Flavours and alcohol content.

[ivor472]

If I want to add a hint of flavour like say Honey to a real ale kit, when do I add it? Would it be at the start in fermentation bin or as replacement for some of the sugar added to the barrel.
Can someone tell me how to increase the alcohol content on a 40 pint kit? is it more sugar or less water or some other way.
:drink:

 

[corby_brewer]

im no expert at brewing, as ive not been doing it long myself. but i think that adding honey, will just make you a dry, alcoholic beer. Honey, despite its aromatic flavor, is a simple sugar and will ferment out very easily, leaving you a dry, unsweet beer.

DS

 

[Wez]

I'd add honey to the keg rather than a priming sugar, you should keep the honey flavour & aroma then.

To get the ABV of a kit up you'd be best off adding DME (dried malt extract) which is spray malt, that way your beer won't loose the body that it would using sugar......however - the kits are hop balanced, so in increasing the abv you may throw the hops out.

Experiment, thats the best way :thumb:

 

[corby_brewer]

Wez

if you add it to the barrel, wont you lose the flavor during second fementation? cus i was thinking of adding it to my next youngs bitter kit, but i was advised against doing so.

 

[Wez]

Hi DS, not from my experience, i've found the best way to get it to come through is in the keg :thumb:

 

[corby_brewer]

so how much would you add to a 40 pint kit? to get a good honey taste.

DS

 

[Wez]

lemme check my notes

 

[Wez]

My last honey beer..

4000gm Pale Malt (MO)
100gm Crystal Malt
25gm Northdown [6.50%] (90 min) 19.0 IBU
43gm Styrian Goldings [3.00%] (90 min) 13.6 IBU
25gm Styrian Goldings [3.00%] (10 min) Hops 2.7 IBU
550gm Honey (at boiler switch-off)
100gm Honey (Used for priming in keg)
Whirlfloc (10 mins)
Safale s-04

25L
35 EBU
Target OG 1045

"Spoke to the head brewer at my local MB yesterday and he said that in their experience when making honey beers they have had the best results when they add 2/3rds at the end of the boil and the remaining third after fermentation to prime so i'm giving that a go."

My memory! the notes above may be useful.

Worked out nice!

 

[ano]

Can someone tell me how to increase the alcohol content on a 40 pint kit? is it more sugar or less water or some other way.
:drink:

Either will work. More fermentables will mean you can still produce 40 pints, less water means you get fewer drinks and the bitterness will be greater in each pint.