My Honey Pale Ale

[EbonHawk]

This is one recipe that I've brewed several times, and it is always a hit. It's the one people remember and they keep asking when the next batch is going to be made.

This is the first time I've brewed it as an all-grain batch, my first 10+ gallon batch (all previous ones ranged from 1 gal to 6 gal). I've been brewing for 20+ years, so I've done my fair share of experimenting, and I've learned some good and some bad habits, as far as brewing and bottling is concerned.

This is a 10.5 gal batch of a Honey Pale Ale, using Equinox & Cascade hops.
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/r ... y-pale-ale

The only thing I would like to change about it is to get more of the honey flavor to show through in the final product without losing any hop character.

I've brewed so many variations of this basic recipe that it's not even funny. From all the way down to using only 1# of honey, to using English Ale hops (Fuggles, UK East Kent Golding hops, a rainbow assortment of different malts, etc). I've used honey as my priming sugar source. About the only variation that I've not tried is to add the honey to a secondary ferment.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

your really not going to get honey flavor from real honey, all the honey will ferment and leave no real flavor no matter wear you put it, I would suggest using honey malt

 

[jmcnamara]

+1 for the honey malt

Could you back sweeten it like a mead? Or would that just be priming with a bit more honey than you need,which could lead to bottlebombs?
Although, I guess with mead you use something to stop the yeast from fermenting, which wouldn't carb the bottles anyway

 

[EbonHawk]

your really not going to get honey flavor from real honey, all the honey will ferment and leave no real flavor no matter wear you put it, I would suggest using honey malt

I bought some of that to use in my last batch and wound up throwing it in just on a whim, when I should have saved it for this batch I guess. I'll get some more and start experimenting. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[EbonHawk]

+1 for the honey malt

Could you back sweeten it like a mead? Or would that just be priming with a bit more honey than you need,which could lead to bottlebombs?
Although, I guess with mead you use something to stop the yeast from fermenting, which wouldn't carb the bottles anyway

I've never done it, but I guess I could. Both me and my wife are somewhat sensitive to commercial sulfites. I haven't used any in my homebrewing endeavors..yet.

And I can taste a hint of honey in the final product, just not very much. It's very subtle, as I've brewed with and without the honey to compare and it is noticeable, just only to certain people with sensitive palates.

 

[jmcnamara]

I think I've read that campden tablets can do the same thing. I only use them for my mash water, but I don't think they have sulfites in it

 

[EbonHawk]

I think I've read that campden tablets can do the same thing. I only use them for my mash water, but I don't think they have sulfites in it

Campden tablets are either sodium or potassium metabisulfite. All Campden tablets contain sulfites. Unless there are some new ones I haven't heard about.

 

[EbonHawk]

See if this works...

 

[Head First]

I've experimented with Honey Malt and you should definitely give it a try. It's a malt sweetness but will help with bringing out other flavors.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

See if this works...
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ztb3k2w4nqimj ... 1.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b43doyhae5gee ... 2.jpg?dl=0

Probably a better way to do it, but until I learn all the quirks of a new board this will have to suffice.

just a tip if needed you can add your images here in the forum at the bottom, you can also add images to a recipe

 

[EbonHawk]

just a tip if needed you can add your images here in the forum at the bottom

Was about to post that I don't see that option, or maybe it was for paying members...

And now I see it on the Submit Post page... Thanks! (will definitely see about resizing pics smaller next time)

and I added pics to my recipe...thanks again.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

try Base malt and Honey Malt mixed with some Vienna malt, that should give a honey flavor

 

[Nosybear]

Campden is potassium metabisulfite. You can use it to kill yeast and in conjunction with potassium sorbate, stabilize a sweet drink. Malta, a central American drink consisting essentially of force-carbonated wort, is done that way. You can't use it and bottle-condition and your sanitation has to be immaculate but if you want to force carbonate a drink stopped this way, I don't see why it wouldn't work. Just keep an eye on the pressure - there'll be enough sugar in there make bombs of either bottles or kegs should fermentation restart.

 

[EbonHawk]

That would be perfect for meads and cyser, and I just ordered a couple of pounds of the stuff to do just that. I love bottle-conditioned ales, but I prefer my meads still. I don't mind a sparkling one from time to time, but I really don't care for the completely dry ones that most of them go to because I haven't tried stopping them and then backsweetening if necessary. All the backsweetening I've tried to do (even on yeast that I thought was done for, permanently) has resulted in sparkling or the worst: bottle-bombs.