Dark Honey or Light Honey for More Honey Flavor?

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NigeltheBold

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I've heard a rumor that if you want more of a honey flavor in your beer (using actual honey, not honey malt), the thing to do is use darker honey instead of lighter honey. Does anybody know if darker honey brings out the honey flavor in the final beer?
 
I've read that honey will make your beer dry but not impart much flavor.

Let's see what others have to say

Toy4Rick
 
Commercial examples of honey ales have all been short on the honey flavor imo. They were very good and extremely drinkable but I had trouble picking up the honey notes.

I think they are very different flavors, dark and light honey, iirc. I would add at the very last moment possible. Maybe during whirlpool chill? The aromatics are some of the most delicate you'll ever work with, doesn't take a lot to destroy them during normal brewing processes.
 
Your best bet is to buy both, sample, mix if needed, perfect your preference, and then brew. :)

It's an art, recipe design is all about balance, knowing the raw ingredients will help more than anything.
 
I've had the best luck with Honey going in at flame out. I mostly use wildflower honey, but have used Clover and Orange Blossom. I have even just added the honey to the secondary as well.
 
That is a pretty big generalization. It is really about how pungent (or not) the honey is. Using commercial honey, I'd say this is usually true. However, if you used local raw honey, the variation can be pretty random. Some of the lightest (color wise) local honey I've ever had was also the most flavorful and aromatic. This is all pre-fermentation though. Maybe there is something about fermentation that holds characteristics of dark honey better, but id be surprised of that were the case.
 
I've had MUCH more success in retaining honey flavor by adding it after "primary" fermentation has ended. I make a honey porter with two pounds of honey added this way, and everybody who tries it can definitely pick up on the honey. I don't use honey malt in this recipe, by the way, though I've toyed with the idea of adding it as well.
 
I've had MUCH more success in retaining honey flavor by adding it after "primary" fermentation has ended. I make a honey porter with two pounds of honey added this way, and everybody who tries it can definitely pick up on the honey. I don't use honey malt in this recipe, by the way, though I've toyed with the idea of adding it as well.

Teacher, do you simply dump the 2 lbs. of honey into the "secondary" then? Do you do anything to the honey before adding, such as warming it up so it is much thinner? I just never thought that the beer would pick up the honey flavor by simply adding to the secondary. I've never tried it though.

Thanks
 
I've had MUCH more success in retaining honey flavor by adding it after "primary" fermentation has ended. I make a honey porter with two pounds of honey added this way, and everybody who tries it can definitely pick up on the honey. I don't use honey malt in this recipe, by the way, though I've toyed with the idea of adding it as well.
Hey, Teacher
Does fermentation kick back up when you put it in? Can the honey somehow be used to carbonate? I'm a newby brewer, but I'm already thinking about using honey at some point.
You think a sorachi ace-honey Kolsch would be any good? Maybe it's stupid, but I was thinking that the lemon-honey connection might be good. I'll probably do it without the honey first.
 
You typically add any sugar during the fermentation stage right after initial fermentation starts to wind down. Belgian breweries do this with candi syrups. It will kick fermentation back into gear and dry out the beer a little.

You can prime the bottles with honey, as all it really takes is a sugar. It will add a little extra pop to the aroma. You do need some kind of priming chart to tell you how much honey to use. I think I've seen one on HBT, but google will surely have something useful.

I've had a sorachi honey wheat beer before which was good, although I'm admittedly not really a wheat beer guy. I'd assume that a kolsch would be a decent application as well.
 
Like the others have stated, adding the honey after the boil .. either during whirlpool, cool-down or after primary are all great ways to retain the honey aromatics & flavors.

Like most ingredients, if you taste them beforehand, you'll get some ideas about what kind of flavor it will contribute. Honey comes in many flavors. I like wildflower honey a lot for dark beers, but perfer the clover or orange blossum in my american wheats.

The yeast will continue to convert honey sugar, so it will boost some ABV as well as leave behind some honey flavor & aroma. It can be difficult to use for priming, as different honey have different sugar densities. Just be carefull not to use too much! :)
--LexusChris
 
Teacher, do you simply dump the 2 lbs. of honey into the "secondary" then? Do you do anything to the honey before adding, such as warming it up so it is much thinner? I just never thought that the beer would pick up the honey flavor by simply adding to the secondary. I've never tried it though.

Thanks

I've done this, but it's risky, as there MAY be bacteria present in the honey that can mess things up. At least, that's what I've read, but I've never had a problem. A safer bet might be to boil some water, remove it from the heat, and dump the honey into that.

Hey, Teacher
Does fermentation kick back up when you put it in? Can the honey somehow be used to carbonate? I'm a newby brewer, but I'm already thinking about using honey at some point.
You think a sorachi ace-honey Kolsch would be any good? Maybe it's stupid, but I was thinking that the lemon-honey connection might be good. I'll probably do it without the honey first.

Yes, fermentation restarts, and you certainly can use honey to prime your beer. Simply multiply the amount of sugar you'd normally use by 1.15 to 1.2...it'll be pretty close. As for the Kolsch, I have no idea, but it sounds interesting. Give it a try!
 
Honey has been use for thousands of years to prevent infections, I would warm it in microwave just to get it to pour better. Just add after primary is ramping down the honey will bring it back up.................my .02
 
Honey has been use for thousands of years to prevent infections, I would warm it in microwave just to get it to pour better. Just add after primary is ramping down the honey will bring it back up.................my .02

Microwaving it risks overheating and destroying the aromatics. Immerse in a bowl of 110* water to warm tthen pour in. Any warmer and you will start to break down the honey.
 
On the ops question, dark or light doesnt really mean anything. A good fresh raw honey will take its character from whatever the flow was when the bees were working it. Ask about the kind of honey or ask to taste it. Some dark honeys like goldenrod will taste bitter and objectionable to some people. And always try to use a locally sourced honey, as there is tons of counterfeit honey on the market from china with fairly nasty ingredients.
 
Darker honey will have a stronger flavor, add it near flameout if you're concerned about osmotolerant yeasts surviving.
I make my meads without pasteurizing or using sulfite and have never had an infection, the chances are if you're adding a goodly amount of yeast anything wild will be out competed.
Adding during secondary is an option, I'd be concerned about mixing it thoroughly into room temp beer without oxidizing it.
If you really want to make the honey apparent aim for less hoppy styles and restrict the use of late hops. Rabbit's Foot Meadery in Sunnyvale, CA makes a variety of styles all with honey and they manage to bring out the character mostly. Their best ales are based around golden strongs or saisons.
 
My honey ales have also been lite on honey flavor. I think the best way do really get the flavor would be to add some honey malt, but also consider adding the honey to primary during the end of fermentation. Trust me, the yeast will find the sugar and it is my understanding that honey is relatively safe from a microbial perspective. This way the boil and also the bulk of primary fermentation has no chance to scrub away your honey flavor.
 
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