Honey Apple Ale

[Valicious]

Time for another recipe! (keepon the pipeline goin')

Honey Apple Ale
Yeast: WLP023 Burton Ale
Weeks in Primary: 1
Weeks in Secondary: 3
Weeks to Keg Condition: 2 (served at minimal PSI- like 7)

Grains:
8lbs Maris Otter
1lb Honey Malt
1lb Golden Naked Oats

Hops:
1oz Czech Saaz (60 min)

Added in the secondary:
3lbs Honey
15'bs Apples (cut up and frozen first to burst the cell walls and add more flavor)


My goal with this is to let the apples and the honey take center stage. Every malt I added is there to assist, lend to, bring out, but ultimately support the apple and honey.

Questions:
Should I use Maris Otter or just use regular 2-row? Other options are Thomas Fawcetts' Optic or Halcyon. I'm still confused as to the difference between the various pale malts. Any help with this?
Should I use more apples? I'm leaning towards saying yes to this one. Apples aren't typically as strong a flavor as other fruits. (blueberries, raspberries, even strawberries) While freezing them will help, I'm leaning towards adding a few more pounds.

Another goal with this beer is to combine the body of light summer ale, the smoothness and sweetness of a mead, and the spices and apple profile of a cider. I believe the Czech Saaz hops will lend a certain amount of spicy character, and the Burton Ale yeast will assist in the fruity notes.

Opinions?

[balvey]

You might want to look at American 2Row instead of Marris Otter. MO tends to have some biscuity presence.

[Valicious]

You might want to look at American 2Row instead of Marris Otter. MO tends to have some biscuity presence.

A very slight biscuity presence could be okay (apple pie crust), but I'll just stick with 2-row for now.
Is there any advantage to using Optic or Halcyon over plain Briess 2-row?
Thanks.

[balvey]

You might want to look at American 2Row instead of Marris Otter. MO tends to have some biscuity presence.

A very slight biscuity presence could be okay (apple pie crust), but I'll just stick with 2-row for now.
Is there any advantage to using Optic or Halcyon over plain Briess 2-row?
Thanks.

can't help you there, never used optic or halcyon.

[Turisops]

Did you end up brewing this?? If so what was your final recipie?? Im dying to get my hands on a good apple/honey beer like this....

[Valicious]

Did you end up brewing this?? If so what was your final recipie?? Im dying to get my hands on a good apple/honey beer like this....

Yes I did brew this. Yes it's DELICIOUS. It's like LIQUID CANDY

If (when) I brew this again, I'll probably add half a pound or so LESS honey. Let it age out a month or so though, it was so unbearably sweet at first, but it's rapidly getting a lot better with age.

I'm thinking I might just enter this in the Sam Adams Longshot contest.

[brewerTristan]

What was the starting and final gravity for this recipe?

[balvey]

I'm curious too as to what the final recipe was, did you stick with MO or use American 2-row? How was the hop presence if any?