American Wheat help

[dcp27]

I plan on making an american wheat (gumball head like) this weekend and just wanted to make sure my thoughts weren't out of whack. I've yet to use either of these hops, so I will gladly accept any suggestions on them. It seemed like they would make an interesting pair to me. All other suggestions are welcome as well.

5gal batch
OG: 1.055ish
IBU: 23ish

5# White Wheat malt (52.6%)
3.5# Belg Pale malt (36.8%)
0.5# Rye malt (5.3%)
0.25# Honey malt (2.6%)
0.25# Caravienne malt (2.6%)

0.5oz Citra/Summit mix @15
1oz Citra/Summit mix @flameout
1.5oz Citra/Summit mix @Dry hop

S-05 yeast

mash around 150-152F for 60mins, ferment @66F

 

[passedpawn]

I would not dry hop a wheat beer. Nor would I have a late hop addition. I think this beer needs 60 minute addition only. Let the rye, wheat, and honey malt come out.

 

[dcp27]

Guess I shoulda mentioned that I was leaning towards something like a gumball head type american wheat

 

[AnOldUR]

I have an American Wheat that took 2nd in the first round of NHC that was pretty heavy in late and dry hopping additions.

 

[devilishprune]

I made an American wheat with citra and it turned out great. If you have the option, check out American Ale II yeast (Cali Ale V for White labs). It adds some fruity flavors that I think would go well with your hop choices.

I really like summit as well, and I think that they would go well together.

 

[Pappers_]

No bittering hops addition?

 

[devilishprune]

Seems like hop bursting. Citra and summit are both really high AA hops so you can add them at the end and still get enough IBUs from those additions. That's what I'm doing on the beer I'm making right now, actually.

 

[AnOldUR]

No bittering hops addition?

Ha. Didn't notice that.
I wouldn't call .5 oz at 15 minutes Hop Busting even for a high alpha hop.
Good for what? 10 IBU's?
Nothing from the flame-out addition.

 

[dcp27]

No bittering hops addition?

I was worried about the cat-pee & onion flavors I've heard attributed to these hops in early use. I may add a very small amount early to bump up the IBUs a little.

 

[AnOldUR]

I'll be brewing an American Wheat this weekend.

10 IBU FWH
20 IBU @ 60 min
10 IBU @ 15 min
1-1/2 oz @ flame-out
1-1/2 oz dry hop

This is for an 8 gallon batch.

This recipe is closer to a Wheat IPA,
but the judges liked it.

 

[dcp27]

This recipe is closer to a Wheat IPA, but the judges liked it.

Did any of the judges criticize it for too much hops? My original plan had even more hops, but I toned it down after reading the BJCP guidelines. I'll be making the heftier version this summer for myself.

 

[dirty_martini]

I was worried about the cat-pee & onion flavors I've heard attributed to these hops in early use. I may add a very small amount early to bump up the IBUs a little.

summit is a great bittering hop. I use it in just about all of my beers. the onion is only from FWH and overuse throughout the boil and too long of a dry hop.

If you keep the amounts down and dont dry hop too long, you will be fine. I would suggest the smallest bittering addition with the summits. it could be .25oz or less. Just enough to get you the IBUs and that foundation of bitterness. Whenever I have a strictly hop bursted recipe, as soon as there is any fade in the hops it becomes flabby. It just needs the basic foundation of bitterness.

Other than that I love the recipe and it looks delicious.

 

[dcp27]

ummm, so apparently my citra hops disappeared. If I can't find any at the LHBS, what would you sub for it?

 

[dirty_martini]

ummm, so apparently my citra hops disappeared. If I can't find any at the LHBS, what would you sub for it?

I would say Amarillo or Nelson sauvin

 

[dcp27]

Thanks, was thinking amarillo if I gotta, but was hoping to get some other different idea. Any one ever use galena late?

 

[Dirty]

Boulevard Wheat is one of our great local Macro-Micro Breweries they use Simco at 70 and i think 10 min for 17IBUs
'

Rock Chalk

Chris

 

[JLem]

Are you going to get "gumball head" flavors using that yeast? I've never had that beer but seems to me with a name like gumball head you'd want a more estery, phenolic yeast.

EDIT: just looked up the beer and I retract the above statement. Why do they call it gumball head?

 

[dcp27]

Fortunately my LHBS had some citra leaf hops so I don't need to change this up. However, I'm thinking of changing my hop schedule to this:
10g Summit @ 60
0.75oz Summit/Citra mix @5
0.75oz Summit/Citra mix @flameout
1.5oz Summit/Citra mix @dry hop
~25IBUs
better, worse, other?

 

[AnOldUR]

Did any of the judges criticize it for too much hops?

My last post was misleading. That hop schedule was for a new batch. The batch that did well in the contest was closer to 35IBU and there was no mention of over hoppinng on the score sheet. Brewed it again yesterday, but bumped up the hops by adding the FWH's and more flame out and dry hops. I was hoping to get the new version into this years NHC, but didn't get to brew soon enough.

Personally haven't had the chance to use Summit and don't like the flavor profile of Citra, so haven't used that either. Still, they could be a great combination. I just like mine a little hoppier and would push that up.

Brew pubs and some craft brewers have a habit of using their American Wheats as transitional beers for BMC drinkers and they end up being meh. I like that breweries like Three Floyds have brought the style to a new level.

 

[Wiking44]

Boulevard Wheat is one of our great local Macro-Micro Breweries they use Simco at 70 and i think 10 min for 17IBUs
'

Rock Chalk

Chris

They use a variety of hops, depending on what is available. They only use bittering hops and no aroma. Their IBUs are 13 per their brewer.

Just like a KU fan to get it all wrong.

 

[dcp27]

My last post was misleading. That hop schedule was for a new batch. The batch that did well in the contest was closer to 35IBU and there was no mention of over hoppinng on the score sheet. Brewed it again yesterday, but bumped up the hops by adding the FWH's and more flame out and dry hops. I was hoping to get the new version into this years NHC, but didn't get to brew soon enough.

Personally haven't had the chance to use Summit and don't like the flavor profile of Citra, so haven't used that either. Still, they could be a great combination. I just like mine a little hoppier and would push that up.

Oh ok, good to know you feel it can be bumped up even more. This was more for SWMBO than myself so I didn't want to go too hard on the hops (have a IIPA going right now thats pounded with simcoe, amarillo, warrior, and columbus to fit that need). I ended up going with that 2nd schedule so we'll see how it turns out.

 

[rycov]

i used simcoe in a wheat that i'm drinking now. it was kinda tart or bitter so i dry hopped to give more flavor to the bitterness. one ounce for one week and its delicious now.

 

[dcp27]

This got down to 1.01 so I threw it in the keg about a week ago and it came out really well. I'll definitely be making this again for the summer. It drinks like a 4%, despite being nearly 6%abv. Very light and easy drinking with a pretty strong citrusy nose, and some tangerine & light tropical fruit taste
Final Recipe
1.055OG, 1.01FG, 4 gallons
3.5lb White Wheat
2.25lb Belgian Pale
7oz Rye malt
5oz Caravienne
0.25oz Summit @60
0.5oz Summit/Citra (leaf) mix @5, flameout
1oz Sumit/Citra (leaf) mix dry hopped
S-05 yeast