Critique my Peach-Ginger Wheat (AG)

RoaringBrewer · 03-19-2008, 07:28 PM

So, I want to brew something up to celebrate spring and the coming of summer. Plus the SWMBO likes sweet/fruity beers. She's pretty flexible seeing as she also drinks IPA happily, but I think she is wanting a fruit-wheat lately. So, after doing research I have decided to go the black tea route, as opposed to the whole fruit or peach puree route. Brewtopia has done this successfully and supposedly got the idea from Dogfish Head. So, one of our well respected members and one of the most popular micros in the US believe brewing with teas works. I figure I'll give it a shot also... plus its a heck of a lot easier than working with real fruit!

Here's the Beersmith for my version:

Recipe: RBBC Peach Wit Ale
Brewer: RoaringBrewer
Style: Fruit Beer
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.20 gal
Estimated OG: 1.047 SG
Estimated Color: 4.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 15.3 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.50 lb Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 50.00 %
3.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (3.0 SRM) Grain 38.89 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 5.56 %
0.50 lb Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM) Adjunct 5.56 %
1.00 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] (60 min)Hops 15.3 IBU
3.50 oz Sweet Ginger Peach Black Tea (Boil 3.0 min) Bulk Tea
1 Pkgs American Hefeweizen Ale (White Labs #WLP32 Yeast-Wheat)

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 9.00 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 11.25 qt of water at 163.7 F 152.0 F

NOTES: Republic of Tea brand bulk black tea (in a can - for use with tea-balls or
whatnot) or Revolution brand tea. I am using the Revolution as I can't find RoT
around here. This is still bulk tea, its just split into diffuser packets which actually
appear to be made of very small gauge stainless steel mesh?! E.g. high quality diffusers, not the normal paper type you get with Lipton. I'll either just throw
all 42 of the packets (3 boxes) into a hop bag or I'll open each one and put into
a hop bag. RoT would be easier b/c you could just dump the whole can into a hop
bag. The tea itself though is identical b/w RoT and Revolution. STEEP FOR 3-5 MINS
AT FLAME-OUT per Brewtopia suggestion (he boiled his for 60 min, thinks better results will come at flameout). I am drinking one of the teas (in water) now and it has a great peach nose, but the peach/ginger flavor is definitely mild. It should NOT overpower the brew IMO. Ferment in primary for ~10-14 days, then keg at 2.8 volumes CO2.

Anyway, particularly interested to hear your thoughts on mash temp and yeast choice if nothing else.

Saint Arnould · 03-19-2008, 07:49 PM

In my very humble and noob opinion, I think maybe the hefe yeast will compete with the tea. I would either rein in the fermentation temps (65-68) or use a less estery strain, like the American or the Bavarian Wyeast ones.

RoaringBrewer · 03-19-2008, 07:53 PM

I thought about this (and it very well may be a founded opinion), but it seemed everyone else who's ever made this (only a few people) used hefe strains or even abbey strains (very estery)... I originally had planned to go with just a normal old S-05 dry yeast.

Anyway, this is why I posted, to see what the consensus is!

FWIW, I ferment most of my ales at 62-65F, as opposed to 68-72...

EDIT: For those who aren't aware. Here is the description from White Labs:

WLP320 American Hefeweizen Ale Yeast
This yeast is used to produce the Oregon style American Hefeweizen. Unlike WLP300, this yeast produces a very slight amount of the banana and clove notes. It produces some sulfur, but is otherwise a clean fermenting yeast, which does not flocculate well, producing a cloudy beer.

Ryan_PA · 03-19-2008, 10:03 PM

Seems like a fairly solid brew to me. I would be interested to atually try one of these.

RoaringBrewer · 03-20-2008, 01:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ryan_PA

Seems like a fairly solid brew to me. I would be interested to atually try one of these.

Maybe I can bottle some up and ship you some (with other brews I have at that time). You are in PA so shipping should be cheap... Of course only brewing Saturday so it will be a couple weeks at least...

I need to build my BMBF though. I have all the parts, just been lazy!

**Brewtopia** · 03-20-2008, 03:07 AM

When I brewed the extract version of my Ginger Peach Hefe, I brought my brew water to a boil, shut off the heat, steeped the tea for 5 minutes, removed. I then added my extract and brewed as normal. A lot of the peach character carried through to the finished beer.

When I brewed the all agrain version of the Blackberry Sage Porter which is also made with the Republic of Tea brand tea, I added the tea at flame out, steeped for 5 minutes and cooled. I felt like this method provided much more fruit aroma and flavor in the finished product.

Good luck with this and be sure and let us know how it turns out.

RoaringBrewer · 03-20-2008, 03:13 AM

Will do... thanks for all the help brewtopia. I think I will add tea at flameout. As I noted, I tried the tea I will be using and there is some peach flavor when you smack your lips afterwards, but its nothing crazy. The aroma is great though. I think its going to work nicely...

I think I'll stick with the american hefe yeast too. A little more complexity maybe while still pretty clean if I control temps to mid-60s and I build a starter (less stressed yeast, less esters). You used a hefe yeast (weihenstephanhoweveryousepllit?) correct?

If I decide against it I have a lot of neutral dry yeasts on hand... or I have Safbrew S-33 as well. Wonder how this would work out.

EDIT: Brewtopia - also wanted to add - i found a pic of your ginger-peach wheat and it looks very, clear... I was expecting a slightly cloudy beer (not that its a big deal) due to the use of low-flocculating hefe yeasts. Did you use a different yeast on one of the batches you brewed?

RoaringBrewer · 03-21-2008, 02:18 PM

Well - I've been out of town a few days and had no time to make a starter. I am brewing this tomorrow AM and won't be home tonight until about 10PM. Thus, no liquid yeast can be used...

I have S-05 for sure on hand, but I think I may try Safale S-33? It says its for belgian style wits or trappist ales. I always heard trappist yeasts were good candidates for fruity beers b/c they accentuate the fruitiness with the esters.

Anyone got thoughts on this? I want the beer to be more complex than say... a Magic Hat Hefeweizen (first american hefe that popped into my head) which I think is kind of bland. I think I'll get something like that with S-05, but not sure.

Thoughts?

brewt00l · 03-21-2008, 02:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoaringBrewer

Well - I've been out of town a few days and had no time to make a starter. I am brewing this tomorrow AM and won't be home tonight until about 10PM. Thus, no liquid yeast can be used...

I have S-05 for sure on hand, but I think I may try Safale S-33? It says its for belgian style wits or trappist ales. I always heard trappist yeasts were good candidates for fruity beers b/c they accentuate the fruitiness with the esters.

Anyone got thoughts on this? I want the beer to be more complex than say... a Magic Hat Hefeweizen (first american hefe that popped into my head) which I think is kind of bland. I think I'll get something like that with S-05, but not sure.

Thoughts?

Both are plenty neutral and 33 is the Edme strain so I dunno where they go off with that trappist/Belgian who-ha. T-58 is more up the alley of what you were talking about earlier in the thread IMHO/YMMV/BBQ

RoaringBrewer · 03-21-2008, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewt00l

Both are plenty neutral and 33 is the Edme strain so I dunno where they go off with that trappist/Belgian who-ha. T-58 is more up the alley of what you were talking about earlier in the thread IMHO/YMMV/BBQ

Wasn't aware the S-33 was Edme, but now I am... I was just going off what it says on the Fermentis website - it definitely says, "produces a wide range of beers including belgian wit and trappist". Haha, who knows...

Guess I'm OK to use it then... glad I didn't waste a good trappist style or belgian wit recipe by using the S-33!