Honey additon.

Anyone ever tried adding honey to the primary fermenting vessel and then pouring in the cooled wort?

I've added honey immediately after putting cooled wort in the primary, so yes. It has the same effect as adding at flameout.

I always add honey, heated in some water to 180 for 15 mins to pasteurize, after fermentation has slowed. Fermentation will kickstart again for some time. Make sure to let it finish.

Highly recommend this.

Is this a good solution to a FG reading that is higher than the target?
How much honey are we talking about?
Thanks!

Yes and no (I know...sorry).

It may cause the yeast to munch on some more of the residual sugars. More likely they just eat the honey, which will raise ABV and "thin" out the beer, which in turn will TASTE/FEEL like it has attenuated more.

I have added anywhere from 0.5 lbs to 4 lbs honey to an ale.

Will not get much in the way of honey flavor and aroma, but will get a kick of ABV.

Similar to adding corn sugar, but a little different taste.

KYchemBrewer said:

Is this a good solution to a FG reading that is higher than the target?
How much honey are we talking about?
Thanks!

Click to expand...

Huh?

I was going to add 1lb of honey to a porter recipe. If you add honey after fermentation has slowed how do you get the ABV of your beer?

You would have to add the SG of the honey must to the OG of your wort.

My earlier question was wondering whether adding a sugar like honey could kick-start stalled fermentation. I recently brewed a batch which had a FG above what my target was. Could a sugar addition get those yeast going again?

I answered your question above.

adamc said:

I always add honey, heated in some water to 180 for 15 mins to pasteurize, after fermentation has slowed. Fermentation will kickstart again for some time. Make sure to let it finish.

Highly recommend this.

Click to expand...

Pasteurization is a completely unnecessary step. Add the honey and be done with it.

Just be aware that honey tends to ferment really well and will not contribute much (if anything) to the final brew unless you use a LOT of it. Far better, IME, to use honey malt in the recipe.

Unnecessary, until you get some sort of infection. 15 minutes of insurance is a no brainer to me.

To each his own.

I agree honey malt adds more of a honey flavor.

adamc said:

Unnecessary, until you get some sort of infection. 15 minutes of insurance is a no brainer to me.

To each his own.

I agree honey malt adds more of a honey flavor.

Click to expand...

Never mind that nothing harmful can grow in honey. It's also been used as an antibiotic in wounds/cuts for thousands of years. Jars of honey were found in tombs, that was still 100% usable/good. The modern neurosis over sterilizing things is almost funny. Except when you heat the honey up to 180 for 15 minutes, and blow away a LOT of the more delicate flavors and aromas.

For the record, I've mixed up batches of mead, keeping them under 110F during that step, and has ZERO issues.

You win.

While I agree with Golddiggie for the most part, honey is an antiseptic, not an antibiotic. Minor quibble, I know, but I don't want anyone thinking that it kills bacteria, it just prevents bacteria from growing.