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Low-alcohol drinks with honey were made in ancient Russia. Among them, fragrant yellow-amber beer was especially popular, the strength of which varied from 3 to 8%.
Preparing such alcohol is much easier than the traditional “foamy”: instead of malt (sometimes along with it) they use honey wort, the so-called “full”.
Tips before starting
Honey is better to take flower or buckwheat (the most fragrant) and always fresh. It is better if it is liquid. Otherwise, honey must be melted by placing the jar in a bowl of warm water.
Water is used spring (optimally), purified or boiled.
Before starting fermentation, you should make sure that there is enough space in the tank for the foam and gas formed during the process.
The ideal temperature for the work of the wort depends on the type of yeast (ground and top): in this matter, it is better to focus on the manufacturer’s recommendations.
During cooking, it is important to observe sterility in order to prevent spoilage of the drink by microorganisms.
Honey foam is stored for no more than six months, in open bottles – no more than 1 day.
Traditional honey beer recipe
The amount of ingredients can be adjusted, observing the proportions: 12% honey from the total mass of the wort, 200 g of hops – per 100 liters of sweet mixture.
The volume of “satiation” at the end of brewing should remain unchanged: if there is little water, the beer will turn out to be too cloying, if there is a lot, the drink will quickly turn sour.
Ingredients
Water – 88 L
Liquid honey / honey syrup – 12 l
Hop cones – 0,2 kg
Brewer’s yeast – according to the instructions
Method of preparation
Mix honey and water until smooth.
Cook the mixture over low heat for about 1 hour, regularly removing the foam and adding water as it evaporates.
After stopping foaming, add hops to the “full”.
After boiling, boil the mass for another 1 hour, removing the foam only in the last 30 minutes.
Pour boiling water into the mixture until the original volume is restored, turn off the heat.
Quickly cool the wort to 16-20 °C by immersing the container in a bath of water, ice or using special equipment.
Filter the liquid through gauze, adding yeast according to the instructions.
Send the container with the wort to a warm place, having previously installed a water seal.
Wait for the end of fermentation (6-10 days at t = 22–24°C), pour the drink into bottles, let it ripen in room conditions for 1-2 weeks. Store no more than six months.
On honey and malt beer recipe
You can buy malt or make your own. To do this, rye grains are soaked in water and wait for germination. After the sprouts reach 4-5 mm in size, the cereal mass is dried and ground.
Ingredients
Honey – 2 cups
Rye malt – 3 cups
Hops – 0,1 kg
Yeast – ½ cup
Water – 11 L
Method of preparation
Mix malt and hops, pass through a meat grinder.
Boil 1-2 liters of water, pour it over the malt mass, add honey.
Put the mixture on a small fire, let it boil, boil for about half an hour, let it cool to a warm state.
Dilute the yeast in a small amount of warm water, add to the rest of the ingredients.
Pour the remaining water into the mixture, take the container with the wort to a warm place.
Allow the mass to ferment until a sediment appears, strain.
Pour the drink into bottles, leave in a cool place / refrigerator for 5 days.
“Old Russian” beer with honey
Ingredients
Honey – 2 kg
Hops – 20-30 g
Yeast – 50 g
Method of preparation
Dissolve honey in water.
Pour hops into the sweet liquid, boil the mixture for 1 hour.
Cool the wort to 22-24 ° C, strain into a wooden barrel, pour in the yeast.
Leave to ferment for a period of 5 to 7 days without closing the container.
After the allotted time, cork the barrel, send it to a cold place (cellar) for 2 days.
Pour beer into bottles.
Spicy honey beer
Other spices can be used instead of cardamom: peppercorns, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, etc.
To make the aroma of spices more distinct, you can fill them up during the cooking stage.
Fans of unusual tastes add cocoa to the wort: it will take about 100 g. Such a drink will be slightly bitter, but will acquire a bright chocolate hue.
Ingredients
Honey – ½ kg
Water – 6 L
Yeast – 10 g
Hops – 5 g
Cardamom – 4-6 years
Sugar – 1 tsp.
Method of preparation
Mix honey with water, boil over low heat until foaming stops.
Pour in the hops, hold the mass on the stove for another 20 minutes.
Let the liquid cool to a warm state, throw in the yeast and cardamom.
Sugar fry until brown in a hot pan, add to the wort.
Thoroughly mix the mass, send to a cool place (+10-+12 °C).
After the yeast foam settles, strain the drink, pour into small containers and keep in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.
Floral Honey Beer Recipe
Pollen for this recipe can be collected independently or purchased at specialized outlets.
Ingredients
Honey – 700 g
Yeast – 100 g
Dry hops – 200 g
Flower pollen – 300 g
Rye malt – 2,5 kg
Water – 4 L
Method of preparation
Dissolve honey, hops and malt in water.
Boil the mixture for at least half an hour, let cool to room temperature.
Dilute the yeast with water, wait for the first bubbles to appear, pour into the wort.
Cover the container with a cloth / gauze flap, send to a warm corner.
After 4-5 days, after the end of the fermentation processes and the precipitation of yeast sediment, introduce pollen into the wort.
Mix the mass well, let it brew for 4-5 hours.
Drain the drink from the sediment, pass through a multilayer gauze.
Distribute the beer into small vessels, tightly cork, send for ripening in the cool for 2-4 days.
Relevance: 07.04.2019
Tags: Beer, Cider, Ale, Beer recipes