Honey Bee Ale

[spatown]

I've officially taken to the hobby of home brewing. I plan to brew Honey Brew Ale from midwest supply tomorrow as my FIRST official brew. I'm starting with this one because my wife and friends are "light" beer drinkers. So, I want my wife and friends to enjoy the first batch before I start brewing to my taste. My second batch will be Ferocious IPA from midwest. I'll post up some more tomorrow.

Tony

 

[dougdecinces]

Welcome to a fun new obsession. I'm planning my third batch now. I went the same route as you, I made my first batch a brew my girlfriend would like then went straight to the IPA.

 

[Runyanka]

If they like the honey bee ale, next brew her up a cream ale, or Biermunchers lite house wheat. Those are the only beers my SWMBO likes, shes a whino, rum and coke kind of gal.

 

[spatown]

Sounds like my wife, Ultra light and amaretto sours. I'll put a creme ale on the want list. BTW, where do most of you buy your kits?

 

[Fat_Bastard]

Sounds like my wife, Ultra light and amaretto sours. I'll put a creme ale on the want list. BTW, where do most of you buy your kits?

AHS for me

 

[Mparsons327]

AHS, Northern Brewer, Midwest Supplies. I did the same thing as you and brewed a Nut Brown that my g/f would like. I also really enjoy IPA's. So for my second brew I did a mellow IPA. My thoughts behind doing this were to try and acclimate swmbo to more hoppy beers. It def didn't work....

 

[dougdecinces]

AHS, Northern Brewer, Midwest Supplies. I did the same thing as you and brewed a Nut Brown that my g/f would like. I also really enjoy IPA's. So for my second brew I did a mellow IPA. My thoughts behind doing this were to try and acclimate swmbo to more hoppy beers. It def didn't work....

I've given up that goat a long time ago. I have gotten my girlfriend to try 60m IPA and Alpha King and both were met with rebuke.

I did get her to split a bottle of DFH Raison D'etre though, so all is not lost.

 

[Mparsons327]

Yeah my significant other really gets pissed that I insist on spending so much money on getting some of the harder to get beers in our area(especially IPA's). Even the really mellow brews just don't do it for her. She is into some of the more expensive lambics which don't really do it for me so I guess we are even!

 

[Runyanka]

Sounds like my wife, Ultra light and amaretto sours. I'll put a creme ale on the want list. BTW, where do most of you buy your kits?

I generally buy all of my stuff from the local shop (homebrew headquarters). They have reasonable prices, without the worry of delivery.

 

[cg17]

brewed a Nut Brown that my g/f would like.

Hey! Nut browns are not girly beers!

















(I have one fermenting right now if you couldnt tell)

 

[spatown]

Brew Day! I have the primary fermentor sprayed down with Iodine solution. I have 1 gallon boiled water in the freezer chilling to help cool down wart and add volume. It's time to start heating the water to steep the speciality grains...It going to be a great day. No worries, relax, have a home brew!

 

[spatown]

Grains steeped. Now trying to bring 5 gallons to a boil on the stove top... wish me luck.

 

[KurtB]

Enjoy the experience, and the final product. That same Honey Bee Ale was the first beer I made as well, in hopes that my wife would like it. Unfortunately, it was my first beer, and it ended up with a bit of an "off" taste. I cannot really pin point the off flavor, but it was not too bad. Wife really did not care for it, but I think it was the off taste more than anything that kept her from liking it. Hopefully your beer will not have the same problem.

Made a few other batches of beer for me. Next beer I am making is BM's Centennial Blonde (extract) for the wife again, while the Apfelwein finishes.

 

[spatown]

All done! Finished the brew with relative ease. I put the honey in at 5 mins left in boil along with finishing hops. Cooled it in a bathtub of ice water from boiling to 72 in about 15mins. Poured into primary and pitched the yeast. SG turned out a little low at 1.042 (instructions stated 1.044-1.048). I think the slightly low SG was do to volume. I ended up with a good 6 gallons on a 5 gallon brew, guess I did not lose as much as I thought during the boil. I'll update in a few weeks. Primary for 10 days, secondary for 14-20 and then Keg, should be ready in about 30 days.