"Honey Kolsch" without honey!

[HappyDrunk]

I just brewed a "honey kolsch" kit that I don't believe had any honey in it. It said 1/2 lb honey included, so I called and the company (AHS) told me that it was in the pail with the LME. Well, after brewing I am .08 too low on my OG, and am almost sure the lack of honey is the cause. Can I add honey now, or should I just deal with a weak "regular kolsch"?

 

[HappyDrunk]

Pitched almost three hours ago, quick advise anyone?

 

[Quaker]

Absolutely. I typically add it after a day or two of active fermentation so the yeast don't feast on the simple sugars and to have at least a chance of some aromatics not getting blown away. It also provides some alcohol to offset any nasties in the honey.

 

[HappyDrunk]

Do I shake the carboy after adding it?

 

[Quaker]

I wouldn't. The yeast will get to it. Just swirl it a bit if wanted to spread it some. But I'd recommend waiting until active fermentation is going, then add it for my reasons above.

 

[cimirie]

Do I shake the carboy after adding it?

Any time I've ever added honey, I boil a small amount of water (pint or two- just enough to work with the honey) and add the honey to that boil. Mix the honey well (it should have the consistency of thin syrup). This should allow for easy pouring and mixing in the fermentor.

Yes, I would shake/spin it after I added the honey.

 

[terrapinj]

its not necessary to shake or stir it up, the yeast will find it, esp if they are active

you want to be careful not to add any oxygen once fermentation is started - carefully pour, no splashing etc. if you do decide to stir/swirl just be gentle

if you do it before fermentation starts you can disregard the above - extra splashing will actually be a good thing

 

[HappyDrunk]

Weeelllllll ... was brewing another beer and decided I'd check on how this one was doing at the same time. SG went all the way down to 1.004 (should have just been 1.012), and the sample had NO sweetness at all, which is odd because most of the time there is normally a TINY bit of sweetness left when I bottle. I didn't take another SG reading after adding the honey on day 2 or 3 (forgot to note what day I did it), but I had 1.042 after brewing. With the 8 oz. of honey I would guess it was somewhere around 1.048 to 1.05. Maybe because I was cheap and got the ale yeast instead of the kolsch yeast? Anyway, do you guys think I'd be okay going ahead and bottling it given that there was no sweetness in the sample and I am already down to 1.004?

 

[TopherM]

The actual HONEY in honey doesn't add any sweetness to beer. The honey itself is a simple sugar that ferments out 100%, but often the flower/nector source that made the honey will provide some residual sweetness.

What honey DOES do while it is fermenting out completely is lower your FG, dry out your beer, and increase your ABV. All of this must be done in moderation, or else it can seriously ruin a batch.

Next time, the best way to really get HONEY flavor in a beer is to use HONEY MALT, which has nothing to do with actual honey besides the fact that it tastes like it while retaining the characteristics of a malt, making it much easier to deal with in the brewing process.

Also, FYI, if you got an ale yeast instead of a kolsch yeast, you aren't making a kolsch anyway. The kolsch style must be lagered. With the ale yeast, you are making closer to a blonde. I'd stop messing with it, it'll be fine.

 

[homebrewdad]

As an aside, AHS has a reputation for being very reliable. Not saying they didn't make a mistake here.

You did an extract brew. Did you use top off water, or did you boil the full amount?

If you topped off, odds are extremely high that your wort was not perfectly mixed. A variance of .08 could be due to that as opposed to them leaving out the honey in a kit.

 

[HappyDrunk]

@TopherM: I knew the honey would ferment out. Still, normally when I bottle I take a sample and it usually has a very slight hint of sweetness that goes away as it carbs. I am also aware that this won't be a TRUE kolsch. I am okay with that. My question is, due to the fact that it has already fermented out so much, should I be okay to go ahead and bottle? I know the extra week would be alright for the yeast to clear up the beer and clean up after themselves, but I was just wondering if I would be okay to bottle now due to the progress it has already made.

@homebrewdad: Yes, I topped off, and the possibility that I did not mix thoroughly is a definite possibility (if not a definite probability). Especially given the fact that I fermented all the way down to 1.004!

I guess it was a dumb question in the first place. I would almost definitely be better off waiting to avoid bombs, and let the yeast clear it up. I am just impatient, and wanted to avoid it getting even more dry. But I guess if it is going to get more dry it will do so whether I bottle now or not, and if I do bottle, it will just make bombs!

Anyway, I guess I'll have a strong and dry kolsch-ish blond! How much do you guys think 8 oz of honey would add? I guessed it took the 1.042 to 1.05 giving me about 6% abv, if not more! Do you think it will taste alright being that dry and alcoholic?

 

[TopherM]

A 1.004 gravity reading means that your beer has only 0.004 more relative density than water, so there's practically no sugar left, and no real possibility of bottle bombs.

The "clean up" stage of fermentation takes about 2-3 days, so just give this batch 3 days after you took that 1.004 reading, prime, and bottle.

You said that this is a 5 gallon batch, correct? 0.5 lbs of honey adds 0.004 gravity points to a 5 gallon batch.