Fruit Beer watermelon wheat

did you pasteurize the juice before adding to secondary

I brewed a watermelon wheat and it was delicious!
5 gallon batch
6lbs Bavarian Wheat DME
1oz Hallatauer at 60 min
1oz Hallertauer at 5 min
US-05 rehydrated
After 7 days in primary I put in 9lbs of yellow watermelon yes YELLOW (that had been frozen and thawed) right on top in primary bucket. Waited 7 more days and removed watermelon then put in secondary for 2 weeks. At kegging I put in 1/2 an ounce of watermelon flavoring because I couldn't really taste the melon. Wow! after it was carbed the watermelon flavor was so good. The more it sat the better it got. My brew club loved it! Going to brew it again next weekend. Make sure you wash the outside of the melons with soap and water and sanitize melons, freezer bags, scoop, knife and counter

Three questions:

1. Can I use 2 cans of Thomas Cooper's wheat extract? It's the only one I can get.

2. The yeast, I'm using SafBrew WB-06, do I just rehydrate then pitch? Or can I just sprinkle on top?

3. Can I leave out the Aromatic malt?

AgentPooky said:

Three questions:

1. Can I use 2 cans of Thomas Cooper's wheat extract? It's the only one I can get.

2. The yeast, I'm using SafBrew WB-06, do I just rehydrate then pitch? Or can I just sprinkle on top?

3. Can I leave out the Aromatic malt?

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Yes that extract is just fine. You can rehydrate or sprinkle it on top lots of people do it both ways. I see no reason why you couldn't leave the aromatic out of it at all. It will still come out great!

ben the brewman said:

Yes that extract is just fine. You can rehydrate or sprinkle it on top lots of people do it both ways. I see no reason why you couldn't leave the aromatic out of it at all. It will still come out great!

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Thank you!

Wow, what an awesome brew. Just tapped my keg and it was nothing but awesomeness... Added 4.5 cups of fresh squeezed watermelon juice to secondary and it was just perfect. Nice wheat flavor up front with a soft watermelon taste on the back end...

lilrokz06 said:

Wow, what an awesome brew. Just tapped my keg and it was nothing but awesomeness... Added 4.5 cups of fresh squeezed watermelon juice to secondary and it was just perfect. Nice wheat flavor up front with a soft watermelon taste on the back end...

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I'm glad you like it! I'm opening a brew pub in a few months and it will be on tap every year when watermelons are in season.

Im looking to make this soon can anyone tell how long it took from brew day to glass.
thanks

It really doesn't take any longer than any beer that you would dry hop. Figure 3 weeks fermentation and then bottle conditioning.

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Mine has been in the primary 12 days now and I won't be able to secondary until 4 days from now. Wonder how this will affect the beer?

I think you will be just fine. I wouldn't worry about it at all.

How long to bottle condition? 3-4 weeks is standard for great tasting homebrews!

3-4 weeks sounds good to me man.

I brewed a Cream Ale last week using Wyeast 2565 Kolsch yeast. I am planning on lagering this like a standard Cream Ale but I have never lagered anything, I also want to add watermelon juice to this as well. In reading through this forum it seems like 3 cups of juice should be a good starting point. My question is: should I add the juice to the secondary then let it sit at about ambient temp or add the juice and lager right away for 3-4 weeks? Today is 8 days in fermenter (OG 1.048, FG as of yesterday 1.010) It seems like in order for the sugars in the juice to ferment out the best it would make most sense to let it sit in the secondary for a week or so then lager for a while. My current ambient temp is about 58-60 (basement) but it fermented at about 68 degrees in a different part of my house.

My second question is regarding lagering. Is it best to do the extended time lagering in the secondary or in a keg or does it matter? Will it clarify better if I lager in secondary then keg? Any input is much appreciated.

I just brewed this at my brewery in Jackson, TN. The primary has slowed and I added 6 gallons of cold pressed watermelon juice from 16 watermelons yesterday! Very excited to get this beer on tap!

Hey guys,

Since I don't secondary is there anything wrong with putting the watermelon juice into the primary fermenter after the primary fermentation has completed? Any input would be greatly appreciated!

I would like to see some more various photos of the beer in the glass to get an idea of the color of anyone pours one soon. Thanks!

Don't have any pics from mine, there was very little color though. Looked like an amber.

Has anyone brewed this recently?