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honey for carbonation

Robin Foster

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It's been recommended that I use honey on bottling day instead of sugar to get rid of the after taste.  How much should I use?
 
You didn't give us very much information.  However, if you have an aftertaste that is a flaw, it's better to fix what is causing the aftertaste.  In addition, using honey to bottle instead of something else, won't get rid of an aftertaste.

I don't know who gave you the advice of using honey for bottling to get rid of an aftertaste, but it isn't sound advice.

We'd like to help you, but need more information.  The information that we would need are:

What is your recipe?
What is your brewing process?  extract?  all grain?  partial mash?  steeping grains with extract?
What is the aftertaste?

If the aftertaste is cidery, are you using a lot of table sugar?  If you're using a lot of table sugar, in place of Malt Extracts, you'll get a cidery (unpleasant) flavor.  Using honey at bottling will not get rid of that.

We're here to help, but you have to help us understand what's going on, so that we will know how to fix it.
 
The recipe is a brew in a bag American pale ale that came in a kit.  It's a 5 gallon recipe.  The after taste that we have experienced in the past in hard to explain, but I wouldn't say cidery.  Maybe more of a bitter taste?
 
Exactly what comes in the kit?

What temperature to you mash at?

What temperature do you ferment at?

Do you use a starter?

Etc., etc.

Help us.  We need information.
 
The kit comes with the grains  (9 pounds of pale malt, 1 pound caramel 20L, 1 oz PH stabilizer), .5 oz cascade, 2 oz amarillo, 1.5 oz cascade, and 1 sachet for yeast.  Then the sugar.  It is mashed at  150-152.  Fermentation was to be done in between 64-72 but ours was probably consistently around 70.  We are leaving it in the secondary for 2 weeks before bottling (so one more week).  We did not use a starter.  OG is supposed to be in between 1.048 - 1.052.  Ours was 1.05.  Final should be 1.007 - 1.011.  Did I miss anything?
 
That's a good start.  You say that you fermented around 70F.  Is that the temperature of the room, or the temperature of the beer?
 
Although I have never used it, some people have reported getting an off-flavor when using pH 5.2 stabilizer.

 
Scott--I have one of those sticker thermometers that go on the outside of the carboy.  That is what said it was 70.  However, our thermostat is set at 70 during the day when we work as well.
 
I suggest you put the fermenter in a pan of water (about 4" deep water depth).  Wrap a damp towel around the fermenter letting the bottom hang down in the water.  Then put a fan next to your fermenter blowing on the towel.  This will cause the damp towel to evaporate water away, cooling your fermenter down about 4F below ambient room temperature.  The bottom of the towel is hanging in the water and it will wick water up into the towel, as the fan causes water to evaporate, keeping your towel damp.  I think that you'll find that you'll get better flavor out of your beer if you ferment cooler than 70F.  I try to keep most of my ale fermentations at about 65F to 67F, depending on the yeast strain and beer style.

One of the biggest improvements in my brewing has been due to paying close attention to fermentation temperatures.
 
I think you may be tasting the difference between extract and all-grain. While some here vehemently argue differently, to me beers made from extract are unpalatable.  I quaffed them down when I made them for five years, but after going all-grain I will never go back. Same reason why I cannot stand any instant coffee, no matter the quality (though I must admit that I like instant ice tea).  When something is dehydrated and then re-hydrated, the flavor changes. To many people the change is subtle enough to be innocuous, so they don't mind.  But I do (though not in all things). Do you know anyone who makes all-grain homebrew? If so, see if you can try it. I bet it will not have the aftertaste that you are noticing in your extract brew.
 
Thank you everyone for your advice. So, what I'm understanding is that the honey doesn't make a difference right?  However, the temperature that it ferments may?  I will try the towel method next time.  And, I will try the sugar since it's an all grain recipe and see if I still have that after taste.
 
So, what I'm understanding is that the honey doesn't make a difference right?

Affirmative. The amount used for carbonation so small that any aftertaste wouldn't be noticeable. Sugar gives off-flavors when you use it by the pound, not the ounce.

I suggest making a partial-grain batch. That's when you mash as much grain as your equipment allows (BIAB would be easiest and cheapest), but still make a full-sized batch. Figure out how much extract you need to reach your desired gravity, and add it near the end of the boil. I did that a few times, and the difference was significant enough to inspire me to make the switch to all-grain.
 
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