Home Brew Forum

Howdy all,

Due to the success of my last Belgian honey beer (viewtopic.php?f=24&t=38871&hilit=honey) I decided to do another. The only difference with this batch is that I used green pod cardamom seeds instead of Grains of Paradise.

Here's the recipe:

Belgian Honey Beer 2
16-E Belgian Specialty Ale
Date: 30/11/2011

Size: 23.0 L
Efficiency: 74.0%
Attenuation: 95.0%

Ingredients:
6.0 kg Lager Malt
150.0 g Torrified Wheat
1 kg White Table Sugar (Sucrose)
45 g Saaz (3.1%) - added during boil, boiled 90 m
43 g Hallertau Hersbruck (2.8%) - added during boil, boiled 90 m
12.0 g Saaz (3.1%) - added during boil, boiled 10 m
12.0 g Hallertau Hersbruck (6%) - added during boil, boiled 10 m
10.0 g Crushed Coriander - added during boil, boiled 4 m
8 g Cardamom Seeds - added during boil, boiled 4 m
20.0 g Orange zest - added during boil, boiled 4 m
450 g Rowse Honey - To be added to secondary
800 ml Duvel - Cultured

I used a very small Duvel starter as this this threw up those wonderful Duvel flavours last time. I mashed at 60c for 4 hours in the hope that the wort will be more fermentable thus resulting in a dry beer. The last batch ended up at 1004 and that was mashed at 62c.

The cardamom seeds are pretty potent I have to admit! Perhaps I used too many... Hopefully the flavour will have subsided by March when this is ready.

Fermenting away nicely now at 23c. Started it at 20c a few days ago and will keep rising to 28c. I'll leave this in primary for 3-4 weeks then rack to secondary with the honey.

My efficiency dropped this time too. Usually hit around 80%. Bit pissed off that this one finished 2 points lower than the first. Ah well... should still come in at over 10%.

Just had a sniff and it is smelling superb; a real fruit and zest punch!

Here are a few pics:

CORIANDER AND CARDAMOM SEEDS BEFORE BEING WHIZZED



ORANGE ZEST


DRAINING INTO BOILER


THE BOIL


Watch this space!

Recipe looks brilliant. I didn't realise that Duvel yeast was one you could culture from. Definately need to try this when I do my Duvel clone in the new year.

clootie wrote:Recipe looks brilliant. I didn't realise that Duvel yeast was one you could culture from. Definately need to try this when I do my Duvel clone in the new year.

It's one of my favourite yeasts. I find it really throws up those flavours when underpitched and given heat. Stresses the hell out of it.

Cheers Floyd. Do you do anything special to extract it? Take it any off the shelf brew from the supermarket will do the trick?

clootie wrote:Cheers Floyd. Do you do anything special to extract it? Take it any off the shelf brew from the supermarket will do the trick?

Yep, just buy a bottle of Duvel and create a starter from the yeast sediment. I keep mine on a slant these days for handiness. Give it a try. Cracking yeast.

That looks like it will make a very nice pint.

I have made one beer with honey so far and its one of my best. I put the honey in the boil though. Is it not a bit risky putting it in the secondary?

barney wrote:That looks like it will make a very nice pint.

I have made one beer with honey so far and its one of my best. I put the honey in the boil though. Is it not a bit risky putting it in the secondary?

I've brewed a lot of honey beers and find that this is best practice. Boiling honey will drive off a lot of the subtle flavours. I gently bring the honey to 80c to kill off any nasties (although I've been advised that this isn't necessary as honey is pretty sterile) then add to secondary. It slowly ferments out and locks a lot more of the honey characteristics.

I will have to try that Floyd, my mates an apiarist so honey is no problem, the only thing is he doesn't drink.

floydmeddler wrote:

clootie wrote:Cheers Floyd. Do you do anything special to extract it? Take it any off the shelf brew from the supermarket will do the trick?

Yep, just buy a bottle of Duvel and create a starter from the yeast sediment. I keep mine on a slant these days for handiness. Give it a try. Cracking yeast.

Cheers Floyd definately give it a try.

barney wrote:I will have to try that Floyd, my mates an apiarist so honey is no problem, the only thing is he doesn't drink.

He's crazy! Make him some mead with his own honey and I reckon you'll convert him!

I would always pasteurize the honey as you do. I am sure honey has a high level of wild yeast. All those bees on all that vegetation it's gonna happen.

greenxpaddy wrote:I would always pasteurize the honey as you do. I am sure honey has a high level of wild yeast. All those bees on all that vegetation it's gonna happen.

Was thinking this too then thought to myself - if there is yeast present, why doesn't it start eating the honey?

Anyone??

Not enough water involved.

Experiment. Take 50ml of honey, pour into a sterile flask. Add 450ml boiled and cooled water. Equiv to 1035 gravity approx. Watch for fermentation!

Cheers for clearing that up. Was something that's been popping in and out of my head. I'll take your word for it and keep pasteurising my honey!

Good luck with this brew Floyd.

I'm 3 weeks into doing batch No 2 of your previous recipe, with grains of paradise.
BTW: I finally tracked down the grains of paradise in Fortnum and Mason

Like you say Duvel yeast gets really interesting when it gets warm.
Lovely Belgian spicyness wafts out when I open fermenting fridge.

ATB John