Wheat Recipe Check Please!

[marlow_coates]

Hey guys and girls,

I have formulated a wheat recipe (first one) and would like it checked and advised upon by any and all who can help or offer constructive criticism. It is meant to be a relatively simple recipe for a decent tasting wheat beer and all the calculations and info is gathered from other threads.

2kg DME wheat
1kg DME extra pale
Volume of 25L bringing OG to 1.046

Hops
Hallertau Tradition aa% 5.7
60min 21gms for 15 IBU
10min 27gms for 5 IBU
(aiming for around 20 or just below after fermentation)
Boiled in 5L (biggest pot) with 500gms of DME, Other DME will be boiled for sterilisation in separate pot.

Yeast - Fermentis Safbrew S-33
Ferment at 17-18C

at about 2/3 through primary add in:
40gms coriander boiled for 5 min
1 peel of orange (grated) boiled for 20min
10gms Hallertau thrown in 30 sec before end of boil
Boiled in about 1L of water, strained and added once cooled

Secondary for about a week, then gelatined and bottled.

Bulk primed with 180gms white sugar for the whole 25L

I am not sure what this is likely to finish at, but assume around 1008??? Pulled that number out of the air, the yeast info didn't state attenuation on the website I checked.


If you can see any big mistakes please let me know, or if I should change any weights etc...
Also yeast info said to ferment between 15 and 24, so also assuming 17-18C will be fine???

Cheers in advance,

Marlow

 

[manticle]

Looks ok to me. You're after a hoegaarden witbier style I'm guessing?

Not sure about boiling dried malt extract for 60 minutes or the necessity of boiling the other DME in a separate pot. Why not just throw it all in at around 10-15 minutes out?

Temperature for yeast looks about right (18-20 is usually recommended).

 

[marlow_coates]

The DME in the boiling-hops pot was just to get a SG that is decent for extraction.

100gms DME per L of water.

The rest of the DME in a separate boil for 10 min or so for sterilisation only. If it all went in the hops-boil pot then the SG would be huge as it only takes 5L, and I read a high SG will decrease extraction from the hops.

If it will still give similar results I would much rather do a single 15 min boil of hops, but I thought the idea was the spread the IBU's over bittering, flavour and aroma?

If I do a single hop addition at 15 min, my calculations tell me that I will need 73gms to get 20 IBU.

This is about 30gms more than doing a longer boil. Is there an advantage to the final product of doing a single 15min boil addition, over a smaller addition at 60min then again at 10 min?

And yeah I was thinking a Hoegarden type of beer. Love the refreshing taste of wheats at the moment

 

[manticle]

The DME in the boiling-hops pot was just to get a SG that is decent for extraction.

100gms DME per L of water.

The rest of the DME in a separate boil for 10 min or so for sterilisation only. If it all went in the hops-boil pot then the SG would be huge as it only takes 5L, and I read a high SG will decrease extraction from the hops.

If it will still give similar results I would much rather do a single 15 min boil of hops, but I thought the idea was the spread the IBU's over bittering, flavour and aroma?

If I do a single hop addition at 15 min, my calculations tell me that I will need 73gms to get 20 IBU.

This is about 30gms more than doing a longer boil. Is there an advantage to the final product of doing a single 15min boil addition, over a smaller addition at 60min then again at 10 min?

And yeah I was thinking a Hoegarden type of beer. Love the refreshing taste of wheats at the moment

My question was not about the use of DME so much as boiling it. If you boil the malt throughout the boil you have the potential for it to burn and stick. I've also heard that it can effect hop extraction and as it's not necessary to boil it for 60 mins I would recommend saving yourself the hassle and boil it for 10.

I'm also not suggesting there's anything wrong with a 60 min boil.:just that adding dried malt extract at the beginning could be problematic. If you were mashing or steeping, your wort would be boiled for 60 mins with hops additions but with DME there's no need and it can be counterproductive.

Still do a 60 min boil with hops additions along the way but add malt towards the end (all malt in one pot will make sterilisation a non issue and save you a pot wash). Check your calculations for hops additions in plain water before taking my advice as I'm still getting my head around a lot of things.

Hope that's clearer (and right - more experienced brewers please step in if I have my head up my arse and my foot in my mouth).

 

[marlow_coates]

Hey guys,
Tried the first bottle of this. One week after bottling.

Final recipe was:

1.5kg light DME
1.4kg wheat DME

Hallertau Tradition aa% 5.7
60min 21gms for 15 IBU
10min 27gms for 5 IBU

To 25L

At day 3 of fermentation
10min boil with 10gm addition of hops and rind of one orange (fresh valencia) and 25gms corriander

Yeast was s-33, and was fermented at 18C for 1 week, then sat at 22C for 3 days with finings,
Then crash chilled and bottled with 180gms sugar as bulk prime. FG was 1014.

First bottle last night and I am very pleased with the taste.
Has that slight 'banana??' taste, with a good hint of the spice. I reckon it is pretty close to hoegarden IMHO of course
The bitterness is minor and well balanced and the whole drink leaves that lip smacking dry aftertaste that makes you feel thirsty even after swigging away

The only downside was the head It faded within seconds of pouring.

My question is, is this due to short bottle life so far?
Is it due to lack of specialty grains?
How can I get that thick white foamy head that looks so damn good?

I was thinking of adding 150gms of pale crystal malt to help here but not sure how much it will fix the problem.

If I can get the head right, then I will add this to the recipe database and it should make for an easy, quick and cheap wheat.

Cheers
Marlow

 

[chappo1970]

...How can I get that thick white foamy head that looks so damn good?

I was thinking of adding 150gms of pale crystal malt to help here but not sure how much it will fix the problem.

If I can get the head right, then I will add this to the recipe database and it should make for an easy, quick and cheap wheat.

Cheers
Marlow

Pale crystal might drive the malt/caramel flavours too much for a Hoegy clone. Carapils or Carfoam will aid head retention but not drive too much flavour in the brew. Try steeping about 250 - 300grs next time. But before going to that extent give this latest batch some time in the bottle to carb fully up that way you can judge.
Just looking back over your recipe there really isn't much there to aid head retention is there so steeping grains will greatly help improve head retention.


Cheers


Chappo

 

[Nick JD]

+1 on the Carapils. Every brew I do now has at least 350g. On pouring, the head hangs around (super clean glass) for about 5-10 minutes, and then settles about 5mm thick leaving webs of suds all the way up the glass when it's time for a refill.

Where does a brewer find dried wheat malt extract? And what's the % of wheat in it and the EBC?

The place I get my extracts doesn't have the Coopers wheat malt. Really itching to do a wheat beer...

 

[Phoney]

Just on a side note, when you boil orange peel & corriander, do you strain it out when adding to the fementer, or just throw the whole lot in?

 

[manticle]

I tend to throw things like that in.

Zest , not peel. Don't use peel.

 

[Phoney]

^OK so take off the zest with a grater, then throw that in?

Where does a brewer find dried wheat malt extract? And what's the % of wheat in it and the EBC?

Local home brew shop!

Otherwise try any of the 4 links to the online shops up the top of this page.

 

[manticle]

Yep. Those graters that have little holes designed to make worms from cheese are the best. Otherwise you could probably pick up a cheap zester from your local supermarket or hospitality supplier.

I throw everything in my fermenter. Depending on your processes it will either drop out or float. Either ways is fine because I never bottle the last couple of litres or so - avoiding sediment and floaties at the same time. I rack to secondary with most brews and have started cold conditioning as well as fining so I get very little of anything. A wee bit of orange zest would trouble me not one whit though.

 

[chappo1970]

^OK so take off the zest with a grater, then throw that in?

Grater or sharp knife. Just make sure to leave the pith (white part) behind it will add alot of undesirable bitterness and astringency to your brew. Yep I just chuck it all in.

Cheers

Chappo

 

[mwd]

Where does a brewer find dried wheat malt extract? And what's the % of wheat in it and the EBC?

The place I get my extracts doesn't have the Coopers wheat malt. Really itching to do a wheat beer...

C&G stock it in various sizes no idea on % or EBC though. I presume it is 100% wheat unlike the blends in liquid form from Coopers.

Its about double the price of normal barley DME. BTW

 

[DUANNE]

wouldnt all wheat malt have a propotion of barley say a minimum of 30%. otherwise where would the enzymes come from to convert the mash before it was concentrated and put in the can or dried out.

 

[manticle]

C&G stock it in various sizes no idea on % or EBC though. I presume it is 100% wheat unlike the blends in liquid form from Coopers.

Its about double the price of normal barley DME. BTW

Double?

On G & G website they offer wheat malt DME at 14.95 for 1kg.

They offer DME (presumably barley) for 9.95 (light) and 11.95 (dark).

More expensive yes, double no.
Liquid and grain prices seem comparable to barley.

 

[Phoney]

How is this for a recipe: (extract Hefeweizen clone)

3kg Coopers Wheat Extract
25g tettnang
500g Carapills mash in 3L of water at 67C @ 60 mins
sparge with another 2L.
Strain into stock pot then boil with tettnang @ 30mins

3068 yeast

What size batch would this be good for (19, 22 or 23?) and would you do anything different?

cheers in advance

 

[marlow_coates]

Cheers guys,
Carapils 300gms added to next recipe and will report back when I finally get round to it.

The zest of the orange was all I used, grated with fine cheese grater.
Only made about one full teaspoon worth, but didn't want to overdo it.
Strained out of boiled liquid with a fine collander/strainer, but as the guys said would be fine to leave in.

The wheat DME I got from LHBS as my usual store (sponsor) doesn't stock wheat DME unfortunately.
Cost $10 for 700gms, while pale DME is $10 for 1000gms

Would like to up it to maybe 75% wheat, but the store only had 2 packs left which meant I could only use 1.4kg, then the rest was light /pale DME.

Will see how we go next time
Cheers for the input

Marlow

 

[Nick JD]

How is this for a recipe: (extract Hefeweizen clone)

3kg Coopers Wheat Extract
25g tettnang
500g Carapills mash in 3L of water at 67C @ 60 mins
sparge with another 2L.
Strain into stock pot then boil with tettnang @ 30mins

3068 yeast

What size batch would this be good for (19, 22 or 23?) and would you do anything different?

cheers in advance

That's almost exactly what I'm going to do, but only 350g carapils and boil the Tet for 60 min for 23L. S-04 yeast.

Could do with maybe 500g dextrose too just to beef it up.

 

[seemax]

If you're bothering to steep carapils, I would suggest going to the extra effort and doing a mini mash of 50/50 wheat/pils grain.. or try a 50/50 weetbix/pils grain for a touch of the 'wit'. Even 500g of each with do it... try a small scale BIAB mash, simple with only the need for a bag.

 

[manticle]

I did this one for a wheat beer that turned out pretty well (minimash/partial):

500g Wheat malt
500g ale grain
500g crystal malt
1.5kg pale LME
1kg LDME
1 kg cellar plus wheat malt mix

Hops:
10g Hallertauer (4.25% AA, 60 min.)
10g Tettnanger (4.5% AA, 60 min.)
10g Hallertauer (4.25% AA, 30 min.)
10g Hallertauer (4.25% AA, 15 min.)
10g Saaz (3.75% AA, 15 min.)
10g Tettnanger (4.5% AA, 15 min.)
10g Hallertauer (aroma)
20g Saaz (aroma)
10g Tettnanger (aroma)