Multiple - watermelon wheat

ben the brewman · 09-07-2008, 05:39 AM

Recipe Type: Extract
Yeast: safebrew wb-06
Yeast Starter: no
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1.050
Final Gravity: 1.012
IBU: 23.2
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 5.1
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7
Tasting Notes: the wb-06 has a slightly tart flavor that goes well with the watermelon & dextrine

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5 gal
Boil Size: 6 gal
Estimated OG: 1.045 SG
Estimated Color: 5.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 23.2 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.50 lb Wheat LME (4 SRM) Extract 64.7%
0.50 lb Aromatic Malt , Belgium (25 SRM) Grain 2.9 %
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 5.9 %
1.00 lb Honey 11.8%
0.50 oz Perle [8.25 %] (60 min) Hops 19 IBU
0.25 oz Perle [8.25 %] (15 min) Hops 2.5 IBU
0.25 oz Perle [8.25 %] ( 5 min) Hops 1.6 IBU
1 Pkgs German Wheat Yeast (Safebrew wb-06) Yeast-Wheat

2.5 cups of watermelon juice

-steeped all grains @155 deg for 30 min.
-added 1 pound of LME at the start of the boil along with the .50oz perle hops
-added the rest of the LME and honey at 15 min when i also added the .25oz perle hops
-added 2.5 cups of watermelon juice in the secondary

next time i brew this im gonna use a belgin wit yeast.

im planing on entering it into a homebrew contest i will post the results when i get them back.

Differnt yeast options

Whitelabs American Hefeweizen (wlp320)
Wyeast American Wheat (1010)

shagington · 09-07-2008, 03:06 PM

I brewed a Watermelon Witbier, and it was pretty tart but had hints of melon in it, not much watermelon though. How does the watermelon shine through? I pureed the watermelon meat though and dumped it in, so maybe the juice adds more flavor? Also, how did you get the juice? Squeeze the watermelon in cheesecloth? Sounds like a winner recipe to me! Cheers!

ben the brewman · 09-07-2008, 03:49 PM

i did puree the mellon and poured the juice through a strainer bag. the watermelon flavor in this beer was perfect its not overpowering and deffinatly noticable espicaly in the aftertaste.

shagington · 09-07-2008, 06:19 PM

Nice! That is where my problem lies. I dumped the pureed watermelon straight into the fermenter and did not strain it to collect the juice. More of the flavor is in that juice and not in the pulpy mess I dumped into the fermenter. Thanks !!

ben the brewman · 09-07-2008, 07:35 PM

let me know how your next batch turns out with the juice.

shagington · 09-07-2008, 10:42 PM

Sure thing!

SteveStLoo · 09-09-2008, 02:05 PM

I plan on trying this.. would I have to adjust anything to do a smaller boil? (Starting with say, 2 gallons of water instead of a full boil?)

ben the brewman · 09-09-2008, 05:59 PM

you dont need to do any to adjust it. just add the amount of water you need to your fermenter after adding the wort into it. the yeast i used is slightly tart but it goes well with the watermelon if you want you can try some of the american wheat yeasts or 1056. good luck and let me know how it turns out.

SteveStLoo · 09-09-2008, 08:02 PM

Ill stick to the recipe this time around.. it will only be my 3rd brew ever, so Im not looking to modify much.. i think a little tart will only help the watermelon stand out..

ben the brewman · 09-10-2008, 12:53 AM

all grain option is 4.5lbs wheat malt and 3lbs 2row malt