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Author Topic: Honey blonde ale help  (Read 1961 times)

Offline matt.ballard.587

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Honey blonde ale help
« on: April 01, 2015, 02:46:16 pm »
I'm thinking about doing a honey blonde ale soon.  I'm working on the recipe. But What I'm Wondering Would Everyone Add CARAPILS For Head retention?

Offline matt.ballard.587

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Re: Honey blonde ale help
« Reply #1 on: April 01, 2015, 02:58:43 pm »
More information with the grain bill I'm looking at for this 2.5 gallon batch.  this will be an all grain batch.  What I have so far is
3.25 lbs 2 row,
4 Oz carapils,
8 Oz honey malt.
And .5 lb honey. 
With the efficiencies I have gotten from my partial mash set up the og should be around 1.042 ish

Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: Honey blonde ale help
« Reply #2 on: April 01, 2015, 03:35:50 pm »
I have heard that wheat can aid in head retention.

Carapils and honey malt are just types of crystal malt from what I understand. I could have been provided incorrect information. If that's the case, 16.7% of the grain bill is crystal malt which is pretty high

« Last Edit: April 01, 2015, 03:39:50 pm by goschman »
On Tap/Bottled: IPL, Adjunct Vienna, Golden Stout, Honey Lager
Fermenting: IPA
Up Next: mexi lager, Germerican pale ale

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Honey blonde ale help
« Reply #3 on: April 01, 2015, 03:42:35 pm »
When I mentally convert that to a 5 gallon batch it seems like a lot of honey malt, but not grossly too much. I don't think the actual honey will bring much other than sugars. If it were me I would drop the actual honey, cut the carapils in half, and then adjust my gravity back up by increasing the two row.

Offline Rattlesnake44

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Re: Honey blonde ale help
« Reply #4 on: April 01, 2015, 03:46:53 pm »

I have heard that wheat can aid in head retention.

Carapils and honey malt are just types of crystal malt from what I understand. I could have been provided incorrect information. If that's the case, 16.7% of the grain bill is crystal malt which is pretty high
+1. I've always added a bit of wheat for head retention or to just "fluff" it up some in general.

Offline Iliff Ave

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Re: Honey blonde ale help
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2015, 03:59:46 pm »
FWIW, my last blonde ale had 7% honey malt and was too much for me. I will be dialing it back to 5% for my next attempt.
On Tap/Bottled: IPL, Adjunct Vienna, Golden Stout, Honey Lager
Fermenting: IPA
Up Next: mexi lager, Germerican pale ale

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Honey blonde ale help
« Reply #6 on: April 01, 2015, 04:11:29 pm »
I'd cut the honey malt in half, for sure. That would still make it a rate of 8 oz/5 gallons which is very noticeable. That stuff gets cloyingly sweet if you use too much.
Jon H.

Offline matt.ballard.587

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Re: Honey blonde ale help
« Reply #7 on: April 01, 2015, 04:12:15 pm »
When I mentally convert that to a 5 gallon batch it seems like a lot of honey malt, but not grossly too much. I don't think the actual honey will bring much other than sugars. If it were me I would drop the actual honey, cut the carapils in half, and then adjust my gravity back up by increasing the two row.
I would but my system has a limit of around 4 to 5 lbs. 
I have a 2 gallon water cooler to do the countertop partial mash method that Chris Colby has talked about

Offline morticaixavier

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Re: Honey blonde ale help
« Reply #8 on: April 01, 2015, 05:36:17 pm »
Have you had a problem with head retention in the past? if not why 'fix' something with carapils that isn't really a problem anyway?
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Offline matt.ballard.587

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Re: Honey blonde ale help
« Reply #9 on: April 01, 2015, 06:09:08 pm »
No I havent.  But on the few recipes that I have built. This is only my 7th batch and the second one that I have designed myself it's become a habit because I use it in my honey wheat beers

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Honey blonde ale help
« Reply #10 on: April 01, 2015, 06:19:03 pm »
Nothing is wrong. But feedback wise, it looks like reducing the honey malt and reducing or cutting the carapils is a good idea. Build back your gravity by upping the two row.

Offline dmtaylor

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Re: Honey blonde ale help
« Reply #11 on: April 01, 2015, 07:20:19 pm »
I would ditch the Carapils and chop the honey malt in half.  And/or take a look at my honey wheat recipe.

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=77133&p=722621&hilit=+honey+rye#p722621
Dave

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