Honey wheat try

[Biergarden]

Here's one I put together to see how it might come out. I'm always apprehensive with new beer designs, but this one especially because I want to add honey to the fermentation.
Before I've added it to the boil and most all the honey flavor was gone afterwards, so this time I'll try to pasteurize it and add it to high krausen.
In any case, I'd like to hear from someone who's done it this way before and has input. Here's the recipe for 12 gallons:

5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
4 lbs White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM)
2 lbs Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM)
1.50 oz Spalter [4.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min/FWH
1.0 pkg Hefeweizen Ale (White Labs #WLP300)
5 lbs Honey Pasteurized and added to the fermenter at high krausen

 

[benflath]

Are you pasteurizing the honey because you're afraid it will introduce outside yeast to the fermenter? Don't worry about doing that, honey is antiseptic/antibacterial so (basically) nothing can grow in it. I always keep it on hand if I come in low on my target OG and add to the fermenter just before the yeast.

Regarding the flavor disappearing: yep, that's what will happen. Nearly everything in honey is fermentable, so you won't get any residual honey flavor by adding it to the boil or primary, just a drier, more alcoholic beer.

To get a honey flavor, try either adding honey malt to your mash or using honey to prime your bottles, if you're bottling (this is more complicated and you should find a good forum post about it).

Honey wheat sounds like a tasty beer, I would drink one... or more.

 

[Biergarden]

Thanks for your response. I'll probably do this one by next weekend. I wonder how long this will have to rest in the secondary and how long it would take to age before it reaches the tap handle.
I'm pretty sure honey has plenty of microbes in it from wild yeasts to a bacterial load as well. I know honey has antibiotic and antibacterial properties, but physicians warn against administering to babies under one year of age. There are studies for wound care management with some types of honey, but that honey is medical grade. But I don't know of any studies that claim it to be anti fungal.
In any case I really think it should be pasteurized, like when making mead, before it's dosed into the fermenter.

I'm wondering how much honey flavor will be left over after fermentation and how a Bavarian hefeweizen yeast strain will co-exist with the honey.

Thanks man..