Wheat + Abbey Malt - Input Would Be Appreciated

[TasunkaWitko]

I'm just playing around here, but I am open to suggestions and any input would be appreciated.

I recently bought a pound of Weyermann Abbey Malt and am considering using it as part of some sort of bastardized weizen-type beer. Here's the link to the Malt:

https://www.homebrewsupply.com/weyermann-abbey.html

My current Idea is this:

Un-Named Wheat/Abbey Weizen

1 gallon
All-Grain

OG - 1.051
FG - 1.013
ABV - 5.01%
IBU - 14.73
SRM - 7.70


Fermentables

1.0 lb (50%) German Pale Wheat Malt
0.5 lb (25%) German Abbey Malt
0.5 lb (25%) Pilsner Malt (a "bottom-of-the-bag" mix of German, Belgian and Bohemian)


Mash at 152 Degrees for 60 Minutes


60-Minute Boil

Hops

3.0g Tettnanger (estimated 4.5% AA) @ 60 Minutes
2.75g Tettnanger (estimated 4.5% AA) @ 15 Minutes
2.75g Tettnanger (estimated 4.5% AA) @ 1 Minute


Yeast

Danstar Munich Yeast (Alternates: DanStar Classic Munich or WLP 300)

I am definitely going for German in general character, but the addition of the Abbey malt of course opens the possibility for a twist. I'm not married to the idea of the Tettnanger hops, but something Noble seems...right. Mandarina Bavaria might be interesting; but then again, it might be too much.

I considered adding some orange zest at or near the end of the boil, but that has been done to death; still, if it will make a nice beer, then the option is definitely on the table. Lemon zest? Possibly, but I am not sure how it would play with the rest of the flavor profile. Some other possibilities included raspberries, cherries, chocolate nibs or the revolutionary concept of adding...nothing at all!

Anyway, my level of experience in recipe development is such that I would be grateful for any advice. I've never worked with Abbey malt, but I like the description.

Thanks in advance -

Ron

 

[cswis86]

Looks good to me! Nice a simple. I bet lemon zest would be good but nothing at all is my preference! Saphir is also a nice German hops you can use but Mandarina is nice too. Tettnang is kinda boring to me.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Hi, cswis, and thanks for the feedback ~

My reason for the Tettnanger hops was with the idea that they would be a great tribute to the region, and with their floral/spicy characteristics, not much else would be needed. I've never heard of the Saphir hop, but after reading the description, I agree that it is pretty interesting:

http://beerlegends.com/sapphire-hops

I'll have to think about that one, for sure.

I'm still thinking that the zest of a lemon might be a nice touch, but I'm worried that it might run the risk of muddling up a good thing; then again, if I use the Saphir hop, the lemon zest might compliment it very well - or would it be too much?

I'll think about it - definitely still on the fence. Maybe I'll just slap the name "Klosterkirche Weizenbier" on it, and run with it as-is.

 

[cswis86]

If you already have the Tettnang I would just go with it. It'll be good for the style since it's not a hoppy beer anyway. As long as you go light on the lemon zest, maybe a teaspoon worth for 1 gallon, I don't think it will be overpowering. Wheat beers are extra refreshing with a little tartness!

 

[TasunkaWitko]

The more I've been thinking about this, the more I've been thinking - rightly or wrongly - of the Black Forest region of Germany.

I think I'll go with a mix of red fruits that would be found there - maybe raspberries, cherries and strawberries - and add that to the beer. I would like to do red currants as well, but they are all but impossible to find where I live, except possibly in dried or jelly form.

I would want this to compliment the beer, not to overwhelm it and become the dominant character. I'm thinking 1.5 or 2 cups of the medley to the gallon of beer would be pretty nice - no more than 3. Based on my experience, the sugars in the fruits would ferment out, leaving a nice, gentle tartness and - over time - a fruit presence that would assert itself after about a month.

My normal practice has been to add the fruits right in the last minute of the boil, or at knock-out; sometimes I mash the fruit up a bit and warm it on the stove, sometimes not. Another option is to dump them into the fermenter before pitching the yeast; or, I could wait until after a week or so in primary. I'll have to figure that out.

And, I think "KlosterKirche" might be a good name for it, for sure, or possibly "SchwarzWälder."

 

[Queequeg]

Abbey malt by weyerman is one of my favorite malts. Sweeter and more complex than aromatic less intense than melanoidin malt.

It significantly more intense than munich malt.

Personally I don't see fruits working with abbey malt.

Depending on what you was after I would sub some abbey for flaked wheat

I think orange yeast would play well with abbey though.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Hi, Queequeg, and thanks for letting me know about your experience with this. Since I've never used it, I'm flying completely blind here.

I was thinking that the fruits could provide a bit of tartness to offset the sweetness of the malt, but it was just a guess. Based on your feedback, I think I might hold off on my "SchwarzWälder" theme, and wait until I can work with some chocolate-type malt to try that.

For this Abbey Malt, my first instinct to keep it simple might be the best way to go. It might be best to stick with my original plan, and from there I can know a little more about what I've got and where I can go with it.

With that, I'll stick to the concept of "KlosterKirche...." I had some Wyeast 3638 land in my lap, and that might be a good yeast to try with this, rather than the DanStar Munich - perhaps that's enough experimenting with this unknown (to me) malt right there.

I'll think on it, and I do appreciate your thoughts, which help keep this project grounded. Sometimes in the brainstorming process gets a little crazy....

 

[Queequeg]

Abbey is not that sweet, its a little sweeter than munich malt and no where near as sweet as honey malt. It also has less assertive flavor than honey malt.

I think your original grain bill looked good. Mandarina Bavaria would fit well imo too.

I use Abbey at about 6% in all my IPA's, going to use it with 1/4 lb of caravienna this weekkend in a IPA.