Adding honey, straight to keg or secondary?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by CADETS3, Aug 21, 2015.

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  1. CADETS3

    CADETS3 Initiate (0) Dec 3, 2014 Texas

    hey guys, I plan on adding 1.5 lbs. of raw honey to a blonde ale that's been in the primary for almost a week. I've always gone straight to the secondary for the honey but I was wondering if it would be better or any different if I just racked the beer to my keg and added the honey to it and let it finish out at room temperature for a week or 2. I understand that I would need to purge the co2 once a day or so but I doubt it's going to generate that much pressure of co2. What do you guys think?
     
    #1 CADETS3, Aug 21, 2015
  2. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    Adding it to the primary would make more sense.
     
    #2 Brew_Betty, Aug 21, 2015
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  3. aobrehm

    aobrehm Initiate (0) Jun 18, 2015 Oregon

    I've added honey at flameout, high krausen in primary, and at the beginning of secondary on past brews. I personally thought that adding it at high krausen worked the best overall. The downside of adding to the boil is losing honey flavor and aroma. The downside of adding it to secondary is triggering a true secondary fermentation, requiring even more fermentation time.

    The only reason I wouldn't add honey to a keg is to prevent propagation of more yeast. You're risking a cloudier final product. I too would recommend adding to primary.
     
    #3 aobrehm, Aug 22, 2015
  4. CADETS3

    CADETS3 Initiate (0) Dec 3, 2014 Texas

    Eh, I was mainly hoping to add it to the secondary so I can try to clear the beer up more. Besides aeration and oxidation, what are the pros for adding it to the primary? High krausen has already passed and its toward the FG prior the sugar addition.
     
    #4 CADETS3, Aug 22, 2015
  5. CADETS3

    CADETS3 Initiate (0) Dec 3, 2014 Texas

    *prior to the honey addition*
     
    #5 CADETS3, Aug 22, 2015
  6. aobrehm

    aobrehm Initiate (0) Jun 18, 2015 Oregon

    If your goal is to clarify your beer, you should definitely not add any sugar to secondary. When you add sugar it allows yeast to reproduce, leading to more yeast in suspension, leading to (if anything) cloudier beer.

    If I were you, I would add your honey to primary right now. Let it ferment out. If you feel really strongly about doing a secondary, still do it. Just wait until all active fermentation is over so you're not reproducing yeast at the same time you're trying to clarify.
     
    #6 aobrehm, Aug 22, 2015
  7. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    One advantage of adding it to secondary might be that it will retain more honey aroma. There won't be so much vigor in the fermentation (due to the added malt fermentation) so less volatile compounds going out the airlock. In theory. I always wondered how readily it mixes in a secondary fermenter, where you might not want to stir because of oxidation.
     
    #7 pweis909, Aug 22, 2015
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