American Hops in a Strawberry Wheat

[oceanic_brew]

Think this might actually be my first topic post on here in nearly 6 years of browsing.

After beginning brewing with mainly Belgian Ales and various wheat beers I have slowly grown to appreciate the many beautiful APA's out there and have almost brewed these exclusively in the recent months.

I picked up 8 lbs of "fresh" strawberries on impulse for $8 that I have sitting in my freezer waiting for a brew and while I was de-stemming them I happened to be adding some finishing amarillo to a kettle and couldn't help but notice how well both aromas paired.

This inspired me to try a typical wheat recipe with a hop schedule closer to an APA. However with only allowing myself one shot at this I wanna hear some opinions before I waste 8 lbs of strawberry!

A few of my other "cross-style" experiments have been not so great with a few winners in there!

My Recipe so far:

6 # Wheat
4 # Pilsner
1 # crystal 15
1# rice hulls

1 oz Hallertau Pellet FWH
1 oz Amarillo Pellet Flameout
1.5 oz Amarillo Pellet Dryhop for 4 days after strawberry krausen falls.

Mash at 156

Wyeast 3068 at 66

8 lbs of pasteurized strawberries added to secondary in muslin bag. (I know this seems like a lot but I'm going for the fruli range and it's hard to keep a strong aroma and flavor with strawberry)


More so looking for advice on the hop additions specifically if anyone can suggest other hops to use or a different hop schedule.

Open to comments about the malt bill and whatever else comes to mind!

Thanks HBT!

 

[lumpher]

I'm looking at that hop schedule and the hops themselves. 1 oz Amarillo at fo and 1.5 dh will very likely totally overwhelm and bury the strawberry. I'd skip the dh with a wheat beer, especially with strawberries. However, it's your beer, and I don't know how hoppy you like your wheats, but I make a lot of them, and all those hops would be too much for me. The flameout hops would probably be a good addition to counter the sweetness of the strawberries.

 

[oceanic_brew]

Thanks for the input, can't say I disagree with that.

 

[Phunhog]

I think Belma which I thinks as notes of berries would work well.

 

[oceanic_brew]

I dropped the dry hops
Lowered the late addition to .75 oz and went with crystal 30

Should have posted this a couple days ago to get more input but I think this will be decent.

If I feel that the beer could handle a dry hop I can always add it to the keg post carbonation.

 

[oceanic_brew]

I think Belma which I thinks as notes of berries would work well.

I read up on this one prior to you posting, looks delicious, couldn't find it locally and it's expensive to order hops here.

 

[GHBWNY]

I dropped the dry hops
Lowered the late addition to .75 oz and went with crystal 30

Should have posted this a couple days ago to get more input but I think this will be decent.

If I feel that the beer could handle a dry hop I can always add it to the keg post carbonation.

I think your beer will thank you. A wheat-style beer seems to enjoy the company of a fruit addition much more than some other styles. Also, letting the Hallertau come through can only enhance it. Sounds like you have a winner there.