the primary of two beers with no ill-effects. Honestly though I've come to the conclusion that honey in beer just isn't that great. Maybe it is better to boil off the flavors/aromas. But if you do want that, in the primary is the way to get it IMO. Adding it at high krausen gives any nasties in the honey the minimum chance of flourishing while giving the yeast the best opportunity to ferment the sugar.

Fat Guy Brewing · 02-12-2009, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coastarine

Honestly though I've come to the conclusion that honey in beer just isn't that great.

I am right there with you on that one! I have added it to the boil a couple of times and got no effect. I added it to the primary after 2-3 days on my last 2 brews and all I get is extra fermentation dropping my FG lower making a thinner beer.

Two pounds of honey is awful expensive to get nothing out of it.

I wonder if you could add it to your bottling bucket somehow? If you heated it to 140-150*, would it get thinner and be pasteurized, then you could mix it in with the beer in a bottling bucket? I just can't figure out how to get honey flavor.

**Coastarine** · 02-12-2009, 02:27 AM

Well I got flavor from adding to the primary, I've just decided that the flavor isn't all that great. Some of you are thinking "That's just retarded, how could the flavor of honey not be good! Everyone loves honey!" and that's true, everyone does love honey, but once you ferment alllll of the sugar out of it, what you are left with just ain't that great. Granted, I used plain old clover honey, not exactly stuff you'd want to make mead with (I think...) so maybe if I went for the pricey stuff it would be better, but I'm pretty much done messing around with honey.

Hilbert · 02-12-2009, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coastarine

Well I got flavor from adding to the primary, I've just decided that the flavor isn't all that great. everyone does love honey, but once you ferment alllll of the sugar out of it, what you are left with just ain't that great.

Interesting. Now I am wondering if I shouldn't put the honey in at all. I've never used honey in any of my beers yet so I'm unsure what the flavor output will be.