question about honey, and some general advice needed

[mattp420]

Ok so i have heard some conflicting statements about when to add honey to wort. Is the flavor strongest when added earlier, or later? Whats the difference between adding it to the wort, and at high kraussen taste wise. Is it best for the aromatics when added in the last 10 minutes? Does it even taste like honey when drank? Finally, when would you add for a mild honey aroma, and very subtle hint of a taste (kinda like honeymoon).

I am getting ready to start my first brew with a copper ale kit from midwestsupplies. I will not be adding honey to it, but i have noticed that many of the kits on midwest include honey, and im just trying to learn every bit of info that i can ya know?

- Also i have another question and dont wanna start another thread.

I will only be able to brew a 2 gal batch of beer, and the midwest kits all brew 5 gals correct? so should i just scale down the ingredient measurements by 2.5?

And if anyone has brewed the copper ale kit from midwest, how was it?

thanks alot,
matt

 

[Fletch78]

1: You still get honey flavor when you boil it, but you lose some aromatics. Also, you risk scorching it on the bottom. Same with your LME in your kit. For simplicity, add honey according your instructions for the LME. For a ton of info on brewing with honey, scroll down toward the bottom of the main forum page, there is a "Mead" section, and it's all about honey. Know this: fermented honey doesn't necessarily taste like regular honey. When all the sugar/sweetness is removed during fermentation, you are left with a different, more wild, type of flavor.

2: Why can you only brew 2.5 gallons? That doesn't make any sense to me. Can you explain? A 5 gallon bucket is $3 at the hardware store. And for extract kits, you don't have to boil all 5 gallons. You do a partial boil of 2.5 gallons. Is there some other odd reason you can only brew 2.5 gallons?

 

[mattp420]

i have a mr beer thing and it only makes 2 gallons. i guess i could buy a better bottle or somethin but i have never even used the mr beer so itd kinda be a waste of money if i didnt use it. unless you can think of another purpose for it

 

[knelson]

Be careful with the honey. Honey is highly fermentable, meaning that this can dry out your beer. I had the same thoughts as you for my first DIPA and thought that I would try and get a nice honey flavor to offset the hops. The beer ended up pretty good but there is no real honey flavor to speak of. I did hit 8.3% though so I was happy about that.

As for what to add for that flavor I'm not really sure. Others may be able to speak to that. Lactose maybe?

 

[Fletch78]

Better Bottle? You need a 5 gallon bucket and some plastic wrap.

 

[mattp420]

ya the better bottle is a carboy made out of a kinda of plastic material but its not oxygen permeable. i also have a regular bucket i have modded to be used as a bottling bucket.

 

[Ouroboros]

I have thrown 1-3 pounds of honey into big beers that I wanted to dry out. I do it at flameout. You don't scorch the honey or drive off all of the aromatics, and it gets pasteurized because the wort stays hot for awhile even when you are chilling it. It tends to be really subtle, though. I did make a barleywine with 3 lb of honey in it, and you can really taste it there, but 1 lb in an IIPA is completely overpowered by hops IMHO. I've recently switched to dextrose for drying out hoppy beers, since it is much cheaper.

If you pasteurize it (put the bottle in 160F water for 20 mins) you can add it directly to your primary. Or add it to the bottling bucket and prime with it.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

The amount of honey most people use in their beer does not provide any noticeable honey flavor or taste, usually just an ABV boost.

I tend to use 2lbs or more in my brews (only use locally made natural honey) and add it during the chilling process to keep from losing any aroma or flavor due to heat, but when there's still enough warmth to dissolve it fully into the wort. I believe the majority of mead makers out there that you don't need to pasteurize honey. I have yet to get an infection from honey, and I've added it to primaries and secondaries...

Speaking of which, I need to order another gallon from my local apiary, I used the last gallon for a mead...

 

[boostsr20]

If you want a nice honey flavor and aroma, use a substantial amount of Honey Malt in your mash.

 

[Fletch78]

Honey is naturally antiseptic, it needs no pasteurization. That's why it is sold in stores, on the shelf at room temperature, unfiltered and unpasteurized, for months and even years at a time without fermenting or rotting. Heating it makes it easier to deal with, but there is no biological reason to pasteurize it.


mattp420... You don't need to worry about oxygen penetration through the plastic unless you are aging in plastic. For something you will consume within 2 months, you'll be just fine. Get another bucket. Better yet, ferment in your bottling bucket and save yourself some time. Just set the first bottle with trub aside to reuse as a yeast starter later, and bottle away.

 

[3PegBrew]

When dealing with honey there is no need to boil it.

I know people have been fighting over it since Moses wore short pants, but all you need to do it heat it up to around a simmer so it blends in well with water.

I made a 4.5 gal batch of honey citrus wheat and used 1/2 pound of honey. I put it into my secondary. I think I should have added a bit more, but it tasted pretty damn good.

 

[mattp420]

wow thanks for all the fast replies. i sold my mr.beer to a friend today and im just gonna go ahead and get a carboy so i can make my whole 5 gallon batch...should i get a 6.5 gallon or just a 5?

 

[TonyR]

Get the 6.5 gallon so you have some room at the top for krausen. I still have my MrBeer kegs, and make a batch or two every few months.