Wheat Wine Vs BW

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lupulin

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Hi everyone,

This is my first post here, but I have been brewing for a number of years and am active in my local HB club. About a year ago, I poised the question of making a Wheat wine vs. the usual barley wine and was advised to this recipe:

http://www.tastybrew.com/newrcp/detail/107

(I'm using a Mac, and for the life of me I don't know why I can't right click and make this a hyperlink, if anyone can give me a hint, I would be much obliged)

Anyway, it turned out pretty well, but I know my efficiency wasn't up to snuff, and I didn't make a yeast starter, so I am sure it could be much better. BTW, I also made a 2nd runnings beer that was quite good. This was the 3rd time I tried the 2nd runnings, and it was the first that was any good, the others were thin and (bite my tongue) over hopped.

So fast forward a year+, and I have acquired a 150 Qt cooler and made a CPVC manifold. I really want to go for it. So my questions are:

1) How would all you knowledgeable people alter the recipe
2) How would I really do it 'right' ie, a smaller beer to start with to build up a yeast colony. I have no problems with doing a batch before hand, starters, whatever it takes.
3) With such a large MLT, would/should I max out the cooler and draw off the first X gallons to make a huge beer :drunk:, then a 2nd :tank:, 3rd :mug:....?

thanks,
Lupulin

(Look at that, it was changed to a hyperlink automatically, kick ass!)
 
lupulin said:
Hi everyone,

This is my first post here, but I have been brewing for a number of years and am active in my local HB club. About a year ago, I poised the question of making a Wheat wine vs. the usual barley wine and was advised to this recipe:

http://www.tastybrew.com/newrcp/detail/107

(I'm using a Mac, and for the life of me I don't know why I can't right click and make this a hyperlink, if anyone can give me a hint, I would be much obliged)

Anyway, it turned out pretty well, but I know my efficiency wasn't up to snuff, and I didn't make a yeast starter, so I am sure it could be much better. BTW, I also made a 2nd runnings beer that was quite good. This was the 3rd time I tried the 2nd runnings, and it was the first that was any good, the others were thin and (bite my tongue) over hopped.

So fast forward a year+, and I have acquired a 150 Qt cooler and made a CPVC manifold. I really want to go for it. So my questions are:

1) How would all you knowledgeable people alter the recipe
2) How would I really do it 'right' ie, a smaller beer to start with to build up a yeast colony. I have no problems with doing a batch before hand, starters, whatever it takes.
3) With such a large MLT, would/should I max out the cooler and draw off the first X gallons to make a huge beer :drunk:, then a 2nd :tank:, 3rd :mug:....?

thanks,
Lupulin

(Look at that, it was changed to a hyperlink automatically, kick ass!)
Click to expand...
First of all, welcome to HBT Lupulin, I have no idea to the 1st question, I would think you could do either the huge starter or pitching on a yeast cake for the second question, and since I have never tried what you are suggesting for the third question I cant answer that, I have only been brewing ag for a short time now, I am sure some of the more experienced brewers will chime in soon, good luck and brew on bro.:mug:
 
I wouldn't change anything with the recipe. I've had Tom's wheat wine several times over the past years. It's pretty much a stand up recipe. The problems that you are having have to be from your equipment and/or technique.
I highly recommend you brewing a beer with the yeast you wnat to use, then pitch onto the cake. With gravities as high as the WW you will want as many yeastie beastie cells as you can get. also, oxygenate. That will help the cells build up the cell walls that will help them tolerate a higher percentage of alcohol before they peter out.
Now for the mash, I didn't look at the recipe too closely, but I would put it through a step mash to break down the glutens in the wheat to help with runoff and in turn increasing your effeciency. Something like 112-122-145-156. Not sure if your tun can handle that if your doing it infusion style. You could try it by doing a pseudo decoction by pulling off an amount of the mash heating it too boiling and adding back to the mash to raise the temps.
Another thing to try might be rice hulls. Presoak them in hot water, then stir them in before the run off is to begin.

Hope this helps somewhat.
 
Do a step mash. I did this with my Christmas barleywine. Between that and the hybrid sparge technique (thread here) I hit 83% efficiency into the kettle.

With that much wheat in the grist the protein rest will be mandatory to get anything over suck-o efficiency.

I doughed in for a 131 protein rest for an hour at 1qt/lb, and then stepped to 1.5qt/lb using boiling water. That landed me squarely at 152 without any further adjustments needed. I did an hour sacc rest, decoction mashout, ranoff, refilled with 180 water, and did a fly sparge to collect my boil volume.

Rice hulls may help with the sparge.

Good luck. :mug:
 

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