American Wheat or Rye Ale recipe thoughts

[tumi2]

I am hoping for some thoughts on this recipe I am developing. I[FONT='ｍｓ 明朝']’[/FONT]ve not done a beer like this before so open to any ideas.

Objective – Use ingredients I have on hand, make a nice summer wheat American Ale with some freshness and dryness. Avoid the classic german wheat flavor from traditional german yeast.

Style: American Wheat or Rye Ale

2.7kg Pale Malt 50% - for malt balance and bulk flavor
1.9kg Wheat malt 40% - because I like it and wheat makes for a nice summer drinkable beer and have loads of it
0.45 Rye Malt 10% - because I want to use what I have and I like the rye dryness, also may make a nice color with the lightness of the wheat malt.

10gr Cacade@ 60 mins
10gr Cascade@ 40 mins
20Gr Cascade @ 0 Whirlpool

Cascade because it I like the flavor and aroma, it is an American ale hops matching style and I know I can get it easily.

25gr Orange peel at 10mins remaining of boil to add some citrus flavor and I have never done it before.

Mash @ 66degs, don[FONT='ｍｓ 明朝']’[/FONT]t feel a need for a protein rest given I am using all malt and dont want to risk loosing a thick head.

US-05 American Ale Yeast – I like to stick to standard yeast when I am trying a new recipe. Ferment at about 18 or perhaps a little cooler depending on the weather for the week.

SG = 1050

I intend to ramp up the Calcium Chloride and avoid sulphates to enhance some maltiness in hope it may balance the dryness of the rye and floral nature of the cascade. I will use the EZ calculator to ensure im in the rough range.

Can anyone share some thoughts with me on this recipe, am I nuts mixing the rye and wheat given the style name is [FONT='ｍｓ 明朝']“[/FONT]American Wheat OR Rye Ale[FONT='ｍｓ 明朝']” .[/FONT]

 

[Dan Pratt]

I've made about 7-8 Amercan Wheat ales using Ale/Wheat only and sometimes a bit of acidulated to help with pH, running at 1.040ish and only 18ibu, originally aiming for a Stone and Wood Pacific Ale style beer but playing with different hop combos.

This being your first Id suggest a few things:

• Only do 1 hop addition @ 10m to the desired IBU - you will get a smooth bitterness and great flavour ( also dry hop it to about 2-2.5g/L @ 20c for 5days )
• leave the orange peel out - find out what the beer does with simple things before making it fancy, if you want citrus, use citra hops.
• drop the rye to 5% as a starting point ( personally id make one without the rye, then add it to see how it impacts the recipe )

When you say ramp up the calcium chloride, how many ppm are you aiming for?

 

[tumi2]

Thanks, never thought about a single addition of hops but will try that.

Happy to drop the peel. Will keep the Rye the same as i have some experience with Rye and other Ale types so i think i can understand the flavour impact. Plus i like to use it up rather than leave a couple of hundread grams i the bag.

Re Calcium about 150ppm = 12 grams form memory. I have not sorted that part yet.

I dont often dry hop but this is probably a style where i should.

 

[Dan Pratt]

150ppm is quite heavy, the Brun water I use has a guide of max 100ppm. Malt forward beers tend to have 40-60ppm and the sulphates at 20-40ppm, going with 150ppm will over do it, aim to get your chloride higher than the sulphate but keep it around the 60ppm.

Dry hopping is a personal preference to get better aroma coming through but, if your aiming more for the malt character then a 10m and whirlpool addition of will give you some aroma.

 

[tumi2]

yeh think i will stick with the whirlpool addition. I like a malty aromatic ale. I think they are a bit easier to drink for home brew sceptic guests.

Will drop the calcium.. think i need to get the EZ spreadsheet out again.

thanks for you help

 

[Dan Pratt]

I like a malty aromatic ale.

for good aromatics on your ales there are a few malts to research:

• Caraaroma
• Special B
• Aromatic Malt

I think they are a bit easier to drink for home brew sceptic guests.

give them IIPA's and dont tell them what it is. Then when they go home and crack open the megaswill they will realise the beer they drink has no flavour