Honey beer using brewkit

[hardtofindanynick]

Hello everyone, i am newbie here. I started brewing few weeks ago and i am impressed how big this environment is. I've got 1 batch behind me - boiled from Coopers brewkit. It wasnt the greatest beer, but also way better than the market one.

I've got an idea to boil another batch using ingredients i've already got. I've got 3,5kg ( 7lb 11.45888oz) of random honeys and "Gozdawa German Lager" Brewkit. Is it possible to boil honey beer from this kit, or i have to try another kit style? I saw some recipes and most of them (if not all) require full process including mashing and long boiling, and as i mentioned - i am newbie and dont want go that deep in my 2nd batch.

I know that brewkit are not the greatest way to get a beer, so my next batches will be boiled using malt extracts and hops. I have to use that brewkit, just to not waste it. If its impossible to make a honey beer from it, is there any way to boost that brewkit? You know, hop tea / dry hopping?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Golddiggie]

I would never advise boiling honey for anything. If you do, you'll pretty much boil off ALL the flavor contributions it would have given you. Turning the honey into a simple sugar. This will increase your OG and give you a higher ABV% for the beer. That's pretty much it. Adding honey post wort chilling, will give you a little (not sure if you'll be able to tell, probably not) in the end product. IMO/IME, not worth wasting the honey in this way.

I brew a honey ale that uses ZERO honey in it. I get the flavor/character of honey by using honey MALT.

If you're looking for something to do with the honey, consider using it in a batch of mead.

 

[hardtofindanynick]

I would never advise boiling honey for anything. If you do, you'll pretty much boil off ALL the flavor contributions it would have given you. Turning the honey into a simple sugar. This will increase your OG and give you a higher ABV% for the beer. That's pretty much it. Adding honey post wort chilling, will give you a little (not sure if you'll be able to tell, probably not) in the end product. IMO/IME, not worth wasting the honey in this way.

I brew a honey ale that uses ZERO honey in it. I get the flavor/character of honey by using honey MALT.

If you're looking for something to do with the honey, consider using it in a batch of mead.

Thanks for answer. I didnt know that honey beer dont contain actual honey. The biggest problem is that nobody in my family likes honey, so i have no use for this 3,5kg, I got it from the client as a thank you. Looks like i will give it to somebody as gift and just boil regular beer.

 

[Golddiggie]

I use honey in the bread I make, instead of another sugar. It actually adds flavor unlike white sugars (which don't do you any good either).

If you JUST want to boost the OG/ABV% of the batch, go ahead and use it. IME, you'll be hard pressed to taste the honey in the end product. I did a beer with honey in it as an early batch. Yeah, couldn't tell at all. Made the first batch of beer with honey malt and got what I expected from honey. Of course, I also use far more in the grist than they state, but that's because it's the dominating flavor of the beer.

 

[Steveruch]

Thanks for answer. I didnt know that honey beer dont contain actual honey. The biggest problem is that nobody in my family likes honey, so i have no use for this 3,5kg, I got it from the client as a thank you. Looks like i will give it to somebody as gift and just boil regular beer.

Most honey beers do contain honey, but add honeymalt to enhance the aroma of honey. What you are contemplating is called a braggot.
Why not? You might end up liking it. The last braggot I made was based on a wheat beer. I brewed the wheat part of it for a week; then added the honey.

 

[hardtofindanynick]

Why not? You might end up liking it. The last braggot I made was based on a wheat beer. I brewed the wheat part of it for a week; then added the honey.

That is a very good point and give me some ideas. I could boil a batch of "regular" beer and add honey in mixed ways to discover best possible option.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Any help would be appreciated.

Brewing with honey can be about extracting flavors from specialty honey (e.g. orange blossom honey, buck wheat honey).

Here's one recipe to get you started:
https://beerandbrewing.com/buckwheat-esb-honey-ale-recipe/

The books Mastering Homebrew and Modern Homebrew Recipes (orange blossom honey) offer ideas on how to extract flavors from specialty honey.