scorpionc53
Well-Known Member
Wasn't sure exactly where to post this so I thought I'd give the science division a try.
So it’s almost time to brew my stout and I’m getting mixed feelings on when to add the honey to my brew. My goal is to end up with a Honey Bourbon Stout. I’ve acquired a bourbon barrel from my local distillery and I plan on adding some honey to add a little aroma and to also help increase the alcohol percent. I’ve found tons of different ways to add honey and wondering what the best way would be for my goal? Some people talk about adding the honey straight into the primary during the last parts of fermentation. Usually at the tail end of fermentation you switch over to secondary, so is there a difference? Can I just add the honey straight into my secondary carboy and siphon from my primary onto that? Also, how do I mix it? I would think that honey will just sink to the bottom? If I added to primary, will the fermentation jump back up again and how do I keep track of the sugars so I can calculate the final ABV? Do I add to primary, let fermentation slow down a second time and then rack to secondary? Or, should I just add honey to secondary and rack from primary once fermentation has slowed down? I plan on then leaving the brew sit in the secondary carboy until I get the barrel on October 6th.
Now a question on the barrel aging part. Once I get the barrel which is coming straight from the distillery, do I need to clean and sanitize with anything or will that kill of the bourbon flavors? Also, how do I avoid contamination issues? I will be aging the beer in the barrel for 7-10 days, but there will be oxygen in the barrel. Do I need to purge that out somehow? Should I add a little sugar to the beer so that a little fermentation takes place and displaces the O2 or would just siphoning it into the barrel stir up the yeast enough to ferment a bit?
Lastly, with the honey added to the brew, do I need to make adjustments on the corn sugar I add on bottling day or will most of the sugar from the honey be alcohol by then?
This was a brain splurge on questions so if anyone has questions about my questions, let me know. Any help is much appreciated as I don’t want to screw this batch up as the barrels not cheap.
So it’s almost time to brew my stout and I’m getting mixed feelings on when to add the honey to my brew. My goal is to end up with a Honey Bourbon Stout. I’ve acquired a bourbon barrel from my local distillery and I plan on adding some honey to add a little aroma and to also help increase the alcohol percent. I’ve found tons of different ways to add honey and wondering what the best way would be for my goal? Some people talk about adding the honey straight into the primary during the last parts of fermentation. Usually at the tail end of fermentation you switch over to secondary, so is there a difference? Can I just add the honey straight into my secondary carboy and siphon from my primary onto that? Also, how do I mix it? I would think that honey will just sink to the bottom? If I added to primary, will the fermentation jump back up again and how do I keep track of the sugars so I can calculate the final ABV? Do I add to primary, let fermentation slow down a second time and then rack to secondary? Or, should I just add honey to secondary and rack from primary once fermentation has slowed down? I plan on then leaving the brew sit in the secondary carboy until I get the barrel on October 6th.
Now a question on the barrel aging part. Once I get the barrel which is coming straight from the distillery, do I need to clean and sanitize with anything or will that kill of the bourbon flavors? Also, how do I avoid contamination issues? I will be aging the beer in the barrel for 7-10 days, but there will be oxygen in the barrel. Do I need to purge that out somehow? Should I add a little sugar to the beer so that a little fermentation takes place and displaces the O2 or would just siphoning it into the barrel stir up the yeast enough to ferment a bit?
Lastly, with the honey added to the brew, do I need to make adjustments on the corn sugar I add on bottling day or will most of the sugar from the honey be alcohol by then?
This was a brain splurge on questions so if anyone has questions about my questions, let me know. Any help is much appreciated as I don’t want to screw this batch up as the barrels not cheap.