Honey Red Ale

[Pumpkinman]

I just had a chance to taste the Brewers Best Red Ale Kit that my wife bought me.
In an attempt to mellow the hoppy bitterness a little and bring forward the honey taste and slight sweetness that I liked in store bought honey ales.
All that I can say is WOW~!!!!
My son and I had a beer together and we loved it, and my son doesn't drink beer!
I am extremely happy with this tweak!
To those that told me to just brew the kit the way it was intended....TOLD YA!!!! LMAO!!!

 

[cbritton]

Can you enlighten me on the tweak? I searched for it but can't seem to find it. It sounds amazing though!!

 

[Pumpkinman]

it's nothing really scientific..lol...I use to really like a beer called Honey Brown when I was younger, it had a sweetness to it associated with honey, since this particular company had been bought out years ago, I can't find an identical beer.
Soooooooo....after fermentation, when I racked the wort over to the secondary, I added about a pound and a half of fresh wildflower honey, just enough to mellow the hoppy bitterness and impart a mild sweetness to it.
It initially looking like it was going to start fermenting in the secondary again, but after 3 or 4 days, it stopped, I tasted it and it was exactly how I wanted it, at that point i added the priming sugar and bottled, although it's only been 4 days or so, I wanted to give it a try, I am very pleasantly surprised with the final product.
I'll make it again!

 

[cbritton]

That sounds absolutely delicious and is going on our list of batches to make.

 

[Boatboy24]

Oh, OK. So, this was a simple Red Ale that you added honey to? I love hops, but complimenting/offsetting them with some honey sounds great.

My Belgian black ale should be ready for bottles in a couple days. Very excited for this one. Once I bottle that, I'll start the bourbon dubbel.

 

[Wade E]

Just be careful that more honey doesnt start fermenting in the bottles with that priming sugar and start blowing bottles! Id also be aware that the honey fermenting in the bucket may have almost exhausted the yeasts tolerance for abv meaning that you may not get good carbonation in your bottles. Sounds great though if everything goes smoothly.

 

[Pumpkinman]

wade, i'm drinking a few bottles as we speak...lol, my sister is over from Germany, and even she liked it....woooohoooo!!!!

I was apprehensive Wade, but it appears that it all went as planned.

Boatboy, this was a simple brewers best red ale kit that i tweaked with honey. Almost too easy! The best part is that you can still taste the hop bitterness, but much smoother, and you still get the great malt and grain flavor.

 

[Wade E]

Well its only ben in the bottle a little bit right? Just watch them for awhile.

 

[Pumpkinman]

he he he...I don't think it will last too much longer, I have a call out to my beer drinking buddies..LOL
All joking aside Wade What method would you use to get this same result?