Lots and lots of honey, now what can I make?

[Chadwick]

My father-in-law is a beekeeper and while we were over there today he discovered about 20 quarts of his honey has little white spots in them surrounded by little bubbles. He decided he couldn't sell it and I offered to take it instead of having it thrown away.

I did a little research and, as I suspected, it is simply a yeast infection beginning in this honey. I cannot detect any change in the taste of it yet, it is really just started.

So now I have lots of honey for brewing.

With the obvious of making mead aside, what else could I brew up with this stuff? How much honey can a honey ale be?

If anyone has any recipes for honey heavy beers or anything else, I would appreciate it greatly. 20 quarts of this stuff needs to be used before this fermentation gets carried away too far. I like to be the one in charge of the type of yeast working, you know?

 

[CBMbrewer]

I have brewed a honey ale several times with up to 32oz added at flame out. If I were to do it again I would add it after primary fermentation. One of my first recipes and still one of my favorites!

 

[Thunder_Chicken]

Gallons of mead, melomels (meads with fruit), wow...neat opportunity. Make sure your FIL gets a nice slice of whatever you brew as a consolation prize. Bummer to lose that much honey for sale.

 

[larrydcarter]

Don't have a recipe, but you could try and make a Braggot. It's like have wine half honey. Also it you pasteurize a couple quarts you could play around with priming with honey? Just ideas to get your juices flowing. Good luck and I hope you have enough free fermenters.

 

[thatjonguy]

I don't know much about honey, but couldn't you hot water bath or boil it in the jar to sanitize it?

 

[larrydcarter]

I don't know much about honey, but couldn't you hot water bath or boil it in the jar to sanitize it?

If you try and boil honey in the jar it will explode. Your turn the little water in the honey in the jar to water vapor, it will expand and have nowhere to go. Best to pasteurize it as you use it. If you making mead then bring you must up to 145 to 160 F and hold it for the appropriate time. If you making beer or Braggot add the honey at flame out and wait 10 minutes before starting the cooling process. Boil will also damage the honey leading to less flavor and sometimes a hard plastic taste.

 

[TyTanium]

I would just scrape off the white parts. No need to sanitize the honey. Just add a flameout. If adding post-fermentation, I'd warm it to help it dissolve.

You can use quite a bit of honey in beer. I'd pick a simple low-hop pale ale recipe and use a pound or two, depending on gravity. Might be really nice with fruit too.

 

[larrydcarter]

I would just scrape off the white parts. No need to sanitize the honey. Just add a flameout. If adding post-fermentation, I'd warm it to help it dissolve.

You can use quite a bit of honey in beer. I'd pick a simple low-hop pale ale recipe and use a pound or two, depending on gravity. Might be really nice with fruit too.

Yeast will most like not just be on top of the jar. Can't just scrap off. That being said honey in a fruit ale sounds nice. Black cherry ale mightget changed next time around. =)