Critique my first all grain recipe

[kcstrom]

Hi,

I want to brew a fairly simple American Wheat for my first all grain brew. I've brewed 4 extracts beers without too much trouble, and my first was an American Wheat that turned out pretty good. It was pretty simple and tasted really good after 3 weeks in primary and 4 weeks in bottle. I would like to do something similar for my first all grain.

However, I've looked in the couple of recipe books that I have and all over many internet sites, and most of the american wheats I've found have seemed to include a lot of stuff that didn't sound too good to me.

So I've taken a stab at a simple all-grain wheat and was hoping that some folks on here might [constructively] critique this recipe. Feel free to tell me that I should stick to a real recipe that someone who actually knows what they are doing have put together.

I've read Papazian and Palmer's books, but I don't think I'll really understand everything very well until I've been through the process a couple of times.

Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Size: 6.41 gal
Estimated OG: 1.054 SG
Estimated Color: 4.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 15.7 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
5.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 52.63 %
4.50 lb White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 47.37 %
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (60 min) Hops 9.8 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] (20 min) Hops 5.9 IBU
0.50 oz Coriander Seed (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: My Mash
Total Grain Weight: 9.50 lb
----------------------------
My Mash
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Step Add 11.88 qt of water at 167.1 F 155.0 F

I'll also be using my first washed yeast (the 1056 shown above) for this brew.

Thanks for any and all [constructive] comments.

kcstrom

 

[Jared311]

Whoh, I must of had a few to many homebrews because I am seeing four of everything.

 

[kcstrom]

I'm not sure what happened there. I've edited it and removed the extra three copies.

Thanks for pointing that out!

kcstrom

 

[Jared311]

Sorry I couldn't help, I am still learning myself how to make a good all grain recipe. I am sure someone will chime in soon with some useful feedback. Welcome to the forums!

 

[BrianP]

Your IBU to OG ratio will make it quite malty. If you want it more balanced you could bump up the IBUs up to 20-27.

Go easy on the Corriander since it's easy to add to much. I've heard that some brewers test crush theirs to judge how potent it is, and if it seems strong they go lighter on the addition.

Also, for your first AG you might not get 75% efficiency. I'd consider reformulating it for something like 60-65%. On the other hand if you miss it low, you can always add some DME to get it up to your target OG. Either way, make sure to check it before the boil and make sure the IBUs are where you need them to get the right balance.

BierMuncher posted this a long time ago and I find it useful for finding the right hop bitterness based on different OG levels.

 

[DeathBrewer]

i would leave the coriander out of an american wheat, especially for your first attempt at all-grain.

looks good, tho. i disagree on the hops. i think american wheats should be malt balanced and that looks close to what i would shoot for...but you would still be within style if you raised it a bit:

BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines - Category 06

the only other thing i would suggest is to mash lower. i wouldn't go over 154°F and for my wheat beers, i like them a little more dry. if i were doing this exact recipe, i would mash at 152°F

 

[StoutFan]

I don't know, I think a nice wheat is well complimented by a bit of coriander, though I agree with BrianP and test out your seeds to see how strong they are. Leinies puts out a great wheat with coriander, one of my favorites.
The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co. Welcomes You!

 

[kcstrom]

Hi all,

Thanks for the suggestions and information. I think I will up the IBUs to about 20 and drop the coriander seed. I was thinking the corriander might add a bit more flavor but not be too overpowering as I'm not too much a fan of Sunset Wheat. I had also thought about some curacao orange peel, but I think I'll just KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) this time around.

The extract wheat I made I used Hallertauer hops (for bittering and finishing) but I want to try something different this time. Any other suggestions for the types of hops to use as I really don't have much feel for the differences in hops at this time beyond what the literature I've read says.

Thanks for the pointer on the mash temperature. I was thinking in the higher range resulted in a drier beer, but after going back and reading through that section again I think I definitely want to shoot for 151-153F. I know I'll be lucky to hit the 150-156F range though as this will also my first time using my homemade mash-tun-lauter cooler.

Thanks again for all of the help. I feel much less nervous than if I were to go at it without any guidance.

kcstrom

 

[Bob]

There's no big secret to American Wheat. 50/50% pale/wheat, some hops to balance, American ale yeast. Done. It's essentially Hefeweizen grist with different yeast and hops varieties. American microbreweries and brewpubs discovered early in the Micro Revolution that Yanks couldn't quite wrap their heads round traditional Bavarische Weißbier, and that those customers would buy wheat beer without the excess of banana/clove ester notes that make Weißbier, well, Weißbier. Widmer is the brewery which springs most readily to mind.

Keep it simple, keep it clean, balanced and dry to the palate. You can't go far wrong. You might wish to keep some rice hulls on hand to help with lautering. Mix them into the grist before you dough in.

Cheers!

Bob

I think Cascades is an excellent choice for hops.

 

[DeathBrewer]

yeah, a half-pound of rice hulls wouldn't hurt.

 

[kcstrom]

The rice hulls help create a larger grained filter to prevent clogging the manifold since the what has no hulls...it that correct? Is there much chance of getting more tannins from the rice hulls?

Thanks!

kcstrom

 

[DeathBrewer]

correct. and no worries about tannins.

 

[BierMuncher]

Your refinements to the recipe look good. No additions with your first AG. Just a basic recipe and build from there.

Couple thoughts:

• Since this is your first AG and you're still dialing in your system, keep a small amount of boiled and cold water nearby so you can adjust your mash temp once you dough in. Nothing worse than coming in 5 degrees too cold and rushing around to try and boil up some water to adjust the temp.
  
• Wheats do have a relative malt balance, but more popular (American) versions of this beer finish dry. In addition to the lower mash temps, try holding that mash for 90 minutes instead of 60. Longer mash times cause more attenuation and a crisper, dryer beer.

 

[kcstrom]

Thanks for the suggestions and thoughts. I'll add some rice hulls as well as try to hold the temperature for 90 minutes. I'm going to add some extra insulation this time (blankets, etc) to try to hold the temperature better. I think the insulation in my cooler is questionable at best: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/mash-tun-cooler-temperature-drop-96208/.

I'll definitely have plenty of extra hot water ready as well because I'm sure I'll be off on the initial temp after dough in.

Thanks everyone!

kcstrom