Recipe/logic check: Aussie weet(bix)

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carpedaym

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I'm planning an Australia day beer, based roughly around the Mountain Goat Steam Ale recipe which was posted recently, but with the inclusion of weetbix to cover some of the wheat portion of the grist. I BIAB so stuck sparge should hopefully not be an issue, especially with the fairly low quantity of weetbix included.

I'll be using homebrand version weetbix due to less additives, however it does contain salt. (More detail on that at bottom.)

The aim is to have a crisp quaffer that will suit the average craft-beerdy and the uninitiated alike.

Recipe

'How-Many-Do-You' Brew
Batch Size: 19.00 L
Boil Volume: 20.57 L
Boil Time: 90 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.0 %

Ingredients
3500.00 gm Pilsner (2 Row) 80.0 %
500.00 gm Wheat Malt 11.4 %
250.00 gm Weetbix (flaked wheat) 5.7 %
125.00 gm Wheat, Flaked 2.9 % (I have some leftovers)
6.00 gm Magnum [14.80%] (60 min) 14.0 IBU *
13.00 gm Citra [KO/WP] [11.10%] (10 min) 4.5 IBU *
13.00 gm Cascade [KO/WP] [5.50%] (10 min) 2.2 IBU *
13.00 gm Hallertauer [KO/WP] [4.80%] (10 min) 1.8 IBU *
19.00 gm Cascade [5.50%] (Dry Hop 3 days)
19.00 gm Citra [11.10%] (Dry Hop 3 days)

* Hops to be added at KO and whirlpooled for 20m, IBU calculated for "10m" addition

1 Pkgs SafAle American Ale (DCL Yeast #US-05) Yeast-Ale

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1.047 SG
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Bitterness: 22.6 IBU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 4.7 %

Beta-glucan rest at 43c for 15m
Sacc rest at 66c for 60m


Modifications from MGSA recipe:
- I have upped the total wheat percentage from the current MGSA recipe of 12.5% to 20%, which is closer to their older recipe of 25%.
- Have shot at the low end of the recommended hops as it is for the masses and I'm not a hophead myself (I'll show myself out now...)
- Made a few hop substitutes too (also along the lines of their old recipe).
- Added a dash of magnum at 60m to compensate for fewer / lower alpha hops in whirlpool
...ok so it's pretty different from MGSA, but it was my boilerplate!

Logic check for salt content:
- I found some taste threshold studies for NaCl diluted in distilled water, which ranged from 150mg/L to over 1g/L(!)
- Amount of sodium in NaCl (salt) is ~38%
- Homebrand wheat biscuits nutritional information states sodium levels are is 270mg/100g

Assuming the more conservative, taste threshold of salt is 150mg/L:

150mg/L NaCl x 38% sodium content of salt = 57mg/L sodium
57mg/L x 19L = 1083mg sodium in 19L
1083mg total sodium / 270mg sodium per 100g wheat-biscuits
= 1083mg sodium / 2.7mg per 1g wheat-biscuits
= 401.1g wheat biscuits in 19L

I thought I'd share this calc in case others find it handy, have corrections to my salt logic/recipe, or some
feedback on how the sodium will interact with other brewing salts / townwater. I'll probably chuck in a little gypsum and maybe CaCl(?)

This will only be my second all-grain attempt, especially water stuff, hence the cry for attention.
 
I wouldn't put the normal weetbix in with the salt content. Won't cause pH problems but you will taste it. "Weetbix for Kids" has no salt added.

Another type of cheap wheat you can find is Borghul which is pregelatinised wheat used for making tabouleh, or you can just get raw wheat and process small amounts in a decent blender.
 
DJR said:
I wouldn't put the normal weetbix in with the salt content. Won't cause pH problems but you will taste it. "Weetbix for Kids" has no salt added.

Another type of cheap wheat you can find is Borghul which is pregelatinised wheat used for making tabouleh, or you can just get raw wheat and process small amounts in a decent blender.
Sorry to take it OT on the second reply, but if borghul is gelatinised does that mean you can use it in a normal mash like you would torrefied or flaked wheat, and you don't have to do a cereal mash? My LHBS no longer stocks torrefied wheat which I used to use in my witbiers.

And to the OP, I like the sound of it. I'm not sure how much salt the weetbix have, but I'd probably leave out any CaCl2 additions. I'm sure it won't be lacking in maltiness.

EDIT: clarification and keeping on topic.
 
WarmBeer said:
Used 200gm Sanitarium Weet-Bix in a stout recently. No perceivable saltiness.

The beer was quite good, actually...
It certainly was...
 
Awesome! For added Aussiness you could chuck in some Vegemite for yeast nutrient too. That's quite salty too but it'll only need a teeny weeny bit. I met a winemaker earlier this year who used Vegemite as a yeast nutrient and you didn't taste it in his wines at all.
 
Awesome, thanks for all the replies.

DJR said:
"Weetbix for Kids" has no salt added.
I'll check that out, it sounds like a pretty good idea, actually. I think the 'adult' weetbix has other additives in it, though. Nothing too daunting, but that was the original rationale behind the homebrand option.


DJR said:
I'd probably leave out any CaCl2

Sounds like good advice, thanks.

WarmBeer said:
Used 200gm Sanitarium Weet-Bix in a stout recently. No perceivable saltiness. The beer was quite good, actually...

Very glad to hear it worked out in your stout. I think I'll stick with 200g too, and see how the "sparge" goes (do you call it that in BIAB?—you know what I mean).


TimT said:
For added Aussiness you could chuck in some Vegemite for yeast nutrient too.
Vegemite as nutrient is an interesting idea. If a winemaker does it then I'm sure it's ok to do in the right quantity. If this brew goes well, then I'll think about it for next year. Just one crazy variable at a time for this new brewer, though.

_________________


For completeness: I've since realised that town water, of course, has some sodium in it already. Here in Brisbane I think it's around 40 mg/L. This would drive the total maximum weetbix content down from ~400g to something more like 270g per 19L. I also noticed that EZ water calc's maximum sodium recommendation is 150mg/L too (further reinforcement of taste threshold).

On the hops front, Yob was out of Citra so I'll sub in Simcoe. Fingers crossed the brew will go ahead this weekend.
 
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