Trying to Determine Partial Mash Proportions

escalante88 · 05-25-2010, 08:05 PM

I'm a newbie (started a month ago) and I've been trying to determine the correct ingredient proportions for a 5 gallon batch of partial mash honey wheat beer. I listed what my tentative recipe and the ingredients I have below, but I'm curious to see if anyone has any favorites, corrections, or suggestions. Here is what I am thinking, although I could be terribly off the mark:

Mash or steep (?) 2 lbs milled malted wheat, add 5 lbs. (?) Munton's wheat DME (55%/45%), 1 oz of Hallertau @ 60 minutes, and 1 oz of Hallertau @ 5-10 minutes, and pitch the W3638. Would this be too sweet? Should I also steep or mash the honey malt - or just add 1 lb. honey at flame-out? Holler at me with any suggestions or preferred proportions. Great to be a part of the forum!

Josh

*5 lbs Munton's Wheat DME (55%/45%), 5 lbs milled malted wheat, 2 oz Hallertau hop pellets, 1 lb. Gambrinus honey malt, 1 packet Wyeast 3638 Bavarian Wheat*

phatuna · 05-25-2010, 08:20 PM

Escalante, you might take a glance through the recipe database here http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/?daysprune=-1&order=desc&sort=replycount

You will see that it can be searched by # of replies. I figure the more action on the thread, the more times it's been tried and vetted out.

Take a look through the threads, notice some of the ingredients and percentages that tried and true recipes are using, then tweak them a little bit to make them your own. Then post them in the database if you make a really great one!

Ichthy · 05-25-2010, 08:32 PM

YOur DME is probably half 2row and half wheat. So, you probably don't want to try and mash 5 lbs of wheat, it needs 2 row to convert. Drop the wheat malt to 2.5 and add 2.5 lbs of 2 row.

escalante88 · 05-25-2010, 08:56 PM

Awesome - I looked through the recipe database for quite a bit and found only one recipe but its numbers and ingredients were different then what I am looking for unfortunately - 3 gallon batch size, LME, and so forth. I'm not sure if I'm experienced enough to significantly alter the recipe, but I will definitely search by number of replies - a great idea.

Ichthy, the Muntons (if this is 2-row, doesn't English 2 row have less diastatic activity?) DME is 55% wheat, 45% barley. So could I mash 2.5 lbs of wheat malt and 2.5 lbs of the 55/45 DME or would that be too much wheat and not enough diastatic activity? Do you suggest 2.5 lbs wheat malt and straight up 100% 2 row barley DME?

Will that make for enough fermentable sugars to hit 5% alcohol by volume? Would 6 row barley have more diastatic power and be more effective in converting the wheat starch to fermentable sugars? Sorry for all the questions - I want this batch to turn out tasty...

escalante88 · 05-25-2010, 08:58 PM

2.5 lbs. of straight up 100% 2 row barley DME - I forgot to say 2.5 lbs.

Ichthy · 05-25-2010, 09:12 PM

You can't mash with the DME, or at least I've never heard of anyone doing so. You would need to mash your 2.5lbs of wheat with actual 2row barley. A lot of hefe recipes are 50/50 wheat and 2row, so I think you'd be fine dropping the wheat to 2.5 and adding 2.5 lbs 2row. It shouldn't matter whether you use 2 or 6 row.

Also, go ahead and throw the honey malt in the mash.

I don't have my software in front of me, but do a search on google for "brewtarget" it's free and you can plug in all your numbers to calculate IBUs, OG, FG, etc. But you should be pretty close to 5% ABV.

phatuna · 05-25-2010, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by escalante88

Awesome - I looked through the recipe database for quite a bit and found only one recipe but its numbers and ingredients were different then what I am looking for unfortunately - 3 gallon batch size, LME, and so forth. I'm not sure if I'm experienced enough to significantly alter the recipe, but I will definitely search by number of replies - a great idea. ..

Escalante, the conversions are really fairly simple. some folks (like me) use software like http://www.beersmith.com/. You can also read up on converting in many articles like this one: http://home.roadrunner.com/~brewbeer/extract/pres.pdf

I think that you will find that being able to do the conversion will help you greatly as most recipe's are posted in all-grain, 5 and 10 gallons - assuming you will PM for a while.

escalante88 · 05-25-2010, 09:58 PM

Oh OK I was confused although I know you can't mash DME! Thanks guys I am downloading the software as I write this...

**DeathBrewer** · 05-27-2010, 06:18 PM

Hey, escalante88...your mailbox is full, so I'm posting my hefeweizen recipe here for ya:

3 lbs Wheat Malt
1-2 lbs Pilsner Malt (depends on how high in alcohol you want and your mash efficiency)
2 oz Aromatic Malt
3 lbs Wheat Dry Malt Extract
~10 IBUs of Tettnanger hops (or Hallertau, Saaz or even Fuggle) for 60 minutes of the boil
WLP300 in a 1L starter (or wyeast alternative)

Do a 90 minute total boil. Ferment in the low 60s.

Cold-crashing for a week or two after fermentation or filtering will give it the Kristall-weizen appearance and flavor by dropping out the yeast.

One of my favorites, I've made it many times.

escalante88 · 05-28-2010, 03:27 AM

Thanks DeathBrewer - Your recipe has inspired me to do a few more hours of much-needed research! I still have a few questions, however. Why the aromatic malts? I haven't seen these in any other recipes and was curious about them.

Also, why the 90 minute total boil time? Lastly, do you cold-crash in the secondary or in bottles, and at what temperature? This is my third batch and I really want it to come out well (Hence all the questions)! Here is my recipe as it stands right now:

5.5 Gallon Batch of Kristall Pistol:

3.30 lb Wheat DME
4.00 lb Wheat Malt
1.55 lb German Pilsner (2 row)
1.57 oz Hallertau (3% AA)
W3068 (with starter?)

OG = 1.055
FG = 1.013
Alc by Vol = 5.4%
IBUs = 15
CO2 = 3.0 % with 5.9 oz corn sugar

Upgraded my membership by the way, so inbox is no longer 5 deep... Thanks for all your help!