Melita Honey Cream Ale

[ryandlf]

I saw another users post about doing a springtime cream ale and it made my mouth start watering for a honey cream ale. I have never used honey in a beer so I thought it would be fun as well. I am using a modified (changed quite a bit) version of a recipe known as Bumble Beer. Anyways, let me know what guys think before I order all my ingredients in the next couple days.

Total Batch Size: 5 Gallons
OG: 1.058
IBU: 40.4

7# Pale Malt (2-Row) 63.6%
1# Honey Malt 9.1%
1# Crystal 20L 9.1%
1# Munich Malt 9.1%
1# Flaked Barley 9.1#
3# Raw Honey

0.5 oz Amarillo 45 min
0.5 Centennial 30 min
0.5 oz Amarillo 15 min
0.5 Centennial 5 min

Mash @ 150 for 60 minutes
Add Honey to last 5 minutes of boil
Yeast: White Labs California Ale WLP001

I'm hoping the Flaked Barley adds a really nice creaminess and head to the beer. With the hops I am trying to achieve a nice juicy flavor that will compliment the honey well. Oh, and the name haha...Melita is a greek female name meaning honey sweet. I thought it fit quite nicely although my recipe names tend to change a little once i've sampled the batch.

 

[GinAndCoffee]

That's a lot of honey malt... Combined with the honey I fear you may turn into a bee from the massive honey flavor.

 

[ryandlf]

Haha...I have to admit I am only using a pound of honey malt because the supplier I get my grains from sells their honey malt by the pound and I don't have a mill or scales etc. Should I suck it up and half out the honey malt, or reduce the amount of actual honey I use? I would prefer to reduce the amount of actual honey that goes into the beer because I also thought that 3 lbs seemed like a lot.

 

[GinAndCoffee]

I made a Czech pils a couple weeks ago that used a quarter pound of hobby malt and it's definitely noticeable. I would at least reduce it to half a pound.

Try measuring out a 100 grains of malt that is in proportion with the percentages on your bill and chew em up real good. That should let you know how much honey flavor will come out on the grain side.

 

[ryandlf]

Anyone see anything wrong with my hop additions, or the Barley Flakes?

 

[ryandlf]

Ok so I went a completely different route (which is why I like to start a thread before I post an actual recipe). I decided I might prefer a nuttier brown honey ale than a cream. Here is the new recipe, any thoughts?

4# Golden Promise Malt
4# Pale Malt 2-Row
1# Honey Malt
0.5# Chocolate Malt
1# Crystal 20L
0.5# Flaked Barley
2 lbs. Raw Honey

1 oz. Northern Brewer @ 45 min.
0.5 oz. Cascade @ 30 min.
0.5 oz Cascade @ 15 min.
0.5 oz. Kent Goldings @ 15 min.
0.5 oz. Cascade Dry Hop

Add honey to last 5 minutes of boil.
Mash at 150 for 60 minutes.
Yeast: White Labs California Ale WLP001