I've decided to brew this recipe. I've got a couple questions regarding the mash and spare steps. I would like to do the Step Mash version (see below) but not sure I'm ready for that and I am using a 10 gallon igloo cooler as my MLT.
So, I've decided to go with the single infusion mash and I'm not sure how much water to strike with because "after conversion is complete" I'm supposed to "infuse the mash with near boiling water while stirring to raise the temperature to mash out at 160F". Then, "spare slowly with 170F water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.5 gallons and the gravity is 1.038".
The recipe states to target around 1.5 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain. That's easy enough to calculate but there are basically 3 different steps where I need to add water and end up with 6.5 gallons of wort.
Any advice you can provide would be very appreciated!
Harold-is-Weizen
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.049 (12 °P)
FG = 1.012 (3 °P)
IBU = 13 SRM = 3 ABV = 4.8%
Ingredients
4.85 lb. (2.2 kg) Great Western wheat malt (2 °L) (or similar)
4.85 lb. (2.2 kg) Durst Pilsner malt (2 °L) (or similar)
2.68 AAU Hallertau pellet hops, (0.67 oz./19 g of 4% alpha acids) (60 min.)
Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan Weizen) or White Labs WLP300 (Hefeweizen Ale) yeast
Step by Step
Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.5 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain (a liquor-to-grist ratio of about 3:1 by weight). If you have the ability to do a step mash, start with a rest at 110 °F (43 °C) for 20 minutes and then raise to a temperature of 152 °F (67 °C) until conversion is complete.
Otherwise, do a single infusion mash at 151 °F (66 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Infuse the mash with near boiling water while stirring or with a recirculating mash system raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C). Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.5 gallons (25 L) and the gravity is 1.038 (9.4 °P).
The total wort boil time is 90 minutes, which helps reduce the S-Methyl Methiomine (SMM) present in the lightly kilned pilsner malt and results in less Dimethyl sulfide (DMS) in the finished beer. Add the bittering hops with 60 minutes remaining in the boil. I skip using kettle finings in this beer, unless making a kristallweizen. Chill the wort rapidly to 62 °F (17 °C), let the break material settle, rack to the fermenter, pitch the yeast and aerate thoroughly. The proper pitch rate is 1.7 packages of fresh liquid yeast or 1 package of liquid yeast in a 1.3-liter starter.
Ferment at 62 °F (17 °C) until the beer attenuates fully. With healthy yeast, fermentation should be complete in a week, but do not rush it. The cooler than average ale fermentation temperature can extend the time it takes for complete attenuation. Rack to a keg and force carbonate or rack to a bottling bucket, add priming sugar, and bottle. Target a carbonation level of 2.5 to 3 volumes.