Priming with honey...

[Golddiggie]

Here's one that should be easy for those that have already done it...

Does priming with honey (for a beer) add anything to the flavor profile? I have two brews that are in the works that I'm thinking about priming with honey instead of with the sugar that came in the kits (from my LHBS, they make them up there, not something mass produced)... I understand needing to add more honey to get the same effect (20% I believe, so I'd need to use 6oz instead of 5oz)... If it will add good things to the flavor profile, then I'm all for it... Even if they are very subtle...

 

[AToE]

I can't taste it myself, being an addition of only 2/3-1 cup of honey per 6 gallons, but maybe in lighter beers it might be noticable... or someone with a better palate than me. I generally prime with honey anyways.

 

[Golddiggie]

Thanks, AToE... I'm making 5 gallon batches... The mixes came with 5oz of sugar for priming, so I was figuring that 6oz of honey would do the job... Even if no one notices the honey used in priming, I'd feel better knowing I didn't use any powdered (or overly processed) sugar in my brews... ;D

I'll be racking the porter soon... Depending on how it's going, I might add some more honey to it... I need to draw a sample before racking it fully to take readings, and have a little taste... If all the sugars are consumed, and it's below the ceiling for the yeast, then I'll probably leave it alone and just prime with honey, and bottle, in ~2 weeks... If the all the sugars are not consumed, and it the yeast is done, then I'll probably add more yeast (talked about this with the person at Strange Brew yesterday) for while it's 'conditioning' for 2 weeks (maybe three) and then check it again... If I'm going to do that, I'll probably also add a little more honey (another pound or two) to get it more like a braggot... Then I should be able to bottle it... I'm kind of hoping that the yeast will not be done/dead when I go to rack it though... Will make things far less complicated that way...

I need to do some more research on making a braggot from the start... I'm thinking of doing that soon...

 

[AToE]

Try getting your hands on some buckwheat or avocado honey for priming dark beers, or for dark braggots. I haven't had avocado, but I hear it's similar to buckwheat which I use very often, super dark stuff, sometimesdark brown in the jar, sometimes almost black.

 

[Golddiggie]

WOW... I'll have to see if I can get my hands on some of that... How about using black strap molasses for priming??

 

[YogiBearMead726]

Try getting your hands on some buckwheat or avocado honey for priming dark beers, or for dark braggots. I haven't had avocado, but I hear it's similar to buckwheat which I use very often, super dark stuff, sometimesdark brown in the jar, sometimes almost black.

Avocado honey is very, very, very good. Very similar to buckwheat in color, but a completely different flavor. I just wish I could find it in bigger quantities other than 1lbs jars from the store...

 

[AToE]

WOW... I'll have to see if I can get my hands on some of that... How about using black strap molasses for priming??

You could use molasses for sure, you'd have to figure out what % is sugar but other than that no problem. Buckwheat honey tastes a lot like molasses mixed with honey to me.

Avocado honey is very, very, very good. Very similar to buckwheat in color, but a completely different flavor. I just wish I could find it in bigger quantities other than 1lbs jars from the store...

What's the flavour difference? Also, are you comparing it to western or eastern buckwheat? I haven't had eastern but apparently it's far different than western.

 

[YogiBearMead726]

What's the flavour difference? Also, are you comparing it to western or eastern buckwheat? I haven't had eastern but apparently it's far different than western.

Probably western. As to the difference, the avocado is really rich, less intense, but very floral. Almost like really thick maple syrup, it's sweeter than buckwheat. I'd say, if buckwheat was a west coast IPA, avocado would be an imperial red ale. Haha, my palate isn't too sophisticated.

 

[AToE]

Probably western. As to the difference, the avocado is really rich, less intense, but very floral. Almost like really thick maple syrup, it's sweeter than buckwheat. I'd say, if buckwheat was a west coast IPA, avocado would be an imperial red ale. Haha, my palate isn't too sophisticated.

Mine isn't either, I have an extremely difficult time describing flavours and aromas. Sounds like it's more what I'm looking for in a dark honey than buckwheat... I've been thinking of buying some bulk sage and orange blossom off of Millers Honey online, so maybe I'll have them add 4 lbs of that stuff and do a gallon test run.

 

[Golddiggie]

Just racked my honey porter into the carboy for secondary fermentation... Took readings and took a taste... According to the hydrometer, and the readings I took initially, it's around 7% alc... I also added a pound of honey to the secondary carboy (mixed with over a cup of porter to start putting it into solution)... Of course, airlock installed and now it's set aside... I'll give it a few days and see how it's progressing... I want at least some honey flavor to this brew, hence adding the 1 pound of honey now... That makes it three pounds so far, in the five gallon batch... No where near mead, or braggot, concentrations for certain... Since we're still well under the tolerance of the yeast, I think I'm pretty safe for when it comes time to prime...

I might need to add another pound of honey before it's time to bottle this batch... Good thing I picked up more than I need for the Mocha MADNESS mead I'm planning to make... Picked up 8 pounds (it was on sale), planning on using about 5 to 5-1/4 in the madness (one gallon batch, but making 5 quarts of must)...

For priming, I plan on pulling enough to suspend the honey into solution, warming up the brew to help the honey dissolve... If I can get the info needed, I might try the molasses route, but most likely I'll just use honey...

 

[BrewinNColorado]

I would definitely try to get your hands on some western buckwheat or avocado. I just make a stout with a blend of buckwheat and avocado. It is still clearing, but the sample I took was really surprising. The Buckwheat/avocado really seems add a caramel like flavor which really compliments the flavors from the beer.

I wouldn't add more then a pound, maybe 2 tops. Mine ended with about 2 - 2.5% residual sugar which I think might be a little too sweet, but only time will tell.

While this is my first braggot, I love the concept of braggots because it blends the best of both worlds. When I last tasted mine, I was left scratching my head because it tasted like a beer, but also tasted like a mead.

Michael

 

[Golddiggie]

I would definitely try to get your hands on some western buckwheat or avocado. I just make a stout with a blend of buckwheat and avocado. It is still clearing, but the sample I took was really surprising. The Buckwheat/avocado really seems add a caramel like flavor which really compliments the flavors from the beer.

I wouldn't add more then a pound, maybe 2 tops. Mine ended with about 2 - 2.5% residual sugar which I think might be a little too sweet, but only time will tell.

While this is my first braggot, I love the concept of braggots because it blends the best of both worlds. When I last tasted mine, I was left scratching my head because it tasted like a beer, but also tasted like a mead.

Michael

When you say 2-2.5% residual sugar, is that the final Balling number on the hydrometer?

My porter is still going, since it just got put into the secondary fermenter/carboy today... I'm planning on checking on it in about a week, to see where it's at... I still have airlock activity, granted it's much slower than it was yesterday...

 

[AToE]

Like I said in that other thread about braggots, honey additions have nothing to do with your final gravity in a braggot, unless you run over the yeast's ABV tolerance (in which case you wouldn't be able to bottle carbonate).

Residual sugar in beer/braggot comes from unfermentable sugars extracted from the malts.

In a braggot or honey beer the yeast will eat up every last speck of sugar from the honey.

 

[BrewinNColorado]

When you say 2-2.5% residual sugar, is that the final Balling number on the hydrometer?

Yes. It came from the starting potential alcohol minus the final alcohol %. I am rogue in that I don't care about brix/balling. Brix/balling is a number that represents the concentration of sugars in a solution, which equates to potential alcohol anyways. My braggot was supposed to be 10% alcohol. When it was steady for three days, it was 7.5% so the residual was 2.5%

Hope that answered your question. You'll have to keep us posted on how this turns out.

Michael

 

[Golddiggie]

Ok, so I've been thinking about dosages a bit more... Since I'm using two 5L mini-kegs to contain part of each batch of brew, it tosses a 'monkey wrench' into the works, or at least the dosages part...

I was told to dose the 5L mini-kegs as if they were 1 gallon in size... Ok, that's easy ~1.2oz of honey per mini-keg... Now comes the other part... Factoring in the -5L per mini-keg, that means I'll have about 320oz remaining in a 5 gallon batch (plus loss for the hydrometer readings of about 8oz), so 312oz remaining... That's less than 3 gallons (which would be 384oz)... Should I just dose with 3oz of honey, since the lower volume could make up for the reduced sugar content in the honey (per volume)?? I have almost a 20% delta between what I'll have remaining after filling the 5L mini-kegs, and 3 gallons actual...

Also, if anyone has used these 5L mini-kegs for brews, how far do you fill them? I'm going to ask the LHBS where I got them before using them, but it would be good to know what people are typically doing here...

 

[YogiBearMead726]

I'm pretty sure priming is done by weight, not by volume...

 

[AToE]

I'm pretty sure priming is done by weight, not by volume...

Weight is more accurate, but most homebrewers just go by volume. 1 cup of honey for 5 or 6 gallons, or various "cups" measurements for sugar, DME, etc. Not very many recipes I've seen actually specify weight, even beer kits go by volume.

 

[YogiBearMead726]

Good to know. I just had a memory of reading a thread or two where akueck said something like, "5oz of honey by weight. Always by WEIGHT!". Haha, but I guess the consideration of how much to carbonate also has to do with what the mead will be in as it carbonates. A keg seems like it would be easy to control, but bottles might go boom.

 

[Golddiggie]

...but bottles might go boom.

Something I'm looking to avoid having happen here... I'm thinking I'll carbonate beer more often than mead though... Not to say I won't carbonate mead, ever, it's just not what I'm going after yet... Maybe I will at some point... Champagne style mead... hmmmmm could be really tasty, depending on the honey used and such... SOOOO many possibilities when it comes to mead... Beer too... But somehow, mead is more exciting... ;D

Oh, and I would prefer to go by weight, since that will make it easier to get it right... At least the honey add part... I'm thinking about using a cup of brew to dissolve the honey into, then add 1/2 to each of the mini-kegs, then do another set to add back to the carboy to bottle the rest with...

 

[akueck]

Good to know. I just had a memory of reading a thread or two where akueck said something like, "5oz of honey by weight. Always by WEIGHT!". Haha, but I guess the consideration of how much to carbonate also has to do with what the mead will be in as it carbonates. A keg seems like it would be easy to control, but bottles might go boom.

Yep, I always go by weight. It is much much much more accurate, and if you're really trying to hit 2.5 volumes instead of 2.8, then you have to weigh the sugar. If you just want some bubbles, going by volume is probably ok. For dry sugars, the grind level also messes with the volume. Call me paranoid, or a perfectionist, but really it's just as easy to weigh it as to measure it in a scoop.

As for the question of how to prime the "leftovers", it is easier to add the priming sugar to the whole batch, then dole it out into different containers. This way everything gets the same priming amount, and you only have to measure once. Same idea as priming the batch instead of each and every bottle individually. You've just got some larger bottles. Small errors in measurement also get distributed over the whole batch, so it's not likely to affect anything.