Honey as a sugar substitute

[Big Al]

I am tempted to try a brew using honey instead of sugar.
Would this turn out ok in a lager kit? Or should I use it in a ale kit?

Also how much honey should I use to substitute 1kg of brewing sugar?

[pauljmuk]

Not done it myself (other than half a jar in a TC kit), but in beer I think the issue with honey is not knowing how fermentable it is, by weight etc - i've not been able to find a reliable conversion.

I think honey suits better as an addition, and not honey alone - others will have experience

[Big Al]

I might try go 500g of brewing sugar and then try add a largeish jar of honey and see how that goes down.
Does it need to be a particular type of honey??

[Mogwyth]

You can use any honey, but bear in mind honey has a deceptively strong aroma/flavour and will have quite an effect on the flavour of your brew, personally I would not add it to lager. It is a good additive to use when making summer style beers from something like a pale ale.

[likesbeer]

I like chucking a bit of honey in my ales, but as said it can be quite strong. Have also done a mead ale just honey as the fermentable and its lush.
Not really being a fan of larger cant say I know how it would turn out, probably no longer larger

If you look on jar it says how much sugar is in the honey (usually) cheep (ish) stuff tends to be about 80% sugar I use that as the guide so 1kg sugar would be about 1.25kg honey. In a really stong winter beer which used lots of black malt, choclote malt and dark malt extract I used 1kg honey and it was very obvious. For a lighter beer a couple of hundred grams was sufficient to be qute honey ish in flavour.

Give it a go and experiment a little, perhaps go 50/50 with honey and a dry malt extract in an ale kit instead of the sugar (drop that all together) the extra flavour will be great

[Nobby Novice]

I want to make a honey flavoured beer. I have a jar of Asda smart price clear honey which I intend to add to a wherrey kit. I am not sure how much to add, just to give it flavour. Does the honey have to be boiled before adding to the wort ?

[Big Al]

Thanks for all the replies, I think I will investigate a little further and will try and do an ale with a some honey to give it a hint of a taste. From there I can build it up further if I so wish. Many thanks guys.

[Mogwyth]

I want to make a honey flavoured beer. I have a jar of Asda smart price clear honey which I intend to add to a wherrey kit. I am not sure how much to add, just to give it flavour. Does the honey have to be boiled before adding to the wort ?

I wouldn't, in my opinion if you want to make a honey beer from a kit you need to start with lighter beer, while Honey is a strong flavour, in a robust beer like Wherry you would a) need to add a lot to taste it, b) not get anything like a honey beer, c) compromise the balance of the Wherry.

Honey beers are light Summer beers.

BTW I have never bothered boiling it, Honey contains natural antibiotics etc making it a natural preservative so it shouldn't contain any nasties,

Cheers

Bill

[Nobby Novice]

Thanks Mogwyth, I will take your advice and use a lighter beer and then add the honey. I like the summer ales. I shall let you know how I get on.

[JayBee]

I like to prime a few bottles of whatever I`ve made with honey just to experiment with different flavours. I`ll warm a jar of honey so I can get a level spoonful to pour in quite easily. I also like to prime a few with demerara. I like the flavours these both give and adding each to a half dozen bottles or so each wouldnt be the disaster that adding one or the other to the fv or all the bottles might be otherwise.

[KevP]

Adding honey will generally result in a very slow clearing beer, if at all, I have had Ciders with a good dollop of Honey take over 3 months to even resemble a clear brew. Honey can be/is very strange complex fermentable, personally I would give it a miss.