First all-grain recipe. Please tell me if it looks ok.

[Joejoe]

5 Gallon batch, 6-6.5 pre-boil

5 lb Wheat malt
3.5 lb 2 row Pale
1.25 lb Munich
.25 lb acid
.5 oz. Perle 60 min
.25 oz. spalt 10 min
.25 oz hallertauer 10 min

Acid rest 15 minute at 112*F, Protein rest at 126*F for 15 and Saccharification at 150*F. Or since grains are well modified should I just do a single infusion at 150? I use a 10 gal round cooler with round SS braid. Thanks!

 

[Skyforger]

- do you have really alkaline water? 2.5% acid malt is slightly on the high side. Just wondering what you're trying to accomplish with it, not a criticism just yet....there are valid times to use that much....

- If you use the proper amount of acid malt, an acid rest shouldn't be necessary and will just add another variable to mash pH.

- that's a fair amount of wheat malt. I would suggest you consider using rice hulls to prevent a stuck/slow sparge, especially for your first AG attempt.

- What you do your saccharification rest at depends on how much sweetness and mouthfeel you want the ending beer to have. The yeast you use will weight heavily into this consideration, as different yeasts attenuate differently.

- The recipe looks good, overall. If there was a specific style or commercial example you're shooting for in some way, or are trying to tweak, I may be able to give more specific advice. This looks like a nice wheaty pale ale with subdued yet noticeable hop character. Yeast strain and fermentation temps will likely be important to getting it a certain way.

 

[lumpher]

go for that with the step-mash. looks good to me. if you do a single infusion, it'll probably get stuck.

 

[Skyforger]

Yeah, to be clear, I wasn't advocating getting rid of the step mash. Just the acid rest. You could even replace it with a dough-in step if the fancy took you. But the protein rest is a good idea.

 

[lumpher]

i agree. protein, then sac-rest. acid rest is not necessary for wheats.

 

[Bizoune]

Skip everything and go for 150F mash. I've never had a stuck mash with a similar malt bill.

 

[Joejoe]

The water I have here is 8 on the PH scale. I thought acid malt contributes to head retention and decreases Ph to stick with the purity law. I forgot to add the rice hulls in the above recipe. I will use 1 lb of that. I will be using wyeast 3068 but I wanted to try 3638. I am not going for any commercial recipe this is just one I came up with. I have a couple ounces of those hops from a batch that is in my primary right now and I am trying to use them up. Thanks for the input.

 

[Skyforger]

Okay, looks like you're pretty on top of it. The grain bill, hops, and yeast should go together very well, make a nice weizen-style beer. The acid malt should compensate nicely for the alkaline water. If you're using rice hulls, I'd say it's a toss-up between using a protein rest or not. Your choice. Less chance of a stuck sparge, but it will take more time. Sacc at 150 is good. Let us know how it goes!

 

[Joejoe]

Will do thanks!