Wheat beer question

I saw a 'Simple Wheat Beer' recipe on line that I wrote down that just used extract and hops .Two 3.3 cans and two pacs hops and pac of yeast for a 5gal batch.

Local shop didnt have any wheat extract but had Briess wheat malt (grain).
I picked up two lbs.

I also picked up one pound of Crystal Malt 40L .( Thought it may boost the fermentation as I didnt know how wheat did)

Only hops they had with mention of being used for wheat was Mt.Hood and I got one packet, which I planned on dividing for adding half at beginning of boil and half last 15 minutes.

I am wanting to make a half batch of 2.5 gal .

My question is , will the malts above be the equal of the the above extracts if the extracts were divided in half ?

As you can tell Ive never done an all grain

Am I even close ???????

That's a lot of crystal malt for 2.5 gal batch. Did you get the grains milled?

If it were me, I'd wait until I could get my hands on the ingredients for the beer I wanted to brew. However, you could make beer with what you've got, just don't expect it to be like the original recipe.

You're going to need to mash those grains - but they need to be milled. Look at the brew in a bag (BIAB) sticky in the All Grain forum. That's going to be your best bet. I don't know what the original recipe called for, but mashing those grains will get you about 1.030-1.035 - probably lower than what you wanted.

Finally, I don't know where you are, but it sounds like your LHBS has a poor selection. I'd say to either shop somewhere else or check out one of the online retailers.

If you do a partial mash it will convert the starch to sugar which would mean you wouldn't need as much extract.

If you are going to steep the wheat you will get some of the wheat flavor and will need the two cans of LME to match the gravity of the recipe.

Ive made plenty of wheat beers, both extract and all grain, but never by steeping wheat. Perhaps someone that has tried it will comment as well.

How much malt extract did you buy?

Hello, If the 2 cans = 3.3 lbs each, you will be a bit light with only 3 lbs of grain, when converting from extract to all-grain most of the time you will use a bit more grain in lbs than extract in lbs.

I would guess around 3.75 Lbs of grain would be close, Im having to guess since I cant access BeerSmith right now.

Also you will need to grind your grain and do a mash, just a fyi.

Cheers

I just finished making a roller with 3" x 6" knurled rolls and 5" pulley on driven and 2.75" on 3/4hp 1725 motor . I guessed it would be around 700rpm . It works pretty good and rolls are set about .050"

Only yeast they had was S-04 and a lager type and I got a pack of S-04.

Ok , how about cutting back to a 2 gal batch ?

I have a partial bag of Amber Briess DME in pantry if it would help it ?

About 8 oz of roasted barley left over from a porter too.

Any of this help make this ?

Wheat extract is a blend of wheat and barley- usually 35% wheat, 65% barley.

You don't have enough base malt for a 2.5 gallon batch. You need a couple of pounds of two-row. In general, 1 pound grain = .75 pound LME = .6 pound DME, so for a 3.3 pound LME sub you need approxiately 4.50 pounds of grain. You're far short. The caramel malt doesn't substitute at all for base malt- it gives color and sweetness and caramel flavor to the beer, but it doesn't reduce the need for an appropriate amount of base malt or extract.

"Wheat beers" aren't made of 100% wheat. I doubt you'd like the flavor of a beer made with 100% wheat.

If you want to use the amber DME, how much of it do you have?

A partial bag of DME really doesn't tell us much, to better help you we need amounts, I agree that 1 lb of crystal 60 is to much for a 2.5 gal batch.

Ill just toss this out there, BIAB would be a easy way to do your first all-grain.

2 lbs wheat grain
2 to 4 oz cristal 60
1 1/2 lb amber DME
1/2 oz hops @ 60 min in the boil
1/4 to 1/2 oz hops @ 15 min in the boil

grind grains, I use 38 to 40 thousand on my mill.
Mash grains in Bag at 152 deg for 60 min.
if you would like to try a mahout raise mash/grain temp (stir grains in bag) to 168 for 10 min.
Remove grains.
Boil and add your hops
Add DME at 15 min.

This will not make the same beer as the LME can batch, but it should make a good amber/wheat beer.

Maybe some one can jump in here and help with the water volume as I can't get into BeerSmith.

Best guess on water volume, about 3.2/3 gal.

Hope this helps!

Cheers

Yooper......I have 1lb of Breiss Golden and 6lb of Breiss Amber.

WileyCoyote ........Im just wanting to try an grain type as I havent . Thought a wheat would be good as I havent had a wheat beer either Always been a fan of darks but thought bout giving a wheat a try .

I say go for it, I like Amber/Wheats and All-Grain is really not hard to do, its really easy when doing BIAB.

Cheers

Ill have a look at BIAB. I have some unbleached muslin material I used for straining fruit for jelly that should work ?

Yes that will work, or use a new paint strainer bag ether 1 or 2-1 gal bags depending if the grain will fit, or 1-5 gal bag

Cool ! Ill give it a go and see what happens !

Thanks !!!!!

Please let me know how it go's and how it turns out

Good Luck

I just want to mention again that 100% wheat beers aren't great tasting. You can definitely do what you want to do, as it's your beer, but I wouldn't.

Even commercial "wheat beers" are less than 70% wheat, and often 50% or less.

Using a bag for your mash means you won't have lautering problems, but this beer will be tart and grainy (from the wheat) and very very murky from the protein in the wheat.

In any case, I've said it before so I'll bow out but I did want to just make the point again in case you might want to think about it.

The extract commonly purchased as "wheat extract" is usually 35% wheat and 65% barley. There is a reason.

Im always open to learning . As this is new territory for me and need all the help I can get for sure.

If you use the Amber DME in it, it won't be an all wheat beer.

It will only be about 65% wheat.

Cheers

Ok , Ive been thinking on this and from the info above it looks like I need equivelent of a 3.3 # tin of extract .So the 2# wheat malt equals 1.2# of extract and if I add 2.1# of DME that would get me the 3.3# needed for a half batch ? Then add in rest of Wily's ingredients (but not in this order)
That should get me below the 'grainy and tart' wheat taste shouldnt it ?

Watcha think ?

Hayseed said:

Ok , Ive been thinking on this and from the info above it looks like I need equivelent of a 3.3 # tin of extract .So the 2# wheat malt equals 1.2# of extract and if I add 2.1# of DME that would get me the 3.3# needed for a half batch ? Then add in rest of Wily's ingredients (but not in this order)
That should get me below the 'grainy and tart' wheat taste shouldnt it ?

Watcha think ?

Click to expand...

Yes, that would work! And whatever hops you choose for the additions, of course.

Great ! I exchanged the Amber for the Golden today and now to get some water made up and in fridge.

Thank you for input !!

Well , now we see what I get

Ran the Crystal 40 through my new homespun roller/grinder and then the wheat malt and it did a good job . Had probably 90% or so hulls from the barley and the wheat looked a little like Zoom cereal.

Used :
2# wheat
4oz. Crystal 40
2# Breiss Golden DME @15 min
1/2 oz. Mt Hood hops @ 60 min
1/2 oz. Mt Hood @ 15 min
Safale S-04

O.G. 1.047 @ 70deg

I used the Voile 100% polyester material from WalMart for a BIAB .

That BIAB made this an uneventful job !!

Brought 2-3/4 gal water to 152-4 deg and added grains and 1/2 hops in bag ,stirred for a bit , shut off heat and covered with towels . It held right at temp for an hour.

Brought temp up to 170 degwhile stirring and shut heat off and stirred for 10 mins . Removed from heat , removed bag with mush from pot and used a strainer on top of pot to let bag drain.

Brought pot to boil for 45 min , added DME and bagged 1/2 of hops for another 15 min .

After pot cooled in ice bath to 70 deg I pulled a sample for test jar. Had a
1.068 reading !!

My 2-3/4 gal before boil turned into 2 gal when put in fermenter bucket ! Thats why the high reading .

I topped off in bucket with 1/2 gal of my sterile water to 2.5 gal and pulled another sample .

Sample didnt taste too bad considering the must still in the wort. Sweet and a tart twang to it .

This time it was 1.047 .

Added the packet of yeast and swirled in .

I put a blowoff tube in some water in case it goes nuts like my Porter did !

This sound about right ??

Friday and today I had a 1.010 sample reading ,must be done already ? Ill give it to next weekend and see .................

Sounds like it's right on track. Most people will recommend a letting it sit in the fermentor for a couple of weeks to let it mature a little. The yeast will clean up some of the byproducts during that time as they prepare for dormancy.

What temperature did you ferment at?

It was at room temp 70-75 most of the time .One morning when I got up and it was dorment as it was 60 in house , had windows open and it dropped to 30 outside! I put a 60 watt lamp under it until it warmed up in house .

Temperature will effect the flavor that the yeast produce. For most ales 65°F is ideal, and the yeast will ferment down to about 60°. Temperature stability is also important. Fluctuations in temperature will cause shock excretions or "yeast sweat" as the yeast work to adapt to the new conditions.

I'm sure your beer will come out fine. The temperature explains the rate of fermentation, and may explain some flavors.

Well .........this afternoon was 5th day of 1.010 so it got primed and bottled . 24 bottles plus about 10oz glass full . It was pretty clear as far as sediment . I threw in a handfull of ice to chill the glassfull for a bit before plucking ice out . Tastes pretty good for being flat !! Wifey even liked it and she isnt a beer drinker !

Hello, Just an FYI, your bittering hops go in the boil @ 60 min, you said you put them in the mash, few recipes add hops to the mash.

If I read the dates right? you bottled you beer after 7 days? IMO thats a bit soon to bottle and just because your hydrometer readings are stable doesn't mean its finished (Yes I have read all about quick brews) Ill say it once again IMO yeast need time to finish cleaning up after there selves and IMO good beer takes time.

Most of my beers are 10 to 20 days in primary, 6 to 10+ weeks in keg aging, 10 to 14 days on the gas at 9 psi, I have found that at least 2 1/2 months or longer depending on the brew, really helps makes a brew great tasting, the flavors need time to meld, I have yet to taste a young beer thats great tasting.

I know others brew and like young beer and everyone has there opinion, I have not been able to pull that off yet, IMO slow down, take your time, let your beer age and enjoy it.

I hope my thoughts help you make good beer.

Cheers

W E C , thank you ! Thats why Im here , to learn .

You say to leave it work longer even tho' the hyd is stable. Will there still be enough live yeast for priming after a long time in fermenter ?

Hayseed said:

W E C , thank you ! Thats why Im here , to learn .

You say to leave it work longer even tho' the hyd is stable. Will there still be enough live yeast for priming after a long time in fermenter ?

Click to expand...

Yes, the yeast are just asleep waiting for more food/sugar

Cheers

My last few batches I've been using Briess Bavarian Wheat LME with Briess Bavarian Wheat DME....I love it, it comes out tasting great. Great color, great head and nice flavor.

Put a bottle in fridge this morn and cracked it open a bit ago and had 2" of head in glass even tipping more than 45 deg to reduce foam !

That is good stuff !! Ill be making a full batch of that ! First wheat beer Ive ever taste . Amazing !

Guess I need to get out more ! lol lol !!

CONGRATS Hayseed, Im really glad to hear your beer came out good, nice job, get brewing !

Cheers

I just finished brewing my German wheat beer and can't wait for the day to twist that cap off the bottle and have a taste. It will be my first aswell so I'm looking forward to it. Congrats on your first wheat beer and I hope it does taste amazing! Cheers..