# Beer for the wife



## Casper (Feb 22, 2010)

I am a winemaker and I want to start making beer for my wife. She like Honey Brown, do you know a kit that is close to Sleeman Honey Brown Lager.



Thanks


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## vcasey (Feb 22, 2010)

Give Brian (he is the beer guy) a call at Fine Vine Wines. He should be able to guide you to the right kit.


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## smurfe (Feb 22, 2010)

You are probably going to have to make up your own kit for that one. Also, do you have a fridge with temp control to lager in? I kick myself in the butt for loosing the recipe for the best beer I ever brewed which happened to be a Honey Brown Lager which I have yet been able to duplicate in numerous attempts.


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## cpfan (Feb 22, 2010)

Casper:


Some folks have said that the Brewhouse Honey Blond Ale is close to the Sleeman Honey Brown. I know it doesn't sound like it from the name.
This is a wort-in-a-bag kit from RJ Spagnols. I'm not sure about US availability, but since you mentioned Sleemans you are probably Canadian.


http://www.thebrewhouse.com/types/index.htm


Steve


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## Casper (Feb 23, 2010)

Thanks for your replies


I will definitly try that kit cpfan


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## Brian B (Feb 24, 2010)

Here is something I have come up with. It is a shot in the dark since I have never had the Sleeman Honey Brown Lager, but the more I worked on this the more I want to brew it.

Honey Brown Lager

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Extract (Lbs): 7.55
Anticipated OG: 1.054 Plato: 13.42
Anticipated SRM: 14.6
Anticipated IBU: 19.1
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
43.7 3.30 lbs. Briess LME- Gold America 1.035 4
26.5 2.00 lbs. Muntons DME - Light England 1.046 5
13.2 1.00 lbs. Clover Honey Generic 1.035 0
6.6 0.50 lbs. Crystal 40L America 1.034 40
6.6 0.50 lbs. Honey Malt Canada 1.030 18
3.3 0.25 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.50 oz. US Saaz Pellet 6.80 16.4 60 min.
0.50 oz. US Saaz Pellet 6.80 2.7 5 min.


Yeast
-----
WYeast 2001 Urquell Lager

Notes
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Steep the grains at 160 F for 15-20 minutes in a minimum of 2.5 gallons of 
water.

Remove grains and bring to a boil. 

Turn off heat and stir in extract, but NOT the honey. 

Re-establish boil and add .5 ounce of US Saaz (bittering addition).

With 1 minute left in the boil add .5 ounces of US Saaz (Aroma addition), and the honey.

After a 60 minute boil, shut off heat and start to cool.


Transfer to fermenter. Pitch yeast after temperature is below 60 F and ferment for 2 weeks, ideally at 50-55 degrees. Rack to secondary and lager for another 3-4 weeks at 35 degrees if possible.

Prime with 2/3 cup sugar OR 1 cup of honey per 5 gallons and bottle.



For yeast use Wyeast 2001 Urquell yeast, or if you can't ferment at 50 you can try Wyeast 2112 California Lager yeast which still give some lager character at warmer tempters.


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## Wade E (Feb 24, 2010)

Brian hooked me up with a nice mini mash that worked out really well for way less then most pre designed kits and it came out way better! Its just as easy as the kits with fresher ingredients and usually better yeasts or at least the choice of buying a better yeast.


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## Casper (Feb 26, 2010)

Brian B said:


> Here is something I have come up with. It is a shot in the dark since I have never had the Sleeman Honey Brown Lager, but the more I worked on this the more I want to brew it.
> 
> Honey Brown Lager
> 
> ...






I never made beer from grains, but I do make wine from fruit. That will be something to try in the future, thanks for the recipe.




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## Casper (Mar 2, 2010)

I started the Honey Blond AleKit (thanks Steve), now being the first time making beer I have some question? <?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />

- I already have a lot of Honey Brown empty bottles and they are twisting caps. Can I use these bottles and can I buy twist cap or I just put normal cap?


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## cpfan (Mar 2, 2010)

Casper:






Many people on the forums do not like to re-use screw cap bottles because they have had (or heard of) problems with the tops breaking.


The Sleeman bottles that you are talking about are designed for re-use by Sleemans, and thus are made of heavier glass. I don't like the shape of the Sleemans bottles because it doesn't allow the bottles to drain completely on my bottle tree. However, I don't alwayshave enough of the bottles that I prefer, so I do use Sleemans bottles regularly.


The normal caps have worked fine for me on both Sleemans bottles and the standard Canadian re-usable coloured bottles.


BTW, roughly where do you live? Please update the Location field in the Control Panel, I hate giving Canadian answers to folks that may not live in Canada.


Steve


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## Casper (Mar 2, 2010)

cpfan said:


> Casper:
> 
> 
> 
> ...




Thank for the tips,



I lived in <?amespace prefix = st1 ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficearttags" /><st1lace wt="on"><st1:City wt="on">Victoria</st1:City>, <st1:State wt="on">BC</st1:State></st1lace><?amespace prefix = o ns = "urnchemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" />
I am originally from <st1:State wt="on"><st1lace wt="on">Quebec</st1lace></st1:State>


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## smurfe (Mar 2, 2010)

Unless this bottle is vastly different than any other twist off cap bottle, don't try to cap them. Screw top bottle don't have the lip on them for the cap to seal to. You can get the cap to stick but it is catching the threads. You risk breaking bottles during capping as well as leakers that will loose any carbonation. I would be worried more about the leakers than breakers.


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## Casper (Mar 3, 2010)

Thanks I guess I need to buy bottles


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