Adding honey

[mortician44]

I'm planning on adding honey to a cream ale. Do I put the honey in during the boil or in the secondary or add it at another time.

 

[Goblism]

I would add it in the last 5 minutes of the boil

 

[jetmechG550]

I just recently did a honey lager and the recipe had the honey go in at the beginning

 

[lumpher]

i have a honey ale on tap right now. 15 minutes was boil-time for me. sterilizes it, and still keeps the honey essence

 

[abbot555]

I would add it in the last 5 minutes of the boil

+1

Or the end of the boil.

 

[VTBrewer]

I add honey at flameout. Boiling honey isn't particularly conducive to adding honey flavor. I used to do it at 10 mins, but saw a thread on here suggesting flameout and I can get the same amount of flavor with about 1/3 less honey this way.

 

[mortician44]

Thanks for your help

 

[osagedr]

You won't get much honey character IMO if you add it before fermentation but you will get a drier beer. I've tried this in the past and hated the results.

If what you are looking for is honey character then add honey malt to your grain bill.

 

[ThePearsonFam]

I think of honey kind-of like hops. The later the addition to the boil, the stronger the aroma and flavor. Earlier additions lend a less potent flavor and more of a background flavor. I've never added it to the secondary but I'd be sure to pastuerize it before adding (hold at 160 for 15 minutes or so).

 

[brewit2it]

You won't get much honey character IMO if you add it before fermentation but you will get a drier beer. I've tried this in the past and hated the results.

If what you are looking for is honey character then add honey malt to your grain bill.

+1

I had the exact same experience. I added the honey at flameout and ended up with a fizzy dry pale ale with little or no honey aroma or flavor. Like os said, the best honey beers use honey malt, not honey.