Want to make a wheat IPA.

[corwin3083]

I have the idea firmly stuck in my head that a wheat IPA could be really, really good. I tried making one years ago while I was still doing extract brewing, but it was mediocre at best. This is the recipe I came up with for my second try. What do you all think?

Batch size: 5gal
Est OG: 1.057
Est IBU: 50
Est efficiency: 75%

4.5# 2-row
3.5# german wheat
1.5# white wheat
.5# vienna
.5# rice hulls
1oz black patent (for color)

.6oz warrior @ 60min

.75 saaz @15min
.75 styrian goldings @ 15min

.75 saaz @ 5min
.75 styrian goldings @ 5min

WLP029 kolsch ale yeast

Mash @ 152*F.

 

[SC_Ryan]

I'm confused. Nothing about this recipe really says IPA at all. What are the qualities you are looking for in a wheat IPA?

 

[Henry22]

Not an expert or anything but your yeast seems odd. Most would use an american wheat yeast or something like american ale 1056. I am also interested in making a wheat IPA. I am trying to base my recipe on Schaflys Hoppy wheat, however they wont reveal the recipe. The website does give the grains and hops used so thats a start.

http://schlafly.com/beers/styles/hoppy-wheat/

It uses american ale yeast, pale, wheat munich, and caramal grains. Its hops are taurus, tettnang, palisade, and simcoe.

 

[Waynep005]

I make a wheat beer with kolsch yeast. I love it and it is hoppy, for a wheat, but nothing that would be called a wheat IPA. This might be a good beer but I can't think of it as an ipa

 

[Steve271828]

I would skip the vienna and black patent, not sure that I would want a dark color or a malty taste in a wheat IPA. I would probably also go with american hops as they are typically more appropriate in an IPA. For the yeast, I would probably go with a Witbier yeast but that's just personal preference.

 

[splattsmier]

Couple things:

1. A different yeast strain would be appropriate, like WLP001 or WY 1056.

2. American hops I feel are more true to style. Try Simcoe, Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo, etc.

3. Vienna sounds okay and may enhance the wheaty flavor, but Crystal malts would give more balance. Perhaps .5# of C40. I don't feel the black patent is necessary.

4. Mash lower, around 149-150*F. You want to dry it out a bit to accentuate the hops.

Hope this helps, good luck!

 

[benco]

Boulevards hoppy wheat is real good. I believe their is a clone on here somewhere.

 

[duboman]

3 Floyd's gumballhead would be another example and there are lots of clone recipes out there already.

I agree that your recipe shows me nothing about a hoppy wheat, more like a doctored up and skewed hefeweizen

 

[corwin3083]

Totally did not expect that many responses... Ok:

1. The kolsch yeast is the only thing I liked from my first attempt at this. I did that thing where you find a single bottle months later in the back of the fridge, and that's how I learned that kolsch yeast is phenomenal if you lager it. Clean, crisp, beautiful. I encourage others to try it; I think it works really well outside of its original style.

2. IPAs do not actually require American hops. I enjoy more classic European hops, as well as American varieties, and wanted to use the former here.

2a. IPAs do not have to clock in at 100 IBUs. Not saying I'm unwilling to up the hops, but no one's given any specific advice in that direction. Does anyone have any specific advice in that direction?

2b. I dry hopped heavily with Saaz on my last attempt at this, and found it to be almost unbearably phenolic-tasting, except in the single bottle that I found in the back of the fridge. This is why I didn't add dry-hops to this recipe. If anyone has experience dry hopping with European hops, I'd appreciate whatever data you could share.

3 & 4. Crystal 40 and a lower mash temperature it is. That's the kind of advice I was looking for, thank you.

 

[DrunkenNightsPodcast]

I used a wyeast kolsch strain in my first AG batch, which was somewhat similar to your recipe. I didnt use wheat and I used Munich rather than Vienna, and I stuck with American hops (centennial and Amarillo). I used 1 oz less than yours calls for (not sure the difference in alpha acids) but I wish I would have made another addition as it does not have the hop character I hoped for. But it's damn good as it is. It's a strange blend of German and American ale tasting.

I agree that kolsch can be used in different ways, and it doesn't need to be lagered, it just depends on what you want out of it.