I’ve really been intrigued by the notion of brewing a batch with honey, added toward the end of fermentation. This would be a first for me. I’ve going back and forth between a few ideas:
A) Use a clean American yeast for something like a honey blonde or honey wheat
B) Use a “cleaner” Belgian yeast (fermented at the bottom of the range) that will add a subtle esters that won’t compete too much with the suble honey flavor (Wyeast 1762)
C) Go with a witbier yeast and just see what happens
All three have some appeal. I’ve ordered some orange blossom honey–hence the witbier idea, but I know a lot of the orange flavor will gas off.
Any thoughts from those of you who have brewed with honey? Option A seems like the safest approach.
[quote=“kcbeersnob”]I’ve really been intrigued by the notion of brewing a batch with honey, added toward the end of fermentation. This would be a first for me. I’ve going back and forth between a few ideas:
A) Use a clean American yeast for something like a honey blonde or honey wheat
B) Use a “cleaner” Belgian yeast (fermented at the bottom of the range) that will add a subtle esters that won’t compete too much with the suble honey flavor (Wyeast 1762)
C) Go with a witbier yeast and just see what happens
All three have some appeal. I’ve ordered some orange blossom honey–hence the witbier idea, but I know a lot of the orange flavor will gas off.
Any thoughts from those of you who have brewed with honey? Option A seems like the safest approach.[/quote]
I’ll be bottling a batch of coconut honey Am hefe in a couple of days. I used Wyeast 1010.
[quote=“kcbeersnob”]I’ve really been intrigued by the notion of brewing a batch with honey, added toward the end of fermentation. This would be a first for me. I’ve going back and forth between a few ideas:
A) Use a clean American yeast for something like a honey blonde or honey wheat
B) Use a “cleaner” Belgian yeast (fermented at the bottom of the range) that will add a subtle esters that won’t compete too much with the suble honey flavor (Wyeast 1762)
C) Go with a witbier yeast and just see what happens
All three have some appeal. I’ve ordered some orange blossom honey–hence the witbier idea, but I know a lot of the orange flavor will gas off.
Any thoughts from those of you who have brewed with honey? Option A seems like the safest approach.[/quote]
Look up some of NBs kits that use honey. Check out their recipe for timing of addtion and if a secondary may be advisble when using honey.
I’ve always been under the notion that honey is almost completely fermentable. So you will basically just be adding alcohol. I’ve also read that honey can impart subtle flavors from the flower/plant that it originated from. Personally, my taste buds aren’t that sensitive. I’ve used it to up ABV, but have never gotten any flavor from it.
Now, if you add it to secondary with most of the yeast removed, maybe then some of the honey won’t ferment. I’ve never tried adding it this way.
Also, honey malt will add some honey like sweetness.
Thanks guys. I get that it should ferment out completely, best to add it as late as possible in the process and any residual flavors will be subtle. What I’m trying to get is opinions on yeast.
Planning to use orange blossom honey, by the way.
So it sounds like (if I read into your responses things that you have not said)–probably best to use the cleanest yeast possible to give any residual honey flavor less to compete against in terms of flavor profile…so something like 1056.
