brewing with a new kind of honey

[homebrewertodd]

im trying a new kind of honey and im wondering how it differs from say a clover honey. what im using, and i got it at an hbs, is tupelo honey. im reading up on it and finding out that it differs from other honeys. will this affect my beer? it has different sugar levels in it and i dont want it to have an adverse affect. thanks for any help.

 

[duboman]

im trying a new kind of honey and im wondering how it differs from say a clover honey. what im using, and i got it at an hbs, is tupelo honey. im reading up on it and finding out that it differs from other honeys. will this affect my beer? it has different sugar levels in it and i dont want it to have an adverse affect. thanks for any help.

All honey additions will raise ABV and dry/thin out your beer. Depending on when you add it will also determine what type of flavors you achieve but most people will tell you of you really want a honey flavor you should use honey malt.

If you choose to use honey you can also add malto-dextrine to the grain bill to add back the body the honey removes.

 

[homebrewertodd]

i have honey malt for this recipe, what im asking is, because of the different sugar profile of this honey as compared to others, will it dry the beer out, and affect the body of the beer more, less or not at all?

 

[Sir-Hops-A-Lot]

Are the folks at your HBS helpful? They would likely know the most about this particular honey. They are many types of honey out there.
I recently brewed with just the Honey Malt in a pale ale and it has, in my opinion, a perfect light honey taste.

 

[duboman]

i have honey malt for this recipe, what im asking is, because of the different sugar profile of this honey as compared to others, will it dry the beer out, and affect the body of the beer more, less or not at all?

As mentioned, drier and thinner, that's why I suggested the malto-dextrin, around 8oz to add

 

[bk0]

Tupelo honey is great stuff! Much more fragrant than cheapo honey. I don't know if I would waste it on a beer, I would definitely use it for a mead or braggot instead (but that's just me).

If you use it for a honey ale or something, follow this one rule: DO NOT BOIL HONEY. It will drive off most/all of the aromatics and possibly introduce some harshness. Honey is aseptic due to it's low water content, so there's no need to worry about infection.

Boil your wort as usual, cool it, THEN add the honey. Mix well. Pitch yeast.