Imperial Red Ale Aged in Honey and Whiskey Oak Chips

[JMK8]

Hi everyone,  I was hoping to make an imperial red ale and age it in the secondary for 2-4 weeks in honey and whiskey soaked french oak chips.

Anyone ever tried anything like this?

I want quite a biscuity, bready caramel flavour from this one with a slight chocolate finish on the back end.  The only amber/red ale I have tried with the chocolate finish was Kinnegars devil's backbone.

[DEMPSEY]

Will the honey not ferment out I wonder.

[DEMPSEY]

Oh and welcome to the forum

[JMK8]

Yea that was one of my concerns.  Still pretty new to brewing but if I left it in my primary until fermentation was finished is there a greater chance of getting some of the honey flavour in the secondary?

Thanks for the welcome!

[Rosmucman]

You could try this stuff  http://www.thehomebrewcompany.ie/honey-malt-crushed-500g-p-4006.html

[nigel_c]

Honey will ferment out. You wont get much flavor either. It will ferment slower so could cause problems if you plan on bottle conditioning it.

[JMK8]

Thanks everyone will have to take another look at this one then to see about the honey flavour.  Honey malt seems like a good shout.
Thanks

[nigel_c]

Post the recipe and we can see if we can help. I've brewed a few bigger beers and the odd imperial now and again that have gone down well.

[JMK8]

Would another idea be to soak the oak chips in the honey for a few weeks to impart some honey flavour into the chips then remove the chips from the honey and add the whiskey to soak in the chips for a week or two?  If the primary fermentation is finished and I am just aging with the oak chips in the secondary would this kick of fermentation again?
Or has anyone ever primed with honey before?

Both ideas may be way off the mark.

[JMK8]

This recipe will almost definetly change after this forum I am sure.  To date the recipe is for 5litres.  Boil for 60mins.  Based on an efficency of 65% (estimate no idea what my efficency is yet but from previous brews in around 60-65%).  Estimated OG 1.093   FG 1.023   ABV 9.17% IBU 20.7

Grain Bill:
Maris Otter Pale-1.4kg (60.3%)
Crisp Light Munich Malt- 550g (23.7%)
UK Light Crystal EBC 145-165- 120g (5.2%)
Weyermanna CaraAmber Malt- 100g (4.3%)
Crisp Amber Malt- 100g (4.3%)
Crisp Low Colour Chocolate Malt- 50g (2.2%)

Hops
11g Fuggles at 60 mins for an IBU of 21.7

Yeast
Likely use Lallemand Nottingham Ale Yeast or Mangrove Jacks M15 Empire Ale Yeast

[nigel_c]

Your stats are right on the money but the recipe looks over complicated.
Is the honey that important to the final beer for you? Have you tried adding some honey to a standard red and see what it's like.
A FG of 1.023 and ibu of 20 will be very sweet as is. If you thing of Bigfoot that's about the same OG & FG but that's around 100 ibu so 20 will be very sweet.

[JMK8]

Would you suggest maybe dropping one of the amber malts and honey?

To be honest I do want a sweet beer.  I would be worried about it being overpowering though

[nigel_c]

In the last few years I've really been dialiang back on my grain bills. Used to have 6-7 grains in a batch now I try cut it right back. If you don't need it don't put it in.
My red recipe is a base malt of Red X with a bit of pale chocolate. Maybe some brown to taste. Why try get the red with a few malts of one base will do the job.
Keep it simple.

[DEMPSEY]

+1 on keeping it simple.