Gumballhead Clone- Extract

[lbaker]

Hey guys, got everything ready for my first batch Friday and thought I would post the recipe in hopes of receiving some input on improving it before brew day. I also have a few questions about the process.

"Amarillo Face"

3.0 lbs Wheat dry malt extract (Bavarian wheat)
1.0 lbs Light dry malt extract (Pilsen light)
1.0 lbs Rice syrup solids
.75 lbs Wheat malt crushed
.75 lbs Flaked wheat
.50 oz Amarillo hops, added at the beginning of the 60 min boil
.50 oz Amarillo hops, added at 30 min into the boil
.50 oz Amarillo hops, added at 45 min into boil
.50 oz Amarillo hops, added at 55 min into boil
1.0 oz Amarillo hops, added as a dry hop

1. Place crushed grains in musk in bag and add to 2-3 gallons of 150F water. Allow grain to steep for 30 mins.
2. Remove grain bag, rinse with hot water and gently squeeze liquid from bag into "grain tea".
3. Add malt extract to "grain tea" while being sure to completely dissolve extract to avoid scorching.
4. Add Amarillo hops and begin 60 min boil.
5. Continue to add hops to above schedule.
6. Chill wort asap with immersion chiller, pour cooled wort into 6.5 Carboy with enough chilled bottled water to equal 5 gallons. Aerate well by shaking Carboy.
7. Pitch yeast.
8. Transfer from primary to 5 Carboy and add remaining pellets for dry hopping.

Question time! What could be done to improve this recipe? the recommend OG is 1.048 and FG is 1.010, I wouldn't mind having this beefed up a tad like I've seen with AG versions of this clone. Step 2 is confusing to someone new, am I just squeezing the bag and tossing out the solids leftover from the grain bag? Also, I let the guy talk me not a second Carboy in case I wanted to go second fermentation on this one. I justified the purchase because I eventually will have 2 batches overlap one another. Should I wait for FG to be reached before transferring to second and adding pellets for the dry hop?

Another question I have is the wort boil amount. Many recipes ive seen call for an Initial 2-3 gallons to be added onto in the Carboy. I've read a lot about doing a full boil and the benefits of doing so, but do you think I should stick with directions? Id like to use a smaller 16 gt pot since the boiler master 10 gallon I ordered isn't here yet and probably won't be for another 3 weeks.
Finally, I won't be bottling this and want to go straight to corny for my kegerator. Say I primary ferment for 1 week, secondary for 2 weeks, should 1 week be enough for force carbing and rolling that puppy around? I know I'm asking a lot, but for a guy going at this alone id appreciate any help.

...I'm getting a beer

 

[lbaker]

Forgot to add the yeast I'm using is a wyeast American wheat slap pack

 

[Sithdad]

There are 2 ways of rinsing the grain bag. You can pour hot water of the bag as you hold it suspended over the brew pot. Or you can heat up some water in another pot and dunk the grain bag into it several times and then pour that water into your brew pot.

Whenever possible you want to do full boils because it helps with hop acid isomerization. Think of it this way. If your water is 75% saturated with sugar there's only 25% left for the hop bittering acids to be taken up into the solution. After that It doesn't matter how much hops you add it's not going to add any bitterness. "Can't fit 8lbs of crap into a 6lb bag". With that being said if you can do a full boil, or as close to a full boil as possible, then go for it.

As for upping the ABV of the beer I would caution doing so until you are knowledgeable about formulating recipes, or you have brewing software. Also, I suggest leaving the beer in the primary for the full 3 weeks and then racking to the keg. Secondaries are good for bulk aging, dry hopping/oaking a beer, and trying to get it to clear. Taking the beer off of the yeast early in the fermentation can lead to off flavors being left behind because there isn't enough yeast to do the clean-up work. With force carbing you'll be able to get it carbed up in a day or 2 by rolling it around. If you just let it sit in the kegerator for a week, without rolling it around, it would probably be carbed up nicely (provided you had it at a high enough pressure).

 

[CopperHillBrewery]

Someone else had a similar post and this was what I did, but it's an all grain version:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/hoppy-wheat-beer-recipe-advice-236344/#post2790686

Like I mentioned in my response, I think the quantity and timing of the hop additions is the key to this recipe.

Also, are the rice syrup solids what you're planning on using to raise the abv or to dry out the beer?

 

[roger_tucker]

I know this thread is pretty old. I was just curious how this turned out. How close to Gumball Head is it? My oldest son is an extract brewer and loves Gumball Head. He's looking for his next beer to make.

 

[Calder]

Just go wheat extract, about a pound of sugar to help dry it out and a lot of Amarillo hops.

 

[roger_tucker]

What do you mean "about a pound of sugar to dry it out"? You put table sugar in the boil?

 

[PastorofMuppets]

What do you mean "about a pound of sugar to dry it out"? You put table sugar in the boil?

no not table sugar. use dextrose or corn sugar if you want to dry out a beer and raise the abv

 

[Calder]

no not table sugar. use dextrose or corn sugar if you want to dry out a beer and raise the abv

Yes, use regular table sugar. It is cheaper. I've used both and find there is no difference. Yes, dextrose is easier for the yeast to use, but they very easily breakdown sucrose to dextrose, and it ends up being the same.

I recomended the sugar to give a lower FG, not to boost alcohol. Extract tends to finish sweeter than OG, so replacing some of the extract with sugar helps lower the FG.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

Yes, use regular table sugar. It is cheaper. I've used both and find there is no difference. Yes, dextrose is easier for the yeast to use, but they very easily breakdown sucrose to dextrose, and it ends up being the same.

I recomended the sugar to give a lower FG, not to boost alcohol. Extract tends to finish sweeter than OG, so replacing some of the extract with sugar helps lower the FG.

fine but lowering FG is essentially the same as raising abv and drying out the beer. The lower the FG number the dryer the beer and that also increases the abv. I have also used both and I can tell a difference in using ordinary table sugar in extract brewing vs dextrose. Its also not really much cheaper in my experience.

 

[Calder]

fine but lowering FG is essentially the same as raising abv and drying out the beer. The lower the FG number the dryer the beer and that also increases the abv. I have also used both and I can tell a difference in using ordinary table sugar in extract brewing vs dextrose. Its also not really much cheaper in my experience.

Then you keep using corn sugar. I have several pounds of corn sugar from several years ago that I haven't used because I feel plain table sugar is preferable. I suspect there is no difference, but I really believe my beer is better with using plain table sugar over corn sugar.

While the sugar will increase abv, it is not the reason I suggested it. I suggested using it to make a better tasting beer.

 

[roger_tucker]

Getting back to the main question. I've seen other Gumball Head all grain recipes, never tried one. It's on my list. If I look at the grain bill in the all grain recipe, this seems really close to that. I'll ask the same question a previous poster asked. Do you do this in place of the Rice Syrup Solids?

From what I gather Rice Syrup Solids are meant to lighten the body of the beer. Is that the same as drying it out? The all grain recipe I have doesn't any rice components in it, and I've only had Gumball once and I'm not sure I would have called it light bodied or dry.