# Wheat Extract Recipe Help Need



## ham2k (24/6/07)

I've got a K-97 yeast lying around and thought maybe a wheat beer. But then I've read that it is strictly not a wheat beer and more a german ale strain. 

Whatever. I want to do a wheat beer with it.

I've also got some carapils (550g) lying around. I have only just got into extract brewing and I am still experimenting. Secretly though, after steeping 1 pound of carapils, the colour and aroma of the liquid was intoxicating in a much different manner than what I am used to. I now aim to go AG at some point. Don't tell my wife.  

For now, I thought I would do the following. 

Recipe:
2 x 1.5kg Coopers Malt Extract
550g Carapils
28g Hallertau (3.8%) at 60
14g Hallertau (3.8%) at 5

Final Volume 19L

Beersmith says:
IBU = 15.3
OG = 1049
FG = 1013
Acl = 4.7%
EB C = 15.3

Can someone tell me if this is going to turn out alright? Changes? Recommendations?


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## bconnery (25/6/07)

ham2k said:


> I've got a K-97 yeast lying around and thought maybe a wheat beer. But then I've read that it is strictly not a wheat beer and more a german ale strain.
> 
> Whatever. I want to do a wheat beer with it.
> 
> ...



That will make an alright beer but you definitely won't get much german wheat flavour. Ferment it warm, like 24C or so if you want to get any hint of those flavours at all. 

I've made similar beers in the past and they've been tasty enough, just not a hefe-weizen. 

I'd drop the amount of carapils by quite a bit there too, or even remove it altogether and replace with a little crystal or something else. I don't think carapils will add that much to a wheat beer as it is often used for head retention, as is wheat, so you are kind of doubling up.


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## ham2k (25/6/07)

bconnery said:


> That will make an alright beer but you definitely won't get much german wheat flavour. Ferment it warm, like 24C or so if you want to get any hint of those flavours at all.
> 
> I've made similar beers in the past and they've been tasty enough, just not a hefe-weizen.
> 
> I'd drop the amount of carapils by quite a bit there too, or even remove it altogether and replace with a little crystal or something else. I don't think carapils will add that much to a wheat beer as it is often used for head retention, as is wheat, so you are kind of doubling up.



Excellent. Thanks bconnery. I am only going off other peoples recipes at the moment and learning as i go.

How much crystal do you think; 110g, 225g or 455g?

24 degrees makes me nervous. I have had some dodgy experiences at my old place where temperatures were too high to brew anything. My fishtank should keep it in check tho.


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## bconnery (25/6/07)

I'd think something in the region of 110 - 200 tops. 

You could also go with a little darker malts to make a dunkleweizen type. 

50g roast malt and some crystal or dark crystal. 

24C would be fine but drop it down a couple of degrees. It depends on what you want from the beer. In my experience its the only way to get much character out of the k97, otherwise it doesn't have heaps of flavour.


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## hughman666 (25/6/07)

my 2 cents:

i would drop the 60 minute bittering down to 20g of hallertau as wheats have very little bittering, but up the 5 minute aroma to 20g of hallertau 

use 1 x can of coopers wheat malt and 1 x can of something similar to pils malt. this will give you a lighter colour.

i probably wouldn't add anything else, as the wheat itself will give you good head retention.

k-97 is fine, just ferment between 22-24c to give you that banana-ish flavour


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## ham2k (25/6/07)

hughman666 said:


> my 2 cents:
> 
> i would drop the 60 minute bittering down to 20g of hallertau as wheats have very little bittering, but up the 5 minute aroma to 20g of hallertau
> 
> ...



Great, i definitely appreciate your comments. how about:

1.5kg Coopers Wheat Malt
1.5kg Morgans Extra Pale Malt

20g Hallertau (60)
20g Hallertau (5)

I'll se what Beersmith thinks tonight. Sounds pretty simple. Almost too simple.


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## Brewer_010 (25/6/07)

ham2k said:


> I'll se what Beersmith thinks tonight. Sounds pretty simple. Almost too simple.



Hefeweizens are all about showcasing the yeast's properties, e.g banana, clove, vanilla etc. You should really try and get a traditional german wheat yeast and see what it does to your beer - they are fantastic things :beer:


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## ham2k (25/6/07)

Brewer_010 said:


> Hefeweizens are all about showcasing the yeast's properties, e.g banana, clove, vanilla etc. You should really try and get a traditional german wheat yeast and see what it does to your beer - they are fantastic things :beer:



Upon reflection, it might be best to just do what the K97 yeast was born to do and do a German Ale. If I want to spend time doing a weizen I should do it right or not at all. 

Thanks for your comments guys, I will now look up German ales for this yeast.


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## hughman666 (25/6/07)

ham2k said:


> Upon reflection, it might be best to just do what the K97 yeast was born to do and do a German Ale. If I want to spend time doing a weizen I should do it right or not at all.
> 
> Thanks for your comments guys, I will now look up German ales for this yeast.



k-97 can be good for kolsch but it's fine for wheats too.

i just finished my most recent weizen which was dne with wyeast 3068, this is awesome stuff, you will get really nice aroma from it


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## blackbock (26/6/07)

Personally I think this recipe will be a little bit low on hopping (~10IBU) and will taste a bit bland unless you do something to give it more zing. 

Without the Weizen yeast to give it aroma, it will be fairly dry and boring, and the hops will seem almost non-existent. Hallertau is an excellent hop, but on its own it can be a bit nothingy. With the recipe as it stands I would be tempted to introduce some interesting other flavours, whether that be citrus from some American hop varieties, or spices from the kitchen (don't go overboard on those though...)

If you go down the road of a german ale, you would probably need to introduce those other flavours through specialty malt additions instead.

Hope this is helpful as intended,

BB


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