Planning a lighter beer for my wife

[RichBrewer]

Like many other guys in here, I would like to make a lighter beer that my wife might enjoy. I've got 2 pounds of Honey already so I think I'll use it in this brew.
I've used Honey before but never tried a lighter beer. If this turns out any good, it may also turn into a good lawn mowing beer! So far this recipe is extremely simple. Does it need anything else?
I would love some opinions/suggestions on this recipe. Thanks!
Honey Ale

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.3 0.50 lbs. Crystal 40L America 1.034 40
73.7 7.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
21.1 2.00 lbs. Honey 1.042 0

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.50 oz. Cascade Whole 7.00 13.1 60 min.
0.50 oz. Cascade Whole 7.00 6.7 30 min.


Yeast
-----
Wyeast 1056 American Ale



Mash Schedule
-------------

 

[BrewBrothaRick]

Sounds like a good one. Hope the wife loves it.

 

[SwAMi75]

Nice and simple! You might throw in a half pound of malted wheat for head retention.

 

[boo boo]

I just finnished a Kolsch

This certainly is light enough.

 

[david_42]

Noth'n wrong with Small beers, pale or otherwise. I took an English Mild (which aren't always Small, but this one was) to an OBC meeting last spring. One guy was towing his lady (I hate homebrew type) along. Since he admitted to being a hophead, I suggested she try the Mild. One sip and she poured herself a pint! He took the recipe home.

 

[RichBrewer]

Nice and simple! You might throw in a half pound of malted wheat for head retention.

You've got me thinking and I may try the wheat but Will it make the beer hazy? I've also thought about a half pound of crystal malt to make it a tad more interesting.
Thoughts?

 

[boo boo]

Wheat and oats have the potential to make a beer hazy. I guess everything does if it has enough protien left in it.

 

[RichBrewer]

Looks like I've got it scheduled to be brewed a week from today (Feb 27th)! I'm going to brew it as is. I will avoid the wheat on this one to keep it as clear as possible.

 

[djmd]

Can't wait to see how it turns out for ya. I am also going to brew this... really been wanting something light and tasty for spring, and this sounds like the perfect thing! Going to use California Honey Blossom honey and US-56 yeast.

 

[RichBrewer]

Can't wait to see how it turns out for ya. I am also going to brew this... really been wanting something light and tasty for spring, and this sounds like the perfect thing! Going to use California Honey Blossom honey and US-56 yeast.

I will be using a local clover honey. When are you adding the honey? I was thinking about adding it at flame out.
It will be fun to compair notes!

 

[davy]

When you say lighter and lawnmower beer are you looking for something along the lines of Michelob ultra with taste? If you are try a longer mash time at a lower temperature.

 

[RichBrewer]

When you say lighter and lawnmower beer are you looking for something along the lines of Michelob ultra with taste? If you are try a longer mash time at a lower temperature.

I'm shooting for a mash temp of about 150 degrees. I'm not looking for the typical pail American lager (Being an ale I'm sure it will be different). Just something lighter that my wife and I can enjoy ice cold on hot days.

 

[digdan]

My wife like mexican lagers of any sort.

But my secret weapon is a Sunshine Wheat clone with fruit flavor added just before conditioning.

I'm shooting for a mash temp of about 150 degrees. I'm not looking for the typical pail American lager (Being an ale I'm sure it will be different). Just something lighter that my wife and I can enjoy ice cold on hot days.

 

[davy]

Sounds like you are on the right track if you let your grains mash longer you will have a lighter but also thinner body beer but don't let it go too long of course.

 

[uglygoat]

i'd boil the honey for the entire time.

 

[RichBrewer]

Well it is brewed and in the fermenter. This was the easiest, smoothest brew I've ever done. However, my gravity is way off. I only got an SG of 1.043. That is the worst efficiency I've ever had. Maybe I've talked too much about how good my efficiency is. I'm pretty sure I have an idea what went wrong. I tested the runnings at the end of the sparge and the gravity was 1.030. The water level was way below the grain bed so I stopped. I think I should have heated more water, added it to the mash and sparged again like a batch sparge.
This is so weird because I used the same procedures I've always used. 1 quart of water per pound of grain (2 gallons) and 1/2 gallon water per pound of grain (4 gallons) for the sparge.
It was such a fantastic day that I'm not going to let it bother me. I was shooting for a lighter beer anyway. Maybe the lower OG will make it more of what I was planning- a light beer that my wife will enjoy.
Man that sucker is already bubbling away only one hour after pitching the yeast! I'm glad someone talked me into re-using yeast from the primary.

 

[RichBrewer]

I took a taste of this 2 weeks ago when I racked it. The Cascade hops have taken over! It's like drinking grapefruit juice. I'm sure the hops will mellow with time and I'm pleased because it is a clean beer. It has been in the secondary for 2 weeks. 1 week at 62° and 1 week at 38°. I'm going to give it another week at 38° then keg it. I should have a keg position open by then.

 

[RichBrewer]

I kegged this 5 days ago and drew myself a pint tonight. I'm surprised how good it is. The hop profile has mellowed a bit and there is the slightest bit of malt character coming through. The more I drink, the more I like it. It has a touch of chill haze which fades when it warms a bit. I can't wait to try it iced down this spring when it's hot out side.

Here's a photo of it in a glass. EDIT: The beer is actually lighter than what this photo shows.

 

[Blender]

Man that looks good. Did you add the honey at the end then? I had a honey beer by MacTarnahan's and I thought it could use a bit more flavor and body.

 

[RichBrewer]

Man that looks good. Did you add the honey at the end then? I had a honey beer by MacTarnahan's and I thought it could use a bit more flavor and body.

I was afraid the honey would scorch in the bottom of the kettle so I added it before the wort started boiling. There is no honey character to this beer. It might be fun to experiment by adding the honey after flame out.

 

[Blender]

Morebeer has a kit where they add 3 lbs. at 45 minutes into the boil. I might use that approach when I do mine. My niece is getting married in May and lots of relatives are flying in for the ceremony. I thought that it would a good beer to have around when they are in town.

 

[djmd]

I brewed this recipe as well and kegged it a couple weeks ago. Got an awful lot of cascade in the keg from the dry hopping and I think it's restricting the flow into the dip tube. Also it seems like it's taking forever to carbonate. It does have an interesting (good) taste though! Very hoppy, and although I did add the honey at the beginning of the boil, I still get a honey "essence." I'm wondering if I should rack it to another keg or just shorten one of my dip tubes and swap it out....

 

[hunteraw]

i brewed a similar recipe a month or so ago and opened the first bottle up thursday night, after a week in the bottle.

even though i had an apparent attenuation of 88% at bottling time, it still tasted very sweet when we tried it thursday. it was something of an experiment, so i only did a gallon with a yield of six bottles, primed with a tsp of dextrose in each.

i'm planning to give it another two weeks in the bottle before i open the next one. hopefully, the sweetness will dissipate a bit.

that said, it tasted interesting! a lot of fresh hops flavor, along with some distinct honey notes. I was surprised how much of the honey came through in the final product. hopefully the sweetness will mellow to the point where it's more drinkable.