Comments on: Honey Wheat Ale Comparison

By: Beer Time Capsule | Brew Dudes

Beer Time Capsule | Brew Dudes — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:36:52 +0000

[...] a beer time capsule last year. I wanted to see what a year’s worth of aging would do to the honey wheat ale with real honey in it. So I took one bottle and put a note on [...]

By: Mike

Mike — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:14:47 +0000

Just a comment on the final gravity:
The fermentation of the additional honey/water certainly leaves more water in the brew post an almost complete ferment of the honey. While this would dilute the first FG down some, don't forget the contribution of more ethanol. The specigic gravity of ethanol will actually lower the gravity readings of straight water to below 1.000. Thus, the water AND the added ethanol are helping to "dry" this beer out.
Excellent work, I can't wait to try a sample.

By: Graham

Graham — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:29:00 +0000

Cool, I am not entirely surprised that the 2nd batch was lower either, the more I think about it. When you added the water/honey, 99% of the sugar in the honey fermented out, leaving water, which has the effect of lowering your final gravity. My own experiment ended at 1.008 as well!

“It is like a dry white wine without the fruitiness or the tartness” — exactly like the one I did. Unfortunately for me, I split that batch into 2 and added hibiscus extract to one half, which made that half taste like a wine cooler

By: John

John — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 19:00:21 +0000

Thanks for the comment Graham...and for reminding me of an important aspect of this experiment. I believe the final gravity of the honey wheat ale (part 1) was 1.012...which was about what I had expected.

The final gravity of part 2 was lower...1.008!

It is like a dry white wine without the fruitiness or the tartness....deceptively powerful in terms of alcohol content too. Not sure on the ABV, but I got up from my desk after typing this post and felt pretty tipsy.

By: Graham

Graham — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:05:43 +0000

I had VERY similar flavors to your ‘honey addition’ batch last spring.

It was one of my better brews, and was a half-wheat half-honey “braggot.” That one had a slight lemony taste (no citrus was in the recipe at all) from the honey, which is probably similar to the fruity character you describe. Also like yours, mine was much lighter in body and ‘drier’ than regular wheat beer, and the head was very weak.

However, those characteristics, which sound bad for beer, are actually good things for this type of drink. I’m not a wine guy at all, but when I sip that one, it reminds me of what I like about dry white wine.

Congrats on discovering braggot (half-mead half-beer). Its a wonderful beverage that probably won’t win you too many awards UNLESS the competition has a braggot category. But its delicious none the less.

And the honey DEFINITELY fermented out, DB. When you add honey, especially pre-diluted honey, to wort or fermenting beer, the yeast hit the honey sugars like a champ. Probably ripped down through that honey in a day or so.

Did you get a gravity reading on the finished honey addition version? If its the same gravity as the first batch, then you know the yeasties ripped right through that honey sugar.

Also, mead ferments best at much higher temps that beer, so I think its fantastic that the second batch had the hot flavors scrubbed out. I would love to repeat this with an experiement again. Adding a small bit of honey to a batch in the summer could be a good way of “proofing” it against ruin from high temps. Of course, the more honey you add, the less “beer” it is and the closer it gets to be a “braggot” but maybe there’s an optimal amount of honey to add that doesn’t take over the beer, but helps it fight off hot alcohol.

By: John

John — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:52:32 +0000

I left the second batch in the secondary fermenter for two weeks. The temp was 70 degrees for one week and then I cold stored it (40-50 degrees) for the last week.

I am thinking the honey has fermented out.

By: DB

DB — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:30:48 +0000

how long did you leave the beer in secondary ??? b/c all that extra honey could have been fermented or is could have been left unfermented depending on time and temperature.