Honey in ale?

[Wobbler]

I've just had a conversation with a friend who's quite keen to make a honey ale using locally sourced honey. Is there anyone with experience brewing beer with honey that can offer any advice?

Can't remember if he mentioned the strength etc of the beer he'd be wanting to brew with the honey (could get back to you with that), but the two main points he was interested in me asking on the forum were:

1) Approximate quantity of honey to use per gallon or litre of wort.

2) What stage during the brew to add the honey? My guess for adding the honey would be as late as is safely possible, somewhere around the time of adding the kettle finings, just to sanitise the honey.

TIA

[maxashton]

You don't really need to sanitize honey, stuff doesn't grow on it. If you're talking commercial honey, it's sanitary anyway. If it aint commercial, you can add in last 5 mins of boil or so, but you won't get much more than a raise in gravity.

Best stage to add it is to the primary, so you don't drive off honey aroma/flavour. I wouldn't add anymore than about 500gms to a 5gal batch.

I've heard of some people priming with it to good effect.

[Alton_Bee]

Adding the honey to the primary will result in most of the flavour being eaten up by the yeast.

depending on how strong you want the aroma / taste you would be better off either adding the honey to the secondary or using honey as the priming agent ..

[delboy]

Trying to get the flavour of honey into a beer can be quite difficult i've found.
My advice is that if its been treated then to put it into the fermenter, and also prime with honey. If its straight from the hive i'd say throw it into the boil in the last few minutes so as to kill off any nasties but at the same time hopefully retaining some of the delicate flavours.
I'd say 500g in a 5G batch would be a good starting point.

One last tip, drink it when its reasonably young because the honey flavour seems to disappear over time no matter what you do.

[Wobbler]

As far as I know it's from a local bee keeper, so untreated I guess.

His usual brew length is around eight firkins I think, so he'll have to decide if the benefits of greater honey flavour and aroma are worth the risk of losing that amount.

I'll pass on any replies. Cheers

[delboy]

You don't really need to sanitize honey, stuff doesn't grow on it.

Thats sort of true the high sugar content makes it a bacteristatic, but once its diluted down its antimicrobial powers are lost. Try diluting some honey down and let it stand uncovered for a few days, it'll be houching with all sorts.

Woobler, yeah eight firkins is a lot of beer to lose, he could always try treating it himself. This is what ray daniels and the national honey board say on the matter.

1. Dilute the honey to the gravity of your wort with water.
2. Conduct a hold for two one and a half hours at 80 C (under a co2 blanket if possible).
3. Cool and add to the fermenting beer at high krausen.

They also say 3-11 % will produce a subtle honey flavour to a pale ale/lager.
30 % should be distinctly noticeable and stronger hop flavours, caramelised or roasted malts , spices or other adjuncts should be carefully considered when formulating recipes.
Anything above no longer constitutes a beer in there opine.

Im sure he knows it already but remind him that honey just like sugar will lighten the body of the beer and he might want to thow some carapils or some other light coloured body enhancing malt into the beer.

[Wobbler]

Cheers for that, delboy. Looks like really useful info.

[iowalad]

I have made a few honey ales and find that honey added after primary fermenation gives you more honey flavor. I like the idea of priming with honey although I keg now.

[gr_baker]

I did a honey beer earlier in the year. It's one of the smoothest beers I've ever made. I added the honey to the boiler just before switch off. The Honey taste is subtle and just what I was seeking. I too used a very local honey from bees that forage on my allotment site.

for 25 litres

4400g Pale malt
450g Honey
31g Challenger 7% AA at 90 mins
8g Goldings 4.3%AA at 15 mins

Hope that helps

Russell.