AG#76 - Honey Zest Ale - Orange Zest and Crushed Coriander

[stevetk189]

I'm keeping my beady eye on this thread with interest. Our neighbour keeps bees and has a plentiful supply of superb local flowers honey, he's been rattling on at me (well at least I think that's what he's been saying) to brew a beer with it but I've been waiting to find the recipe. Hope it turns out as well as it sounds like it should do.

If someone was offering me honey from their own hives, I'd take their hand off! I'm drinking the contents of the hydrometer jar now and this is tasting divine already. The honey and orange zest are really coming through. Bobek hops really compliment the orange zest. I'm getting married in July and am brewing 3 different ales for it. This one is defs going to be one of them.

I'll try and find out what sort of quantities he's talking about and how much he wants per kilo. I've had several jars from him the last couple of years and it's lovely stuff but I'm just not sure how to brew with it confidently. PM me and I'll see what I can do about getting a sampler jar posted over to you.

Steve.

[floydmeddler]

PM sent!

[stevetk189]

PM sent!

reply sent

[subfaction]

Hi Floyd,

I'm thinking of getting one of these going on sunday, although I havn't got any
CaraMalt or Torrified Wheat in stock, do you think it would still work subbing for crystal and wheat malt, so..

500 g Crystal
100 g Wheat malt

also I only have nottingham yeast in stock, but I assume that the crystal's sweetness would balance the yeasts usual high attenuation (85% ish)?

What water profile do you aim for, bitter?

This will be AG#5 so still very much learning, any help would be really great

[floydmeddler]

Hi Floyd,

I'm thinking of getting one of these going on sunday, although I havn't got any
CaraMalt or Torrified Wheat in stock, do you think it would still work subbing for crystal and wheat malt, so..

500 g Crystal
100 g Wheat malt

also I only have nottingham yeast in stock, but I assume that the crystal's sweetness would balance the yeasts usual high attenuation (85% ish)?

What water profile do you aim for, bitter?

This will be AG#5 so still very much learning, any help would be really great

Hey man. Glad you're up for trying something like this!
500g of crystal is too much. 397g will give you the exact same overall colour as what I've ended up with. The wheat malt should be absolutely fine. My only concern lies with the yeast. I've only ever used Nottingham once and it fermented the beer way down further than I would have liked. Because the honey is nearly 100% fermentable, your beer will have a pretty low FG - probably around 1005. As you say, the sweetness of the crystal should help balance this and the residual sweetness of the honey will too. Do be remember though, that the lower the FG, the higher the alcohol content.

If using GW's calculator, go for bitter.

I recommend Rowse honey. It is more expensive but if it makes 40+ pints of beer taste better, then it really is worth it!

Hope this helps somewhat! Let me know if we can help you with anything else.

[subfaction]

Thanks floyd, not much choice on yeast, I ordered a ton of it with my grain, should have done more research, you learn though! I'll mash high to try and help and also adjust the crystal, thanks for the help

[floydmeddler]

Enjoy! Be good if you could do a thread on it. Would love to track your progress!

[subfaction]

Aye will do I've found a spare pack so s04 so will be using that instead

[floydmeddler]

Aye will do I've found a spare pack so s04 so will be using that instead

From experience, this recipe should finish up at around 1006 if using s04. Have fun!

[subfaction]

I did this at the weekend, all went swimmingly, I'll do a write up as soon as I have a spare 5 mins.

[floydmeddler]

Excellent! Look forward to it. Mine is still conditioning. Gravity still 1011.

[subfaction]

brewday write up here:
viewtopic.php?f=24&t=50366

[floydmeddler]

OK... So this finished up at 1008. Supping a pint now. Orange and coriander flavours there. However, the flavours are delicate and not as pronounced as I was hoping. Still a lovely pint though.

Next time I'll double up on the coriander during brewday. I'll also add orange zest to the fermenter when I add the honey. Will do another brewday post when I do it.

[floydmeddler]

This just keeps getting better. Really well rounded now. I may not double the coriander and orange zest after all. People are telling me it's perfect as it is and one mate reckons it's the best beer I've ever brewed. Maybe I'll up the coriander and orange zest by 50%...

[stevetk189]

This just keeps getting better. Really well rounded now. I may not double the coriander and orange zest after all. People are telling me it's perfect as it is and one mate reckons it's the best beer I've ever brewed. Maybe I'll up the coriander and orange zest by 50%...

I'm going to go the opposite with Orange next time for mine and back off a little as it is beginning to overpower the other flavours now. I may well increase the coriander as that has yet to make much of an appearance so far.