Bland Wheat Beer Fix

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Firewalker11

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The youngest is graduating and I made 2 cornys of beer, a brown ale and a wheat beer. the brown ale is good to go, very nice but the wheat beer is just... blah!

I was thinking of adding some blueberry extract and orange peel to the corny. Could I get some feed back on this and some alternatives if these are bad ideas?

I have in-laws coming and they are expecting good beer so I need help FAST please. :(
 
Dry hop in the keg with some citra. I won't use extract. Has a weird fake taste to me. You can put crushed orange peel and coriander in with the hopsock also.
 
Dry hop in the keg with some citra. I won't use extract. Has a weird fake taste to me. You can put crushed orange peel and coriander in with the hopsock also.

I find that the blueberry extract I have also tastes strange. Not all extracts are the same so you could pour yourself a glass of the wheat beer and put in a drop or 2 of the extract to see how it affects the taste before you add it to the keg. Maybe your extract is one of the good ones.

I've been told that much of the orange flavor comes from crushed corriander seeds but I also find that flavor to be off. Maybe I just have a strange taste.
 
I once did this with strawberry extract. I was happy with the results.

I agree with the others though, not all extract is equal. Try a sample before dumping in the entire keg.
 
I don't like fruit beers as a rule, but I made a watermelon wheat for a friend, and it was a big hit. The recipe was just a basic (bland) wheat beer, with 2 cups of watermelon juice in it. If you have a juicer or a vita-mix, that's about one small round watermelon.
 
What I have so far: No go on the extract but a go on fresh juice. Should I pasturize first?
 
Another plug for the fresh watermelon juice. I'm not a big fruit beer fan either but I always make a couple batches of watermelon wheat every summer to please the masses (and avoid a riot). I add 4 cups freesh squeezed juice to the keg - no pasteurization, I basically do the technique DubbleDach illustrates in this thread. FYI, since you're looking for a quick turn around, the SG of watermelon juice in my experience is about 1.030. Coincidentally 4 cups equates to about 2.5 oz of sugar, the same amount I usually use to carb a keg. I seal the keg up after adding the juice, when it's done fermenting it's already carbed and ready to be chilled and tapped. I tend to give it a week but from past experience using a secondary I think it's likely done quicker than that.
 
Outstanding! WHMBO is on her way to the grocery store to purchase said watermelon. I also have 1/2 ounce of coriander seed left, would this be of any benefit to add at this point?
 
I will preface this by saying it's your beer, but I find coriander to be an extremely strong flavor and at least with commercial versions I usually find myself thinking the beer would have been better without it. Watermelon on the other hand is pretty subtle - probably why it's about the only fruit beer that I like. My personal opinion is either go coriander/orange peel/etc. or do the watermelon.
:mug:

edit: who is WHMBO? I am SWMBO, so I know that one. Am I just too old?
 
Another plug for the fresh watermelon juice. I'm not a big fruit beer fan either but I always make a couple batches of watermelon wheat every summer to please the masses (and avoid a riot). I add 4 cups freesh squeezed juice to the keg - no pasteurization, I basically do the technique DubbleDach illustrates in this thread. FYI, since you're looking for a quick turn around, the SG of watermelon juice in my experience is about 1.030. Coincidentally 4 cups equates to about 2.5 oz of sugar, the same amount I usually use to carb a keg. I seal the keg up after adding the juice, when it's done fermenting it's already carbed and ready to be chilled and tapped. I tend to give it a week but from past experience using a secondary I think it's likely done quicker than that.

I'm about to do a pineapple hefeweizen and was considering my choices for the fruit...but I like this idea a lot. Unfortunately don't own a juicer, so I'll seek out high quality pineapple juice without preservatives.
 
Outstanding! WHMBO is on her way to the grocery store to purchase said watermelon. I also have 1/2 ounce of coriander seed left, would this be of any benefit to add at this point?

lime zest and mint leaves will go well with the watermelon if you have the time
 
I am liking this more and more! I actually have three pineapples that I infused with vodka for a summer party, the fruit was mashed and all the liquid poured off leaving me with the mashed fruit infused with vodka. I am going to pour a glass of the wheat and put a teaspoon of the infused pineapple juice in to see what the taste is like but THIS batch of wheat is getting the watermelon/lime/mint.

Thank you all again but please dont stop with suggestions, they are all going into my database and I will try them all! :eek:nestar:

EDIT: It's a no-go on the pineapple either way, the beer tastes sour... Watermelon next.
 
I will preface this by saying it's your beer, but I find coriander to be an extremely strong flavor and at least with commercial versions I usually find myself thinking the beer would have been better without it. Watermelon on the other hand is pretty subtle - probably why it's about the only fruit beer that I like. My personal opinion is either go coriander/orange peel/etc. or do the watermelon.
:mug:

edit: who is WHMBO? I am SWMBO, so I know that one. Am I just too old?
Wife Whom Must Be Obeyed, after all, in mom isn't happy, aint NOBODY going to happy!
 
Just juiced the watermelon for my first batch of the season - got 1.038 on the juice this time. Unfortunately I've got to do some keg cleaning now. @daggers you got any tips on adding the mint?

watermelon.jpg
 
I have the limes, watermelon, limes and mint, now what? :)

Watermelon is 1.028, going to add 4 cups and taste.

EDIT: Added 4 cups of watermelon, zest from one lime and 5 bruised leafs of mint. Initial thoughts are that its better but need time to get the mint and lime to mix in and mellow some.
 
I have used the morebeer apricot and blueberry fruit flavors with good results. They added both flavor and aroma at the 1 bottle per 5gal rate. I dont add it to the keg, just put a measured amount into each bottle just before filling from the keg. Tried the cherry too, but I dont think it was as good.
 
MEH! The Watermelon/mint/lime zest just mad if "funky" in flavor and today at a big group tasting, it got a 2 of 10 rating... Sigh.

I am open to a good wheat recipe but for now, its back to stouts and brown ales.
 
but the wheat beer is just... blah!...
I have in-laws coming and they are expecting good beer so I need help FAST please. :(

My first thought was "don't do anything to it" - but that's just because my in-laws prefer a bland beer :D I guess I haven't converted them to craft beer yet...
 
I go my first meeting at the local home brew club in a week, I will see what improvements they suggest... If they keep it down and finish the glass, i will consider it a victory! :D
 
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