Adding Honey?

[Ripdog]

Im keen on the idea of adding honey to give my beer more alchol % any idea's on what honeys good to use and when to add it?
because i have been doing a fair bit of reading about it but it seems everyone is diffrent. I like the idea of adding it in fermenting
stage to give it dryness but will it give me a better alcohol %?

 

[black_labb]

Honey is an expensive type of sugar if you're just trying to add alcohol, but used right it can add some nice flavour.

I'd add it into the fermentor with the initial wort. Assuming you are using kits or similar I'd add it with the initial lot of fermentables to keep it simple, but adding it later like one would add belgian candy sugar could work well.

You may want to dissolve and bring it to the boil to kill off any nasties that may be in there, but I know that alot of people dont bother so you're probably fairly safe.

 

[Ripdog]

Would you off the shelf honey be fine would you think ?

 

[thebeemann]

Would you off the shelf honey be fine would you think ?

Off the shelf honey is realy only liquid sugar it will give you more fermentables ,but no aroma and hardly any taste due to the proccessing , i would go to your local markets or find a local beekeeper and become his/her friend , i sell honey at a reduced cost to my Mead making buddies and an offer of a bottle of finished product usualy gets a discount

 

[the_new_darren]

Avoid anything with Bluegum or Eucalyptus as your beer will taste like menthol

tnd

 

[thebeemann]

Avoid anything with Bluegum or Eucalyptus as your beer will taste like menthol

tnd

Sorry i should have said b4 cannola honey is not good iether

 

[ploto]

I don't like just posting links without adding something to the discussion but in this case the op would do well to check out this recent thread on honey.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=60810

 

[Muggus]

Adding honey will add fermentables, but may or may not add additional characteristics to your beer depending on WHEN you add it.

Obviously if you add it with the rest of your fermentables...assuming your a kit brewer?...it will loose alot of its aromatic qualities. If its boiled, it'll lose that, and the yeast during ferment tends to strip a fair bit out.

Ideally, to preserve some aroma, it'd be ideal to add some honey DURING the ferment. However you come across a few problems here...firstly, honey is thick and syrupy, not ideal for fermentation as is, though it will work...but secondly, it can harbour wild yeasts, and they can run rampant if not properly treated.
What you need to do is some sort of paturisation to the honey. Best way is to boil it up, but that will boil off aroma. Next best thing is to steep it in enough warm water to get the temperature past 70C or so for a good amount of time, and turn it into a rich sweet liquid. Cool that, and add it to your fermenting beer and you will get a more defined honey character and fermentables without the risk of wild yeast.

 

[barls]

Avoid anything with Bluegum or Eucalyptus as your beer will taste like menthol

tnd

once again stop with the miss information.
both are fine to use. ive been brewing with them for the last 5 years.
even the great gordon strong and ray Daniels loved my dark braggot at last years anhc.
this beer was just 6 months old and was drinking great.
go back to your fathers rights and crying about the fact you lost the cryer contract to ross and leave the knowledge of brewing with honey to those with more experience.

 

[barls]

Ideally, to preserve some aroma, it'd be ideal to add some honey DURING the ferment. However you come across a few problems here...firstly, honey is thick and syrupy, not ideal for fermentation as is, though it will work...but secondly, it can harbour wild yeasts, and they can run rampant if not properly treated.
What you need to do is some sort of paturisation to the honey. Best way is to boil it up, but that will boil off aroma. Next best thing is to steep it in enough warm water to get the temperature past 70C or so for a good amount of time, and turn it into a rich sweet liquid. Cool that, and add it to your fermenting beer and you will get a more defined honey character and fermentables without the risk of wild yeast.

i disagree, never boil honey as you will kill the aromatics which is what your most likely after.
the two choices id suggest is ether chemically with camden tablets or steep at 70 degrees.
as for wild yeast honey is actually sterile as no bacteria can live in such high sugar content. hence why it use to be used for dressing wounds and the such and can still be.

id suggest a single strain honey depending on what your making. a light flavoured honey ether clover or coolabah in a light beer ( wheat, pils or lager) or a dark strong flavoured honey in a stout or porter like blood wood or western blend.

 

[pk.sax]

once again stop with the miss information.
both are fine to use. ive been brewing with them for the last 5 years.
even the great gordon strong and ray Daniels loved my dark braggot at last years anhc.
this beer was just 6 months old and was drinking great.
go back to your fathers rights and crying about the fact you lost the cryer contract to ross and leave the knowledge of brewing with honey to those with more experience.

That was your's? I still remember it. It was awesome! I think I came back for a second. Might've been partially responsible for not remembering a lot later!

 

[barls]

damn right that was mine, it could of been partly responsible. i know i enjoyed finishing the keg.

 

[CONNOR BREWARE]

as for wild yeast honey is actually sterile as no bacteria can live in such high sugar content. hence why it use to be used for dressing wounds and the such and can still be.

Your results and experience back up your use of honey but the above isn't my understanding. Honey can and does, from what i've read, contain endo spores of bacteria. They can't breed due to the water content of the honey but I have to be careful when supplying people with my unpasturised honey that they understand not to give it to infants.
Linky

However saying that It would be a poor pitching rate that allowed your yeast to loose the fight in the primary to any honey released yeasts.

 

[the_new_darren]

once again stop with the miss information.
go back to your fathers rights and crying about the fact you lost the cryer contract to ross and leave the knowledge of brewing with honey to those with more experience.

Go Screw yourself.

Misinformation.......Honey is NOT STERILE. You are the one providing "miss" information

I couldnt give a rats knob who thought your beer was great. IMHO Eucalyptus in beer is WRONG

tnd

PS: Dont come cryering to me when your ex and her family lawyer screw you over

 

[barls]

Your results and experience back up your use of honey but the above isn't my understanding. Honey can and does, from what i've read, contain endo spores of bacteria. They can't breed due to the water content of the honey but I have to be careful when supplying people with my unpasturised honey that they understand not to give it to infants.
Linky

However saying that It would be a poor pitching rate that allowed your yeast to loose the fight in the primary to any honey released yeasts.

cheers for the link. ill have to do some more reading. i always chemically sterilise the honey and fruit i use in my beers.


btw darren the same beer also scored a 40 out of 50 in the castle hill comp a few years ago.
your entitled to your opinion but dont try to pass it off as an absolute fact.

 

[the_new_darren]

cheers for the link. ill have to do some more reading. i always chemically sterilise the honey and fruit i use in my beers.


btw darren the same beer also scored a 40 out of 50 in the castle hill comp a few years ago.
your entitled to your opinion but dont try to pass it off as an absolute fact.

Maybe you should make a few no-chill batches with it see how you go

http://www.babyzone.com/askanexpert/infant-botulism-honey

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/startingsolids/honeyexpert/

http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_new...y_botulism.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002455.htm :lol:

No its not fact like you say, just seems to be well reported within the literature (including NIH). I can keep searching if you like?

Oh and 40/50 is only just a silver medal. Perhaps if it didn't have Eucalyptus in it it would have gotten a gold!!

cheers

tnd

 

[CONNOR BREWARE]

Maybe you should make a few no-chill batches with it see how you go

http://www.babyzone.com/askanexpert/infant-botulism-honey

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/startingsolids/honeyexpert/

http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_new...y_botulism.html

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002455.htm :lol:

No its not fact like you say, just seems to be well reported within the literature (including NIH). I can keep searching if you like?

Oh and 40/50 is only just a silver medal. Perhaps if it didn't have Eucalyptus in it it would have gotten a gold!!

cheers

tnd

I know I pointed this out but I'd hate all these links you've left lead people who search this site to be overly concerned. The risks are low, very low. Burls methods sound more than suffienct to keep the beer safe.

I'll post a retail thread soon selling unpasturised honey soon if anyone is interested pm me. 3 hive to harvest.

The honey is from multiple pollen sources.