Wedding Pucker (Imperial Wheat)

[rgauthier20420]

Brewing up an imperial wheat this weekend and here's what the recipe looks like. All comments are welcome. Thanks.

Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Style: Witbier
Boil Size: 7.96 gal
Color: 4.2 SRM
Bitterness: 35.3 IBUs
Boil Time: 60 min
Est OG: 1.073 (17.5° P)
Efficiency: 80%
Mash Profile: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge (154F)
Est FG: 1.016 SG (4.1° P)
ABV: 7.5%

Ingredients
Amount
8 lbs Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM)
3 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
1 lbs Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM)
2.0 oz Hallertauer [4.8%] - Boil 60 min
1.00 oz Orange Peel, Bitter (Boil 5 min)
1.00 oz Coriander Seed (Boil 5 min)
1 pkgs Bavarian Wheat Yeast (Wyeast Labs #3056)

I wanted to keep it simple and bring forward an orangy wheat flavor with good body and mouth feel and some spice to balance it all out.

Thanks.

 

[JasonDawson]

Seems perfectly balanced for me. How long it is taking you to do all the prep work in order to start brewing? Doing a little research work if you dont mind.

 

[feelfox]

ABV is right? how to measure?

 

[rgauthier20420]

Seems perfectly balanced for me. How long it is taking you to do all the prep work in order to start brewing? Doing a little research work if you dont mind.

I'm gonna get my 2L starter going this evening so it should be at it's peak by pitch time tomorrow evening. The rest of the ingredients you can pick up the day of or before the brew day. Usually I'll pick up the grain and have it crushed the day before. I'll also pick up hops and spices then also.

I'll post some notes when the brew is over. Doing this tomorrow evening.

 

[rgauthier20420]

ABV is right? how to measure?

The ABV is measured by using the OG and FG:

Est OG: 1.073 (17.5° P)
Est FG: 1.016 SG (4.1° P)
ABV: 7.5%

These two numbers are estimates given by Beersmith based on the ingredients, equipment, and efficiency that you input. There are calculators out there also that you can enter in the 2 numbers to give you the expected ABV.

 

[rgauthier20420]

**Update**

Brewed this up Friday afternoon. My efficiency was lower that expected (75%) so we only ended up with around a 1.064 OG 4.25 gallons. Other than that, brew day went good. Coming out of the mash tun it was a nice light golden color. But, after additions and the boil were finished, the wort was a little darker gold. This was likely from the addition of the coriander and bitter orange peels. I've had them change the color of the wort slightly in the past.

You could smell the coriander spice and citrus before the yeast was pitched. It smelled pretty awesome. I pitched the 2L starter of the Bavarian Wheat and it was bubbling away not 4 hours later through the blow up water. Once the citrus tea is added when I keg, this is going to be really good!

 

[tennesseean_87]

Isn't using a Belgian yeast pretty important for the character of a wit? 3056 is a blend of the Bavarian Hefeweizen yeast and SN's chico yeast (1056), so it should be a bit cleaner and have a different character than a wit yeast.

 

[rgauthier20420]

Isn't using a Belgian yeast pretty important for the character of a wit? 3056 is a blend of the Bavarian Hefeweizen yeast and SN's chico yeast (1056), so it should be a bit cleaner and have a different character than a wit yeast.

I've used this yeast in the past and got a nice wheaty flavor from it. I wasn't necessarily aiming to make a wit or a wheat. Rather I was aiming for certain flavors. That being said, this is why I'm doing test batches (besides just making more beer for myself).

Been 4 days in the fermenter, so it should be getting close to FG. My beers usually take around 7 days. Around day 10 or so, I'll pop it in the fridge to cold crash, and then keg it after about a week. I'll be brewing up 10 gallons on the day I keg and will be splitting the yeast cake in 2 for those. Should be great!

 

[tennesseean_87]

Brew what you like! I was just making sure you weren't assuming there wasn't a big difference in German Hefeweizen and Belgian Wit yeasts because they're both wheat beers. The orange peel and coriander made me think you were shooting for Wit, but by all means, brew a bigA spiced Hefe.

 

[rgauthier20420]

Advice noted :rockin:. Took a refracto sample yesterday and after only 5.5 days, she's down to 1.009 already. There zero bubbling going on on the surface, so I'm pretty sure it's done. Will take another sample tonight though to make sure then begin the cold crash. I knew I mashed a little low (around 151), and was expecting the lower gravity, but the taste it spicy and wheaty. So, I hit those notes. Planning on adding a zest tea of 3 oranges, 2 lemons, and 2 limes when I keg it. Thoughts if that's too much?