Honey Rye Ale

[trtedrow]

I'm currently working on a recipe for a Honey Rye Ale for a 15 barrel system and was wondering if anyone had some thoughts on how much honey to use for a 12 plato breer. We were thinking around 50-75lb's in the last five minutes of the boil. Also, if anyone could recommend a nice honey other than clover honey that could impart some nice flavor and aroma, that too would be helpful. Thanks a bunch.

Travis

[Buckley]

I have always had good luck with Golden Rod honey. It tends to leave a little residual sweetness and a nice aroma. I add it in at whirlpool.

[bruboss]

I have a 5 Bbl. system and I add 6 kilos of wildflower honey.
It leaves a very distinct honey taste whereas when I have used clover I find too much of the flavour is lost in fermentation.
When I used clover I had to add double the amount to get a similar effect.

Chris

[beertje46]

I would use a local wildflower honey. Clover is too neutral. Add 2-3% Gambrinus Honey malt to your mash for an enhanced honey aroma.

[Fourohstudent]

Honey Rye

From my homebrewing days I remember having haze problems adding honey to the boil, but I haven't brewed a honey beer pro yet. I would go with the honey in the whirlpool, as someone mentioned earlier.

[Jephro]

I have used about 2lbs per BBL in my honey beers. I must agree that wildflower honey is quite nice too, and i also agree that you should add it at WP, if you boil it you will boil off the aroma.

[BMOOR]

we happen to make this in 15 bbl batches
12% flaked rye and 12% rye malt
70# orange blossom honey during last 5-15 min. The reason so early is that we add 5# jugs one at a time. THis helps so you don't loose your boil. Even heating the jugs up for viscosity can kill the boil if you add too fast. I usually start adding right after Whirlfloc/yeastex addition and it takes 15 min. Boiling might kill some aroma, but it helps in the mixing of the honey. We even have to pull some off the kettle bottom valve because it sinks pretty fast.
good aroma, good flavor. MAke sure you give enough hop character so it doens't taste like a braggot(unless that's what you want) but not enough overpower any honey character.

[Tash]

Honey...

Honey is a great thing to add to beer...

When brewing with honey you have to ask yourself what sort of honey character are you going to want in your beer... Honey is an assortment of sugars and most of them will ferment prior to maltose so actually there isn't any honey sweetness left behind. What you will have is the floral character of the honey variety that you used. Varietal honey's are numerous some very rare others pretty common.

So, in a Honey Rye(I make one myself) you probably want a complementary addition to the beer that plays off of the Rye's spicy grain character. As BMOOR mentioned Orange Blossom honey is a good choice. I am using White Sage honey and it works really well to. In the past I've used Basswood Honey with great results as well. The National Honey Board has a awesome website that explains a lot of honey varieties. They also have the 'honey locator' which will direct you to suppliers. You can find some amazing deals when you buy by the 5 gallon pail.

How much to use? 5 gallons will work very well. Be sure to introduce to kettle slowly or you're going to end up with a lot in your kettle drain. Some folks say to run your whirlpool while pouring in your honey. I think the pump would get pretty pissed though trying to move boiling liquid...

Have Fun!

Tash

[Buckley]

That is why I wait until the end of boil and add it at the whirlpool stage. If I feel it has dropped the temp too far I will heat again to a quick boil then continue with my whirlpool as usual.