Brewed this guy a week ago. The recipe is adapted from an extract version I found here. Took a sample today before adding the watermelon and it's really yummy. Nice clean wheat flavor with just a little tang to it. OG 1.038, FG 1.010.
I fermented it at 66-68F. I used Wyeast 1010 for the first time. I have never smelled anything so awful while this was fermenting. It made apfelwein fermentation smell like a flower garden.
I racked it into the keg today on top of the watermelon juice. I puree'd enough watermelon in my blender to get 2.5 cups of juice after running it through a paint strainer.
It'll probably be in the keg another 2-3 weeks before there's room in my fridge for it. I've never done a real fruit juice addition before - will the residual sugar in the watermelon juice wake up the yeast?
Mash In: Add 12.75 qt of water at 164.4 F
60 min - Hold mash at 154.0 F for 60 min
-- Drain Mash Tun
-- Batch Sparge Round 1: Sparge with 4.50 gal of 168.0 F water.
-- Add water to achieve boil volume of 6.42 gal
-- Estimated Pre-boil Gravity is: 1.039 SG with all grains/extracts added
60 min 0.50 oz Pearle [8.20 %] (60 min) Hops
15 min 0.25 oz Pearle [8.20 %] (15 min) Hops
5 min 0.25 oz Pearle [8.20 %] (5 min)
I'm curious to see how this works out. Never had a watermellon brew before. The added sugar of the mellon will be gobbled up by the yeasties, but since you are kegging, its not big deal.
Sounds good, the the layout looks good. I'm kinda suprised to not see any flake wheat in there. I'm also wondering if 2.5 cups of watermelon jucie is enough to impart any flavor in 5 gal. of brew?
Also, how much melon did it take to get 2.5 cups?
I'm curious because, for one i've got a couple crimson watermelon plants in my garden and two i've been wanting to throw a little fruit in my house wheat recipe. Just haven't been convinced on what yet.
Sounds good, the the layout looks good. I'm kinda suprised to not see any flake wheat in there. I'm also wondering if 2.5 cups of watermelon jucie is enough to impart any flavor in 5 gal. of brew?
Also, how much melon did it take to get 2.5 cups?
I'm curious because, for one i've got a couple crimson watermelon plants in my garden and two i've been wanting to throw a little fruit in my house wheat recipe. Just haven't been convinced on what yet.
Oh, and it's just for the SWMBO, right?
Well, I don't want an overpowering watermelon flavor, so I thought I'd start on the light side. I can always brew it again with more.
It took a little less than 1/2 of a soccer ball-sized seedless watermelon.
hah, actually I'm trying to recreate a beer that I had at a brewpub in RI last summer. I got their sampler, of course, and was all ready to hate on their watermelon wheat. As soon as I took a sip I was a believer. It was delicious - the watermelon was perfect against the wheat. That was a great trip. My wife even talked her way into the brew house
Maybe wheats just make a good backdrop for flavors. I made an apricot wheat for my annual Oktoberfest party last year and it was a *huge* hit. That one used apricot flavoring from a bottle, though.
Sounds good, you will have to let us know how it turns out. I usually brew really hoppy beers but it would be nice to have something like this for the normal folks.
I usually brew really hoppy beers but it would be nice to have something like this for the normal folks.
the hop schedule nostalgia gives you is about 20 IBU's, give or take, so for any wheat i've brewed this is on the high end.
i'm curious about the addition of juiced watermelon into a secondary with no sterilization. are you supposed to boil it? or does that take something away?
I used 2.5 cups of watermelon juice in my watermelon wheat (for almost 6 gallons). It's only slightly detectable, which is good. I kept it at 65 degrees so the watermelon juice fermented before I kegged it. It turned out to be a really good beer. I used Dude's honey wheat recipe, but with a few substitutions. I might never make it again (not much for wheat beers, or for fruit beers) but I'm happy with the way it turned out.
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I just sanitized the containers I used. I didn't want to boil the juice, and I'm not too worried about the inside of a watermelon being unsanitary. I also reasoned that primary fermentation is done, so there should be enough alcohol to keep things happy.
We shall see Every time I walk by the keg I burp the pressure release valve, and it's well-pressurized, so those yeasties are working on the watermelon.
Watermelon wheat
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