American Honey-Lemon Wheat Recipe Help

So the SWMBO likes Honey Moon, the summer Blue Moon variant. So when the LHBS sent this month's recipe card labeled American Honey-Lemon Wheat she told me I should brew it. If she is on board with any brewing this is a good thing. Problem is that I really dislike Honey Moon as it's too sweet. She is on board to lessen the sweetness a bit and I am struggling a bit with how to do so.

The original recipe:
6 lbs Wheat Malt Extract
1/2 Lbs Crystal 10
1/2 Lbs Vienna
1/4 Lbs Honey Malt
1 oz Spalt Select, 60 Min
1 oz Dried Lemon Peel (5 Min)
1 Lbs Honey (5 min)
American Hefeweizen Yeast WLP 320 or Wyeast 1010

This will be the first time brewing with honey and honey malt so I don't know quite what to expect.

The guy at the LHBS store said it didn't matter if I used LME or DME, I am planning on using LME as I have a bunch already.

I plan on doing a full boil starting with 7 gal. The results I input into Brewsmith put the IBUs at the low end of the style range (16.6 in a range of 15-30). The Bitterness Ratio is also sweet at 0.357.

I thought of perhaps upping the hops to 1.3 oz to get it right in the middle in terms of bitterness.

I also thought of adding some ground coriander but I want to make the flavor too much.

Finally I am a little worried about using WLP 320 as I don't want that banana flavor common if hefe's and am thinking Wyeast 1010 might be a better choice?

I am wondering if anyone with more experience with honey and these type beers and provide any better recommendations? I would appreciate any and all help!

Thanks

I just learned this from listening to "The Jamil Show" on Northern Brewer's site. Jamil says to use a Kolsch yeast for American Hefe. You won't get the banana and clove flavor and the yeast has notoriously low flocculation.

Let us know how it turns out!

3 Dog Brew said:

I just learned this from listening to "The Jamil Show" on Northern Brewer's site. Jamil says to use a Kolsch yeast for American Hefe. You won't get the banana and clove flavor and the yeast has notoriously low flocculation.

Let us know how it turns out!

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That's good to know. The last American wheat I brewed I used Wyeast 2565 and it turned out great. I am glad you said something, I will go pick some up!

I always use kolsch yeast in my American Wheats. It's excellent.
You could probably drop the crystal to lower the sweetness a little.