Adding honey or spices etc to kit, ideas?

[LoopyLou]

My local supermarket was discontinuing their brew range so I got 3 cans of coopers extract for $3.75 each (larger, draught and a aussie pale ale) plus 3 packets of their number 2 brew enhancer (a mix of dextrose and malt basically) for $2.50 each. I figured at that price I might have some fun so................

Thought I might try adding some stuff, I thought maybe some honey or spices.......I'm not sure if you can add fruit ~shrug~ anyone have any ideas?

 

[Grainer]

Try add honey and make a braggot !

 

[peekaboo_jones]

Wow great pick-up!
You could try the draught can with half of the brew enhancer, plus 500g brown sugar, boil or dry hop some cinnamon in a new cleaning cloth from the pack. And I'd use an ale yeast either from the pale ale kit or buy a safale 04 yeast from a local home brew shop

Make a pale ale like normal but boil 400g honey in 200ml water on day 3 or 4 when your SG has reached 85 or so percent of your goal and simply add it to your wort and swirl slowly... This should keep the honey flavour, hopefully the yeast won't eat it!

Sounds like fun though!

 

[TimT]

Just be aware if you add honey you will be adding a sugar that can take a bit longer to ferment and can substantially alter the taste and alcohol content of the brew. Too much honey to a beer and it will just taste thin and dry as honey is about 95 per cent fermentable sugar.

 

[BrosysBrews]

My local supermarket was discontinuing their brew range so I got 3 cans of coopers extract for $3.75 each (larger, draught and a aussie pale ale) plus 3 packets of their number 2 brew enhancer (a mix of dextrose and malt basically) for $2.50 each. I figured at that price I might have some fun so................

Thought I might try adding some stuff, I thought maybe some honey or spices.......I'm not sure if you can add fruit ~shrug~ anyone have any ideas?

I have tried a cinamon stick before, boiled it for 5 min then removed it and continued to boil for another 5, did stuff all! I want to try having one in the boil crushed up for longer but atm just starting BIAB so want to focus on good normal beer before I go experimenting

 

[peekaboo_jones]

Reason to boil the honey is to kill off bugs, make it clean.
And use a couple of cinnamon sticks, not the powder...

 

[TimT]

I never boil honey. Only ever had one infection - and that was because I was leaving a honey-water solution for weeks on end waiting for a wild yeast to catch. If you boil it you will also lose many of the gentle floral flavours that come naturally in the honey.

Honey on its own has weird anti-bacterial properties - in its natural state it can keep indefinitely. It's quite possible that by boiling it you will make it *more* susceptible to infection, since it's partly colonies of non-harmful bacteria that live on it that help keep it clear of funguses, wild yeasts, souring, et cetera.

 

[TimT]

"....a team of researchers from Lund University in Sweden has identified a unique group of 13 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that come from the honey stomach of bees, and are found in fresh honey, that have an impressive ability to fight pathogens. The honey stomach is one of two stomachs found in bees, and it stores nectar, which worker bees later suck out and store in the hive.

Together, these live bacteria produce a number of active microbial compounds, such as hydrogen peroxide, fatty acids and anaesthetics, that can kill other harmful bacteria - it’s believed that this is the formula that protects the bee colony against collapse. Unfortunately, these LAB are processed out of the honey we buy in shops, but the researchers now believe they could be used to help treat anitibiotic resistance."

More on the anti-bacterial properties of honey.

 

[shacked]

Hey mate,

The coopers website has a few ideas you could base your brew on:

The coopers ROTM is a honey wheat beer: http://coopers.com.au/#/diy-beer/beer-recipes/recipe-of-the-month/ . Maybe your lager tin with some BE2 plus some honey with S04 yeast?

They also have a spiced brew called a Julebryg which looks interesting: http://coopers.com.au/#/diy-beer/beer-recipes/strong/detail/julebryg/ . You could use the draught for that.

Beer with fruit: http://coopers.com.au/#/diy-beer/beer-recipes/ale/detail/blushing-blonde/

I don't work for Coopers I've just spent a bunch of time (usually while in the office) checking out their recipes for inspiration!!!

 

[Cloth Ears]

Liquorice root - it's easiest if you can find some tea with nothing added. Adds a different sort of sweetness and can be used to offset the earthy bitterness of some of the darker grains I use to colour the porter/stouts that I make.
Cinnamon - is good, but I use sticks, lightly broken up. And you can keep them in the fermenter.
Chilies - don't go overboard. And I've got some dried, smoked chilies that work nicely in darker beers. Mostly as flavour, not heat.
Cloves - but be gentle.
Peppercorns - just use in the boil and use whole. But again, the beer has to suit.
Juniper berries - these would need a lot to make much of a difference, but you can detect the difference. Worthwhile.
Coffee beans - are not exactly a spice, but I use them whole in some brews.
Vanilla pod - you can only use this in beers where the sweetness will be welcome, and never use extract.
Still to try:
Star Anise - love what it does in cooking, think it might go nicely in a darker brew also.