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Wheat beer

  • 05-05-2012 11:23am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭


    Hi folks,

    looking to do a Belgian/American wit. Here's what I have at my disposal:

    a few kg of maris otter
    500g flaked oats
    1kg extra light malt extract
    1kg wheat flakes
    400g wheat malt extract
    EK Goldings

    Corriander seeds
    Orange zest

    Safale us-05

    Im looking to do something similar to blue moon, hence the safale us05 as I read it used a neutral strain and other brewers have had good results using it.

    To date I have only done extract brews, steeping etc. I would quite like to move into partial mashing. I've read many different methods to reproduce blue moon but would appreciate some advice from fellow boardsies? :D


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭mayto


    A partial mash with wheat flakes and oats might be very sticky and could get a stuck mash. But you just stir it up again, let it rest for 10 min and strain again. You will have to mash the flaked wheat and oats with a base malt like your maris otter to add enzymes for conversion. Do you have a mash tun or a container to do the mash in? Going all-grain with a mash tun really is great and probaly a lot easier to make up a recipe than parial mashing.


  • Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭scrapsmac


    no i don't have a mashtun yet :(

    I had planned on using a pot and regulating the temp with a towel. I might scale the brew down also just as a trial run.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,381 ✭✭✭oblivious


    scrapsmac wrote: »
    no i don't have a mashtun yet :(

    I had planned on using a pot and regulating the temp with a towel. I might scale the brew down also just as a trial run.

    Here is a great way to do a Partial-Mash in your oven

    http://www.byo.com/stories/techniques/article/indices/48-partial-mashing/198-beer-the-partial-mash-way


  • Registered Users Posts: 174 ✭✭lordstilton


    Alot of the flavour in wheat beer is from the phenols the yeast produces.. the banana and clove flavours all derive from the yeast..You'll get a perfectly good beer from what you have but don't expect it to be like a wheat beer you use too..Do yourself a favour and get some liquid wheat yeast. It will make a big difference to your beer.


  • Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭scrapsmac


    thanks for the tips lads!

    I've been playing around with beersmith and beer tools but I'm getting mighty confused with water quantities.

    Can anyone give me some help or advice if I'm looking to do a standard 23litre batch?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭mayto


    I did up a recipe using some of the ingredients you have. Mash the grains using the method oblivious posted from byo site. Mash the grains in about 8L water at about 68C. Add all the wort you get from the grains to your boiler and top up with water to 26L. When the water in boiler is near boiling, turn off the heat to your boiler and add your malt extract, stirring well. You turn off the heat when adding the malt extract so you will not scortch the extract. Turn the heat back on and wait for a rolling boil before adding hops.

    Category: Belgian and French Ale
    Subcategory: Witbier
    Recipe Type: Partial Mash
    Batch Size: 23 L
    Volume Boiled: 22.71 L
    Mash Efficiency: 72 %
    Total Grain/Extract: 3.80 kg
    Total Hops: 25.0 g
    Calories (12 fl. oz.): 145.3
    Cost to Brew: $37.39 (USD)
    Cost per Bottle (12 fl. oz.): $0.58 (USD)

    Ingredients
    1.4 kg Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt
    1 kg Dry Extra Light
    .4 kg Wheat Dry
    .5 kg Wheat Flaked
    .5 kg Oats Flaked
    25 g East Kent Goldings (Whole, 5.00 %AA) boiled 60 minutes.
    15 g Corriander crushed (not included in calculations)
    35 g Orange zest (not included in calculations)
    Yeast: Fermentis US-05 Safale US-05

    Notes


    Vital Statistics
    Original Gravity: 1.044
    Terminal Gravity: 1.009
    Color: 3.89 SRM
    Bitterness: 16.0 IBU
    Alcohol (%volume): 4.6 %


  • Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭scrapsmac


    Thanks mayto! You've helped me out big time. The sooner I learn to use beersmith properly the better lol

    I'll be sure to let you all know how I get on.

    On a side note, I have an experimental vimto/apple cider brewing. Only 4 litres using a 5 litre water bottle.


  • Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭scrapsmac


    Mayto, What volume of water would you recommend for sparging? I plan on simply pouring it over the grains in a colander!


  • Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭mayto


    Only guessing but about 8 to 10 litres of water at about 80C. Ideally you do not want any bits of grains in the boiler so maybe try putting something like a hop bag in the collander to catch the grains. You can rinse out the grains too much to exract tanins so really do not want to over sparge either. You finally want about 26L of wort in the boiler including your added malt extract, to end up with 23L after an hours boil.


  • Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭scrapsmac


    Right lads, im going to give this a go when I get a free day next weekend!

    I have decided to do a smaller brew however, roughly half so 11.5 litres. My oven is on the small side unfortunately. It also means I won't have wasted a heap of ingredients if i mess up

    I take it I just half all the quantities outlined above? Time remains the same though?


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  • Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭mayto


    Half the quantities and it should be fine for a 11.5 litre batch alright. You should be looking at about 13L of wort for the boil.


  • Registered Users Posts: 286 ✭✭scrapsmac


    One last question, what strike temperature should I be looking to hit before I add my grains? Also, as I am now doing a smaller batch, do I only need to pitch half the packet of safale us-05? I'm going to try this brew today! Wish me luck!


  • Registered Users Posts: 849 ✭✭✭mayto


    Preheat the vessel you are using for the mash with some boiling water first. Leave for a minute or two, then empty. Add strike water at about 75C to your mashing vessel and then mix the grains well avoiding dry clumps(doughballs). Have some boiling water and some cool water ready to add if mash too cold or warm. You usually aim for about 67C and keep within the 65C to 69C range. Its hard to judge what temperature to have strike water for first brew as it depends what temp mash container absorbs and the grain temp.


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