Honey

[rodwha]

I was told to skip the honey malt and add honey warmed up in water to the fermenter once initial fermentation of the wheat slows down (~a week). Yeah or nay?
If this is a good idea do I give it an additional week? I have allotted 2 weeks for a wheat beer...

 

[beerkrump]

Hrm...

When I've used honey, I've done it at flame out when I can give it a good stir. The density of the honey will cause it to just drop to the bottom of the fermenter. You'll need to stir it and stirring fermented beer may add unwanted oxygen.

If you add it now, you will restart your fermentation and have to wait two weeks again for the active yeast to go into dormancy.

Why not use honey malt?

 

[duboman]

Hrm...

When I've used honey, I've done it at flame out. If you add it now, you will restart your fermentation and have to wait two weeks again for the active yeast to go into dormancy.

Why not use honey malt?

I agree with both but it really depends on what you want out of the honey and the flavor you are trying to achieve.

Honey malt is great for that real honey flavor but it can be intense if you use too much.

I add 3lbs of real honey at flame out and get a nice subtle aroma and a slight sweetness but just enough. I also add 8oz of malto dextrin powder to those recipes to add back some body that the honey removes

 

[rodwha]

I steeped honey malt last time and didn't get much honey out of it. I was told I'd be best off doing BIAB, but am not sure how well it will work out for me (keeping a steady temp).
A brewer I recently met said he adds his honey after fermentation, but it just doesn't sound quite right. It seems as though it would just drop to the bottom and not meld very well. But I don't know. And I tried his honey wheat...awesome!

 

[rodwha]

On one hand I really would like to try a mini mash and utilize SWMBO's little ~1.5 gal pot and getting the most out of my grains, but I'd really hate to ruin any beer trying it.
I keep thinking I ought to try steeping for an hour since I can keep the temp in range for 25-30 mins.

 

[rodwha]

Brew day already seems to take an eternity, and I've often been on SWMBO's poohy list because I'm taking up her kitchen come dinner time. And I usually slowly get started around 10 or 11. So I'm not sure how well I'd keep an eye on it while doing my main wort at the same time.

 

[KevinW]

On one hand I really would like to try a mini mash and utilize SWMBO's little ~1.5 gal pot and getting the most out of my grains, but I'd really hate to ruin any beer trying it.
I keep thinking I ought to try steeping for an hour since I can keep the temp in range for 25-30 mins.

That may not be a good idea, if you steep too long you may start extracting tannins out of the grains and that will make for some astringent beer, unless you like that "dry-mouth" feeling:cross:

I would stick with adding honey at the end of the boil or trying a partial mash! A small drink cooler (3-4gallons) should be easy to find cheap and would certainly help keep your temps!

Just a thought!

 

[MrOH]

If a fellow homebrewer that you know IRL makes a beer similar to what you are trying to acheive, and you've tasted his product and enjoyed it, why are you hesitant to learn from him and use his methods?

 

[Jayhem]

I did a honey wheat using only honey at flame out and the beer fermented out dry. I'm doing the same thing again but using 6oz of honey malt to impart honey flavor and sweetness.

 

[rodwha]

MrOH: I guess because something in the back of my mind just doesn't feel right about it. It seems like it may not meld throughout the brew. It seems as though the honey would drop to the bottom of the fermenter. So I figured I'd bring my concern here and see what others thought.

 

[rodwha]

I guess I also am a bit concerned that after the several beers I had I didn't understand him correctly or remember something wrong.

 

[duboman]

I did a honey wheat using only honey at flame out and the beer fermented out dry. I'm doing the same thing again but using 6oz of honey malt to impart honey flavor and sweetness.

That is correct, honey is 100% fermentable and will both thin out and ry out the beer as well as raise the ABV. If you liked the honey idea then I would recommend that you add 8oz of Malto Dextrin powder for the last 10-15 minutes of the boil. Malto Dextrin is a non-fermantable that will add back in the body and sweetness that the honey removed by fermenting out. You will be left with a mild honey aroma and nice honey taste in your beer.

 

[MrOH]

It will indeed sink to the bottom at first, however, it is a liquid and will eventually find equilibrium in solution, given time, especially once the yeast start to feed on it.

 

[Calichusetts]

Just bottle with it...it won't dry it out and you will get a subtle flavor out of it. If you really want it to be up front and don't want it to dry it out, use honey malt as well

 

[rodwha]

I am intending on trying a minimash with 8 oz of honey malt in a 4 gal batch, and then adding 1.5 lbs of warmed honey after a week of fermentation as was suggested to me.
Will these give a good honey taste?

3 lbs Bavarian wheat DME (Briess)
1.5 lbs honey
0.5 lbs honey malt (Gambrinus)
1 oz Willamette (4.6%) @ 60 mins
WLP 320