# Honey tips **URL:** \ **Category:** Ingredients\ **Created:** [May 26, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497 "2011-05-26T03:24:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astrivian](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/astrivian/32/7099_2.png) [@astrivian](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/astrivian)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:24am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/1 "2011-05-26T03:24:33Z")
I am going to try my hand at a braggot. Any tips for using honey?  You are not supposed to boil it i gather. Also, how much honey do you think for a 5 gallon batch? ---
**Author:** ![a10t2](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/a10t2/32/6257_2.png) [@a10t2](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/a10t2)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 4:28am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/2 "2011-05-26T04:28:19Z")
By definition, to be a braggot at least half the fermentables have to come from honey. So it depends on the OG, but at least 3/4 lb per gallon. I’ve had the best results when I add the honey to the fermenter once primary fermentation is almost finished. ---
**Author:** ![astrivian](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/astrivian/32/7099_2.png) [@astrivian](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/astrivian)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:01pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/3 "2011-05-26T14:01:24Z")
> [@a10t2](#): > > By definition, to be a braggot at least half the fermentables have to come from honey. So it depends on the OG, but at least 3/4 lb per gallon. > > I’ve had the best results when I add the honey to the fermenter once primary fermentation is almost finished. ah okay. Do you have to sanitize the honey in any way before adding it? ---
**Author:** ![thomasbarnes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@thomasbarnes](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/thomasbarnes)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/4 "2011-05-26T23:03:05Z")
> [@astrivian](#): > > ah okay. Do you have to sanitize the honey in any way before adding it? You can pasteurize it if you want, but it’s not as big a risk as you’d think since the alcohol in the beer will kill off at the bugs as long as ABV is above 6% or so. If you do pasteurize, better to pasteurize for a longer time at a lower temperature. Also, some commercial honey is already pasteurized - read the label before you do anything with it. The amount of honey to add depends on your desired ABV. Calculate its SG contribution just like you would any other adjunct sugar. ---
**Author:** ![punatic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/punatic/32/13656_2.png) [@punatic](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/punatic)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2011, 1:27am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/5 "2011-05-27T01:27:48Z")
> [@a10t2](#): > > By definition, to be a braggot at least half the fermentables have to come from honey. By whose definition?  Braggot is a very loose term for a beverage made with malt and honey. I wouldn’t worry too much about sanitizing the honey  I’ve been making no-heat, no-sulfite meads for years without a single infected batch.  I mix my honey with room temp water, stir until well mixed, pitch the yeast and let it go. Many flavors and aromas in honey come from volatile compounds that evaporate when honey is heated. You could blend finished beer with finished mead. You could add honey to your favorite beer wort to bump up the gravity. You could add some malt for flavor, to your favorite mead recipe. Deciding when, where, and how is completely up to you. From my experince, I have found that malt can contribute assertive flavors to braggot (a good thing).    I like to use a more flavorful honey to allow the honey flavors to find balance with the malt. Here on Hawaii Island I use eucalyptus honey and Christmas berry honey for making braggots. I save my mild-flavor honeys for show meads. I don’t like the flavor of hops in my braggots, so I don’t use them, but that’s my preference.  You may find hops to be good in braggot. Have fun with it.  Add a can of malt extract, a half gallon of honey,to enough water to make 5 gallons, mix it up good, throw an ale yeast in there and see how it turns out. ---
**Author:** ![astrivian](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/astrivian/32/7099_2.png) [@astrivian](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/astrivian)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 2:08pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/6 "2011-05-29T14:08:01Z")
ah cool thanks. i have tried this recipe three times and it always tastes like butter. i was adding the honey to the last five minutes of the boil and i think that was the problem. i didn’t realize you could just mix honey with water and make mead that way. ---
**Author:** ![punatic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/punatic/32/13656_2.png) [@punatic](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/punatic)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2011, 10:26pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/7 "2011-05-29T22:26:00Z")
> [@astrivian](#): > > ah cool thanks. i have tried this recipe three times and it always tastes like butter. i was adding the honey to the last five minutes of the boil and i think that was the problem. i didn’t realize you could just mix honey with water and make mead that way. Extra attention to sanitation is needed if you go no-heat no sulfite.  You don’t need to be obsessed, but clean is important. What kind of honey did you use?  Perhaps butteriness may come from the honey type. ---
**Author:** ![thomasbarnes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@thomasbarnes](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/thomasbarnes)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 4:48am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/8 "2011-05-30T04:48:06Z")
> [@astrivian](#): > > ah cool thanks. i have tried this recipe three times and it always tastes like butter. i was adding the honey to the last five minutes of the boil and i think that was the problem. i didn’t realize you could just mix honey with water and make mead that way. Assuming the buttery notes are from diacetyl, getting buttery notes from any honey types seems unlikely. It’s more likely related to yeast - either yeast strain or yeast health. Do you add yeast nutrient to your meads? ---
**Author:** ![punatic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/punatic/32/13656_2.png) [@punatic](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/punatic)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 6:06am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/9 "2011-05-30T06:06:27Z")
That is not a foregone assumption.  Several floral source honeys can produce buttery notes in the absence of diacetyl. Yes I use yeast nutrients. Highly recommended.  As a beekeeper I harvest bee pollen, which I have found to be an excellent yeast nutient in mead.  Additionally, I use Fermaid K and diammonium phosphate (DAP) as described by Ken Schramm in his book, _The Complete Meadmaker_ and his article in the Nov/Dec '05 issue of _Zymurgy_. Monitoring mead must pH is also very important. ---
**Author:** ![theoman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/theoman/32/11676_2.png) [@theoman](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/theoman)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 9:52am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/10 "2011-05-30T09:52:14Z")
I used honey instead of sugar for a tripel-ish beer I brewed last winter. I added it 1 minute before the end of boil. It turned out really nice, but I think I got lucky with the honey, too. I bought the cheapest thing I could find in any quantity, which was a buckwheat honey. It has a really nice, almost malty flavor to it that I think worked really well with the beer. ---
**Author:** ![gordonstrong](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/gordonstrong/32/21101_2.png) [@gordonstrong](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/gordonstrong)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 3:09pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/11 "2011-05-30T15:09:33Z")
> [@punatic](#): > > That is not a foregone assumption.  Several floral source honeys can produce buttery notes in the absence of diacetyl. I always thought macadamia nut honey was buttery.  I asked my wife to bring me some from a business trip to Hawaii.  She shows up with this little decorative jar.  Uh, thanks, but I was kinda thinking of a plain white pail of it… ---
**Author:** ![astrivian](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/astrivian/32/7099_2.png) [@astrivian](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/astrivian)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 8:18pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/12 "2011-05-30T20:18:45Z")
i used wildflower honey from a local place in colorado. maybe i should try orange blossom or something. about the pH. are we talking about 5.2 or is it different for honey? ---
**Author:** ![punatic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/punatic/32/13656_2.png) [@punatic](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/punatic)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/13 "2011-05-30T21:43:05Z")
> [@astrivian](#): > > i used wildflower honey from a local place in colorado. maybe i should try orange blossom or something. > > about the pH. are we talking about 5.2 or is it different for honey? “Wildflower” honey can be from  just about any flowers that have nectar.  It varies with location and time of year.  Citrus blossom honey is a very good honey for meadmaking. Fermenting mead must pH will drop naturally.  When it gets into the low 3 range and lower the yeast activity slows way down.  I make pH adjustments to my meads with small additions of a KOH (potassium hydroxide) solution.  I try to maintain the pH around 4.0 - 4.5 during fermentation. ---
**Author:** ![morticaixavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@morticaixavier](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/morticaixavier)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2011, 9:48pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/14 "2011-05-31T21:48:46Z")
I would be interested in seeing what ‘forest’ honey or honeydew honey would taste like in a mead or braggot, This is not a floral honey rather it is produced when bees steal honeydew from a certain type of scale insect. As a honey it has an intense almost caramelized flavour. It’s fairly rare as the bees only do this when the summe is too dry to provide enough nectar from normal sources. ---
**Author:** ![astrivian](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/brewersassociation/user_avatar/forum.homebrewersassociation.org/astrivian/32/7099_2.png) [@astrivian](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/astrivian)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/15 "2011-06-01T03:11:16Z")
> [@morticaixavier](#): > > I would be interested in seeing what ‘forest’ honey or honeydew honey would taste like in a mead or braggot, This is not a floral honey rather it is produced when bees steal honeydew from a certain type of scale insect. As a honey it has an intense almost caramelized flavour. It’s fairly rare as the bees only do this when the summe is too dry to provide enough nectar from normal sources. +1 that does sound like a cool experiment. I love brewing for that very reason. I see, smell, or taste something and wonder “Can i brew a beer with this?” Thanks for the tips on the honey. I think i will go with a citrus honey this next time and change the yeast. It is frustrating: This beer COULD really be good if i did it right. ---
**Author:** ![mindmajick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7feea3/32.png) [@mindmajick](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/mindmajick)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 11:09pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/16 "2015-02-08T23:09:14Z")
> [@gordonstrong](#): > > > [@punatic](#): > > > > That is not a foregone assumption.  Several floral source honeys can produce buttery notes in the absence of diacetyl. > > I always thought macadamia nut honey was buttery.  I asked my wife to bring me some from a business trip to Hawaii.  She shows up with this little decorative jar.  Uh, thanks, but I was kinda thinking of a plain white pail of it… I’m brewing a “big” hefe with 2.5 lbs of Hawaiian macadamia nut honey. I guess it could be called a light weizenbock. Should be about 8.5% alcohol when done fermenting.. I’ll let you know what flavors come through. Here is my recipe: > **[HoneyWeizen (Big H) - Recipe - BeerSmith Cloud](https://beersmithrecipes.com/viewrecipe/673109/honeyweizen-big-h)** > > HoneyWeizen (Big H) Recipe on the Beer Recipe Cloud by BeerSmith → Sent from my mind to your screen ---
**Author:** ![mindmajick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7feea3/32.png) [@mindmajick](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/u/mindmajick)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2015, 7:07pm UTC](https://forum.homebrewersassociation.org/t/honey-tips/6497/17 "2015-02-15T19:07:39Z")
Wow! Did not realize I necro’d such an old post. Sorry anyone who is here!