Honey???

[dpsoccERIC22]

Good morning Brewers!

So I'll be bottling a Rose Ale this weekend (Rose Cheeked Blond Ale by Brooklyn Brew Shop) and I've brewed this before in the gallon kit I received for christmas 2013. It came out really good, and decided since I have a 5 Gallon set up that i would try it again. I did a gravity test yesterday and am more than likely at the end of fermentation so, like I said, it's time to bottle. My question is, the first time I bottled it I used honey like the recipe calls for. Since then after talking to my LHBS and them saying Honey is not all that good for bottling/kegging. Is that just his opinion or do most of you agree. The ale was brewed with rose hips and fresh rose petals so I would like to use a Rosehip/Rose honey to condition. Any thoughts on the matter would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Eric

 

[tadkays]

I started out bottling with corn sugar, but moved because of cost and availability to cane (table) sugar with no problems. I have not bottled with honey, but I would imagine the concern is since honey is so thick, that it may not mix properly with the beer in the bottling bucket. I have heard of many people who bottle with honey successfully though.

 

[30Bones]

I'd simmer it in some water (like I do with corn or table sugar) to thin it out to be more sure it got evenly distributed into the beer before bottling

 

[tadkays]

Your brew sounds delicious with the rose hips & petals! Go with the honey- I think I will try that out as well.

 

[botigol]

Like 30Bones said, definitely mix it with some warm/hot water in order to dissolve. It often takes longer to finish carbing, but it works just fine.

 

[dpsoccERIC22]

Thanks everyone, the first time I used it I did thin it down, and will definitely do that again. LHBS owner just kind of had me doubting. Should turn out awesome! Cheers!

 

[30Bones]

I use this page to calculate for whatever sugar I am going to use. Has worked great.

http://www.homebrewdad.com/priming_sugar_calculator.php

 

[z-bob]

Honey???

Yes, Dear? :fro:

 

[dpsoccERIC22]

I use this page to calculate for whatever sugar I am going to use. Has worked great.

http://www.homebrewdad.com/priming_sugar_calculator.php

This is great, I've never used anything like it so I have some questions that maybe you can answer. The recipe calls for 8oz of honey but when I plug in the numbers homebrewdad coms out to half that. I left the target co2 at 2.5 so maybe that's low for a blonde ale? Also I think I'll get 4.5 gallons to bottle (my brewhouse efficiency is not good but I just ordered a false bottom for my mash run today so hopefully I'll get better!) Let me know what you guys think, you've been an amazing help. Cheers

 

[dpsoccERIC22]

I don't know how to delete posts, so I'll just write something else.

Something else.

 

[BlkWater_brewer]

The one thing with honey is most mead brewers use raw honey, most of the supermarket honey's are a blend of corn syrup and some honey. Raw honey contains are sort of besties including wild yeasts and bacteria, that's is why it usually has a disclaimer about giving to infants. If you boil honey you basically eliminate any of the flavor. So it must be pasteurized before using. This is why your LHBS probably said what it did.

 

[dpsoccERIC22]

@BlkWater_brewer I never would have thought of that, and was actually planning on buying raw/organic honey. Thanks for the heads up and for potentially saving this brew!

 

[30Bones]

This is great, I've never used anything like it so I have some questions that maybe you can answer. The recipe calls for 8oz of honey but when I plug in the numbers homebrewdad coms out to half that. I left the target co2 at 2.5 so maybe that's low for a blonde ale? Also I think I'll get 4.5 gallons to bottle (my brewhouse efficiency is not good but I just ordered a false bottom for my mash run today so hopefully I'll get better!) Let me know what you guys think, you've been an amazing help. Cheers

I have learned a long time ago that a kit recipe usually has a lot of variables factored into it. I have never been led astray from the link above. I have an overcarbed blonde now in a keg (CO2 carbed) that has been on tap since last summer that's been overcarbed and while it has settled out I obviously don't prefer it to my other brews so it may be there a while. Point being, do NOT overcarb a blonde....it just kills the taste.