Midnight Oil Honey Ale

Midnight Oil Honey Ale

4 lbs Amber DME
1/2 lb Chocolate Malt
2 oz Black Patent
1/2 lb Crystal Malt (10L) (Leftover...threw it in)
A few oz Wheat - (mixed in with the leftover crystal at about 10%)
1 oz Challenger Hops (60 mins)
1 oz Kent Goldings (flameout - 10 mins)
1/2 tsp Irish Moss (15 mins)
2 lbs Pure Honey (using some Desert Blossom and Orange Blossom I picked up locally)
WLP002 English Ale Yeast (White Labs - 3 cup starter, nice and active)

Steeped grains for 40 mins in 2 gallons of water at 155 degrees
Sparged with 3 gallons at 170 degrees
Topped up to 6 gallons


This was my first original recipe. It was REALLY good. Had a nice coffee/chocolate flavor with a hint of honey. Wasn't too dry despite the hefty honey addition. I'm excited to try an AG version!

Well, do you still make this recipe?

I made it a few times in 07 and 08 and enjoyed it each time. The only recipe I make regularly is my pumpkin ale. I like to try new things all the time.

Last month, you reminded me that this really was a good beer. I'm revisiting it today with a 15 gallon all grain batch. Here is the revised/scaled recipe (75% brewhouse efficiency):

15.6 lbs 2 Row
1.75 lbs Chocolate Malt
1.50 lbs Special B
1.00 lbs Honey Malt
0.75 lbs Carafa II Special (dehusked)
0.33 lbs Roasted Barley

Mash for 60 minutes at 154º F

Collect 17.5 gallons wort, boil 60 minutes

1.00 oz Warrior at 60 mins
3.00 oz Goldings at 5 mins
6.5 lbs Honey at 5 mins

I'm using a combination of about 1/3 buckwheat honey and 2/3 wildflower honey

Ferment with English Ale yeast - I use S-04

I'm using the honey malt and buckwheat honey because, while this beer tasted great, I always thought it should have a bit more honey character.

I'm about to harvest my honey and looking for a good honey ale recipe for christmas. How has this worked out for you?

How did your 15 gallon batch turn out?

Don't use that much buckwheat honey. I used about 2 lbs, and the flavor was way too strong. Next time I'll use a good floral honey and skip the buckwheat honey altogether.

The original recipe still stands as a tasty one. The revised version has a nice grain bill. I just went a little overboard with the buckwheat stuff.

This looks awesome I'm going to try it this weekend

Made this tonight, very excited. Can't wait to try it in 6 weeks.

Pretty sure that sounds like a new favorite of mine...