Priming with Honey?
- Thread starter dougmedic
- Start date
-
Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
-
We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.
That's a great question! My husband has wanted me to try this. I wait with baited breath to hear an answer from the sages! :icon_salut:
i have a friend that primes all his beer with honey, they turn out great, so thats a thumbs up from me
Yes, you can prime beer with honey. There should be at least one more thread here on that subject if you're willing to go fetch it. Couple of pointers:
Honey is roughly 80% sugar, so you have to add 25% more to get the same effect. If you use 4 oz of dextrose, use 5 oz of honey.
To me, the flavor probably won't come through in the beer unless the beer is very lightly flavored and you use a strong honey. 5 oz of honey in 5 gallons is pretty negligible, especially considering it's 100% fermentable and won't leave much behind. So for most beers, priming with honey is neat but is also a waste of honey. Now, if you make a honey pale, then the honey priming might boost the flavor a tiny bit. JMHO, and of course, YMMV.
Honey is roughly 80% sugar, so you have to add 25% more to get the same effect. If you use 4 oz of dextrose, use 5 oz of honey.
To me, the flavor probably won't come through in the beer unless the beer is very lightly flavored and you use a strong honey. 5 oz of honey in 5 gallons is pretty negligible, especially considering it's 100% fermentable and won't leave much behind. So for most beers, priming with honey is neat but is also a waste of honey. Now, if you make a honey pale, then the honey priming might boost the flavor a tiny bit. JMHO, and of course, YMMV.
I think it is better to prime with corn sugar than honey. The sugar content of honey may vary slightly and give inconsistent results. I have had good luck with 3/4 cup of corn sugar for most batches. I sometimes add a little more if the desired carbonation level is higher (depends on the style of beer), but I have overcarbonated batches and ruined them that way. Typically 3/4 cup and AT LEAST 2 weeks of patient waiting (temp about 70 F), maybe longer will typically work. Another trick is to fill a plastic 16 or 20 oz soda bottle, and when it gets firm, then your batch of beer is carbonated and ready to drink.
Honey is great, and I use it all the time in beers, but I don't think using it as priming sugar adds much flavor.
I made a honey ginger lager (Papazian recipe I think), and I primed it with one cup of honey. That was definately too much!!!
vahan
Honey is great, and I use it all the time in beers, but I don't think using it as priming sugar adds much flavor.
I made a honey ginger lager (Papazian recipe I think), and I primed it with one cup of honey. That was definately too much!!!
vahan
I have primed with honey. I make mostly English style ales, and I used 3/4 to 7/8 cup. I gave it a more time to condition as well.
