critique my recipe

[AleJoe]

My 1st attempt at a recipe, want to try and brew a light summer ale. Tell me what you think, thanks!!


Dog Days Ale

Dog Days Ale American Wheat or Rye Beer​

Type: All Grain

Date: 4/10/2010
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
Equipment: Brew Pot (6+gal) and Igloo/Gott Cooler (5 Gal)
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00

Ingredients​

7.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
2.50 lb Wheat Malt, Dark (9.0 SRM)
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)
0.50 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (60 min)
1.00 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] (60 min)
0.50 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (5 min)
2.00 oz Lemon zest (Boil 5.0 min)​

Beer Profile​

Est Original Gravity: 1.055 SG

Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.32 %
Bitterness: 22.4 IBU
Est Color: 5.9 SRM Color: Color ​

 

[AleJoe]

Realize I didn't put in a yeast, any suggestions?

 

[midfielder5]

Yeast-- depend what u like.
Belgian wit?
German hefeweizen?
Blue Moon type American wheat?
Pale ale?

All could probably work pretty good,

 

[AleJoe]

I'm going for a American wheat (yes, I know I'm short on percentage of wheat, did that purposefully)

 

[midfielder5]

White labs American hefe is # 320.
I haven't used it. look at wl's own website and reviews there; and search around here before u commit.
And see what other posters say about your recipe.

Good luck !

 

[permo]

You don't need the carapils in an american wheat beer. The wheat will give you plenty of head retention

 

[Buffman]

I'd use a neutral yeast that doesn't get in the way of your noble hops, like Safale US-05, WLP001, or Wyeast 1056. I wouldn't go with a hefe yeast, but then I'm not a fan of its flavor contributions.

If you're going for an American wheat, you may consider increasing the percentage of wheat. American wheat recipes I see include more than 25% wheat, something closer to 40% (e.g., the American wheat in Brewing Classic Styles is 50%).

 

[permo]

I'd use a neutral yeast that doesn't get in the way of your noble hops, like Safale US-05, WLP001, or Wyeast 1056. I wouldn't go with a hefe yeast, but then I'm not a fan of its flavor contributions.

If you're going for an American wheat, you may consider increasing the percentage of wheat. American wheat recipes I see include more than 25% wheat, something closer to 40% (e.g., the American wheat in Brewing Classic Styles is 50%).

He is right on. Up your wheat. I did a 50/50 american wheat with pilsen and red wheat...I fermented with nottingham at 62 degrees and added all kinds of citrus rind. It is very smooth and one of my more popular brews.

 

[midfielder5]

on the yeast issue, here is the white labs write-up, and two customer reviews.

http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp320.html
"This yeast is used to produce the Oregon style American Hefeweizen. Unlike WLP300, this yeast produces a very slight amount of the banana and clove notes. It produces some sulfur, but is otherwise a clean fermenting yeast, which does not flocculate well, producing a cloudy beer."

"it would make a fine American wheat beer."

"Several years back, I created a simple Hefe recipe using pale & wheat malt extract, 2 oz. Hallertauer hops & WLP320 yeast to see how it would turn out. Ever since then, I have served this ale at weddings, parties & also make it for friends. Everyone who has had the opportunity to drink this has said that “it’s the best Hefe I’ve ever had!” This is truly the best complement a homebrewer can receive. It’s also been suggested many, many times that I start making this beer commercially for the masses. I’m very grateful to have found this wonderful yeast as it is the single ingredient that makes this ale loved by all. "

I picked that one specifically because it does not have hardly any of the clove/banana esters.
With US-05, WLP001, or Wyeast 1056- wouldn't it just be a pale ale with some wheat?

just my two cents. Here's what you can do-- split the wort into 2 fermenters, use two diff yeasts, and report back! that is what I would do.
cheers,
Wendy

 

[Buffman]

Here's what you can do-- split the wort into 2 fermenters, use two diff yeasts, and report back! that is what I would do.

Great idea. I'm making a wheat in a few weeks using agave nectar. I want the agave flavor/sweetness to come through, so I'm staying away from the wheat yeasts for this batch. My next wheat, though, I may split it up and try different yeasts.

 

[AleJoe]

Thought I would report back.

Recipe ended up being:

Dog Days Ale

Dog Days Ale American Wheat or Rye Beer​

Type: All Grain

Ingredients​

6.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US
2.50 lb Wheat Malt, Dark (9.0 SRM)
1.00 lb White Wheat Malt
1.00 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] (60 min)
Saaz [4.00 %] (60 min)
0.50 oz Saaz [4.00 %] (5 min)
2.00 oz Lemon zest (Boil 5.0 min)
1 Pkgs American Hefeweizen Ale (White Labs #WLP320)
​

Beer Profile​

Est Original Gravity: 1.056 SG

​

Feedback is very good. I'm personally not a big wheat/summer ale fan but I enjoyed drinking it all day Sunday while brewing an ESB. Friend tried a slice of orange in hers and that was good. Next time I think I'm going to try Meyers lemon zest and see if that sweetens it a bit

 

[midfielder5]

sounds and looks pretty good!

what is your feedback on the yeast taste/profile for the WLP 320?
would you use it again-- or go neutral, or more estery?

 

[AleJoe]

Pretty neutral taste imo, left a cloudier beer than I expected having read details on the yeast but it worked well. I don't plan on changing the yeast next time I brew it