Honey at flameout and low OG

[alexis]

Hi everyone,

I need help!
Before, I have to say that i'm a confirmed brewer, I know my brew system well and my beersmith is well configured ;-)

I brewed with honey for the first time today, a christmas ale asking for 1.25 lb of honey at flameout. So I drop the honey, whirlpool with a spoon, let it rest for 10 minutes, then chill the worth with an immersion chiller.
The target OG from beersmith was 1.062 and I was surprise to end up at 1.055...Which is what beersmith is telling me if i'm deleting the honey ingredient...

So I felt this beginner feeling: WHAT IS GOING ON!?

I took 2 readings, one at the first drops of the kettle faucet and another one at the bottom, just before the trub= Same result.

Maybe all honey drops down and blend with the trub?
Or it's something typical with honey at flameout and it will blend later in the fermentation bucket?

Thank you for your help guys!

 

[bucketnative]

It may not have mixed thoroughly like you proposed.

When adding syrups or sugars, I usually remove some of the wort from the boil and ensure that the additive has dissolved before adding that fraction back to the boil kettle (can be done during the boil or at flameout).

 

[ten80]

Bonjour,

Two options:

1. Your OG was low because of a process issue with your mash and/or measurment of your water volume

2. the honey may not have dissolved completely depending on how vigorously you stirred it in. It is very possible that you left some honey behind in the kettle with the trub.

Honey is easily added to a fermenter and you don't even have to stir it in, just some occasional swirling will get it to dissolve over the course of a week or so. I do this to minimize the loss of flavor from honey and other sugars versus adding the honey into hot wort, then losing some (a small amount) of the delicate flavor.

 

[alexis]

So my guess was wright, all this sweet honey lost :-(
I'll take a portion out of the kettle to mix everything well next time.

Thank you guys!

 

[funnelweb]

This might seem a stupid question, but did you add the honey as a grain or an adjunkt when formulating the recipy? You didn't take a reading before adding the honey?

 

[alexis]

I add the honey as a "sugar" in beersmith.
And no unfortunately I didn't take reading before the honey addition, but i'm pretty sure the rest is good, same malt as usual, same brew system and same pre-boil volume.

 

[RM-MN]

It's hard to believe how dense honey is and how difficult it is to dissolve. For a quick experience in just how dense it is and hard to get mixed, make a cup of tea and pour in a teaspoon of honey. If you look closely you'll see the honey settled to the bottom of the cup. Now grab a toothpick and try to stir in the honey to get it to dissolve. Pretty hard to do. This emulates your stirring a 5 gallon batch of beer with a big spoon, the honey just doesn't mix.

I see you left the trub behind (along with your honey ) Next batch put all the trub into the fermenter. Your trub is mostly wort with some proteins and hop material in it. Given time in the fermenter the wort portion will become beer, the rest will settle out and compact down in the bottom of your fermenter and when you rack to the bottling bucket or keg you'll leave the trub there. Not more honey left behind.

 

[alexis]

Not a big fan of letting the trub in the carboy, it's not giving a clean tasting beer at the end.
Maybe next time i'll put it directly in the fermentation bucket, seems easier.

 

[ten80]

I've had no problems with trub leading to off flavors for normal beers that spend about two weeks in the carboy before being kegged or bottled.

 

[Smellyglove]

Is the honey set to be added at boil in Beersmith? There is a checkbox where you can define it to be added into the fermentor. AFAIK BS calculates OG as all fermentables, even if something is added into the fermentor. "Accumulated OG", if you want.

Just thinking this since you were spot on when deleting the honey.

 

[alexis]

Yes it's checked "add after boil".
Pretty sure now that everything ends up at the bottom of the kettle.
But thank you for you time!