First Recipe Help Needed - Spicy Kiwi Weizen Attempt

[Thomasaug]

Been brewing for a number of years and starting to get experimental. Not sure if this will qualify as a Hefeweizen but I will be using the yeast, so I suppose that is a start. Trying to craft my first recipe and wanted to see if anyone has any comments. Have a couple of questions as well.

Recipe[/U]

Grain

Rahr White Wheat Malt - 1 lb. crushed
Weyermann Pale Wheat - 1 lb. crushed


Hops

German Hallertau Hop Pellets 1 oz.


Yeast

Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Wheat


Malt

Munton's Extra Light DME 3 lbs.
NB Organic Light Malt Syrup 3.15 lbs


Flavorings

Kiwis - 40 Peeled and Cubed
Sichuan Peppercorns - 2 ounces


Thoughts and Questions:

1) Not sure if I am overdoing it with six lbs of malt (dry and wet). Will do research and may eliminate and save the dry for another batch. Does it seem like I am overdoing it for a five gallon batch?

2) My thoughts with the combination of the Kiwis and Peppercorns is to simulate a Wit beer, but with a spicier and fruitier undertone. Instead of using corriander and orange peel, I am replacing with these and hope to have a unique flavor.

3) Like the yeasty flavors in Hefeweizen and think this recipe will maintain this, particularly with the light refreshing flavors, a minimal subdued hop flavor, but with a complex and compelling flavor overall.

Any thoughts?

 

[Thomasaug]

No replies, but I brewed it. No peppercorns though . Will repost when I try!

In violent brew stage now!

 

[BrewingViking]

I did a strawberry kiwi tripel recently and all I can say is putting the kiwis in a blender gets more flavor. But your recipe looks good. Hope it comes out good.

 

[passedpawn]

Get the kiwis cold and you can peel them with a normal potato peeler.

Once fermentation starts, they will float to the top. At the end of fermentation, they will sink to the bottom again (at least this was my experience).

The final product was nice and fruity, but it wasn't distinctly like kiwi. I did use a Wit yeast. I think the peppercorns will be interesting, but of course be careful not to overdo it.

Here's the kiwis sitting at the bottom (pic taken while racking).

 

[Thomasaug]

Well, I never put in the peppercorns, but did make the Kiwi Hefeweizen.

Just sampled the first bottle today after 3 weeks in primary and 1 week bottle conditioning.

The Kiwi is not noticeable but the beer is lite and citrusy. A sour flavor comes through that I hope will age out and mellow in the next few weeks. I like sour beers, but this didn't have the dynamic sour flavor of a brett beer, and was more like a junior berlinner weiss. Slight sour taste that is not awful, but isn't the star of the show either.

While I certainly enjoyed the beer, it wasn't quite what I expected. Anyone have any experience with this and do you think the beer will mellow with age?