My buddy brews this raspberry wheat and it gets rave reviews. I have a few questions about the process:
1) Being an extract recipe, what do they mean by sparging the grains?
It sounds like they are steeping the crystal in another pot, straining into the brew pot, then sending another gallon of hot water through the grains in the strainer. Could I just use a muslin bag in the brew pot, and pour the water through the grains while holding the grain bag over the brew pot?
2) This calls for 1 week primary, 3 week secondary, 3 weeks bottle condition. I want to be done in 6 weeks. Sounds like much of this is just for clearing and since it is a wheat, I don't mind cloudy. What do you think a reasonable time frame for secondary and bottling, if I am not concerned about clarity? (or is there another reason this beer should take this long?)
3) (related to #2) How about using a Hefe yeast? (WLP300/320/380) Would this shorten the time frame and end in a cloudier hefe type beer?
=========================================================
Raspberry Wheat (Estes Park Clone)
Rocky snow white head over deep, straw colored beer. Zesty aroma with subtle raspberry notes. Moderate, light body, refreshing beer with a mild raspberry flavor and hint of wheat.
Type: Extract + Specialty grains
Yield: 5 gallons
OG: 1.043
FG: 1.011-1.012
SRM: 7
IBU: 20
ABV: 4.1%
9 oz. 40L Crystal Malt
3.75 lb. M&F Extra Light DME
1 lb. M&F Wheat DME
4 oz Malto Dextrin
¼ oz Northern Brewer (10%AA) (bittering)
1 oz Fuggles (Flavor)
1tsp. Irish Moss
½ oz Fuggles (Aroma)
Wyeast 1028 London Ale / 1056 American Ale
4 oz natural clear Raspberry Flavoring (clear maintains straw color)
1 ¼ cup Wheat DME (priming)
- Heat one gallon of water to 155F
- Add Crystal Malt
- Remove the pot from the heat and steep at 150F for 30 minutes. Strain the grain water into brew pot. Sparge grains with 1 gallon of 150F water.
- Bring pot to a boil, remove from heat and add DME, Malto Dextrin and ¼ oz Northern Brewer
- Add water to bring total volume to 2.5 gallons
- Boil for 30 minutes
- Add 1 oz Fuggles + Irish Moss then boil for 15 minutes
- Add ½ oz Fuggles then boil for 15 minutes
- Chill wort for 20 minutes then strain into primary fermenter
- Add cold water to obtain 5 gallons
- Pitch yeast when wort is below 80 F or follow yeast instructions
- Primary 7 days
- Rack to secondary and add raspberry flavoring
- Bottle when fermentation is complete, target gravity is reached, beer has cleared (approx 3 weeks)
- Prime around 70 F for 3 weeks until carbonated
- Ready to drink when carbonated but will peak between 1-3 months
PS - Other methods:
Mini-Mash:
Mash 2 lb 2-row Pale Matl + specialty grains at 150F for 90 minutes, then follow recipe omitting 1.5 lb M&F Extra Light DME at beginning of boil.
All-Grain:
Mash 6.5 lb 2-row Pale Malt and specialty grains at 152F for 90 minutes. Add 2 HBU(20% less) of bittering hops for 60 minutes of boil, follow remainder of recipe.
=========================================================
1) Being an extract recipe, what do they mean by sparging the grains?
It sounds like they are steeping the crystal in another pot, straining into the brew pot, then sending another gallon of hot water through the grains in the strainer. Could I just use a muslin bag in the brew pot, and pour the water through the grains while holding the grain bag over the brew pot?
2) This calls for 1 week primary, 3 week secondary, 3 weeks bottle condition. I want to be done in 6 weeks. Sounds like much of this is just for clearing and since it is a wheat, I don't mind cloudy. What do you think a reasonable time frame for secondary and bottling, if I am not concerned about clarity? (or is there another reason this beer should take this long?)
3) (related to #2) How about using a Hefe yeast? (WLP300/320/380) Would this shorten the time frame and end in a cloudier hefe type beer?
=========================================================
Raspberry Wheat (Estes Park Clone)
Rocky snow white head over deep, straw colored beer. Zesty aroma with subtle raspberry notes. Moderate, light body, refreshing beer with a mild raspberry flavor and hint of wheat.
Type: Extract + Specialty grains
Yield: 5 gallons
OG: 1.043
FG: 1.011-1.012
SRM: 7
IBU: 20
ABV: 4.1%
9 oz. 40L Crystal Malt
3.75 lb. M&F Extra Light DME
1 lb. M&F Wheat DME
4 oz Malto Dextrin
¼ oz Northern Brewer (10%AA) (bittering)
1 oz Fuggles (Flavor)
1tsp. Irish Moss
½ oz Fuggles (Aroma)
Wyeast 1028 London Ale / 1056 American Ale
4 oz natural clear Raspberry Flavoring (clear maintains straw color)
1 ¼ cup Wheat DME (priming)
- Heat one gallon of water to 155F
- Add Crystal Malt
- Remove the pot from the heat and steep at 150F for 30 minutes. Strain the grain water into brew pot. Sparge grains with 1 gallon of 150F water.
- Bring pot to a boil, remove from heat and add DME, Malto Dextrin and ¼ oz Northern Brewer
- Add water to bring total volume to 2.5 gallons
- Boil for 30 minutes
- Add 1 oz Fuggles + Irish Moss then boil for 15 minutes
- Add ½ oz Fuggles then boil for 15 minutes
- Chill wort for 20 minutes then strain into primary fermenter
- Add cold water to obtain 5 gallons
- Pitch yeast when wort is below 80 F or follow yeast instructions
- Primary 7 days
- Rack to secondary and add raspberry flavoring
- Bottle when fermentation is complete, target gravity is reached, beer has cleared (approx 3 weeks)
- Prime around 70 F for 3 weeks until carbonated
- Ready to drink when carbonated but will peak between 1-3 months
PS - Other methods:
Mini-Mash:
Mash 2 lb 2-row Pale Matl + specialty grains at 150F for 90 minutes, then follow recipe omitting 1.5 lb M&F Extra Light DME at beginning of boil.
All-Grain:
Mash 6.5 lb 2-row Pale Malt and specialty grains at 152F for 90 minutes. Add 2 HBU(20% less) of bittering hops for 60 minutes of boil, follow remainder of recipe.
=========================================================
