American Wheat Beer Gumballhead inspired WPA

[DamageInc78]

My bro and I are relatively new to home brewing (made three batches - all IPA's) and HBT. We wanted to do something a little different for our next batch and this recipe really caught our eye. We brewed it up last Sunday during the Super Bowl. It was our first partial mash. Overall it went OK; a few bumps in the road (mostly temp issues) but to be expected for first time I guess. Gonna move beer to secondary in a few days and dry hop then. Anxious to try this out.

 

[MaxSpang]

I made this a few weeks ago using all Amarillo, and it's all kegged and ready to go. I compared it to the real Gumball Head

The one on the right is the home brew. The photo sucks, but basically the colors were very similar with the real GBH being way clearer. The home brew was slightly darker.

As for flavor, they were both EXTREMELY similar. I think mine was a bit more bitter and had a lot more of the Amarillo flavor and aroma, but I'm guessing it has a lot to do with how fresh it was compared to the real GBH. I also think the real GBH has a candy-like sweet flavor that makes it addicting as hell, and my brew was lacking that. Overall, though, they were very close.

I had to change the AG recipe around because of my normal efficiency. Here it is:

Size: 5.25 gal
Efficiency: 63%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 165.22 kcal per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.050 (1.040 - 1.055)
Terminal Gravity: 1.012 (1.008 - 1.013)
Color: 11.22 (3.0 - 6.0)
Alcohol: 4.88% (4.0% - 5.5%)
Bitterness: 25.5 (15.0 - 30.0)

Ingredients:
5.75 lb White Wheat Malt
4.25 lb American 2-row
1.75 lb Belgian Caravienne
0.5 oz Amarillo® (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 60 m
0.5 oz Amarillo® (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 15 m
0.5 oz Amarillo® (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 5.0 m
0.5 oz Amarillo® (8.5%) - added during boil, boiled 0.0 m
2.0 oz Amarillo® (8.5%) - added dry to secondary fermenter
1.0 ea Fermentis US-05 Safale US-05



I think my thermometer is off - it ended up finishing at 1.007! The OG was 1.051, so this beer is 5.9%. Even with all the extra alcohol, I was pleased with how close it was to the real thing.


It's disappearing fast!

 

[Justibone]

I also think the real GBH has a candy-like sweet flavor that makes it addicting as hell, and my brew was lacking that. Overall, though, they were very close.

Did your bitterness (hops) kill your sweetness (caravienne)?

If you want more sweetness next time, crystal malts?

 

[D_Ranged_Eskimo]

Did your bitterness (hops) kill your sweetness (caravienne)?

If you want more sweetness next time, crystal malts?

What about a mash temp of around 154-156?

Would that create enough unfermentable sugars to allow for a sweeter finish?

 

[KCBigDog]

Just tapped my keg last night. This beer is outstanding. Love the nose!

 

[cuinrearview]

Max- Definately sounds like a thermometer issue, especially with nearly two lbs of Cara!! A rouge pack of us-05 could be to blame as well. After having the real deal there is definately a higher percentage of wheat in my recipe unless FFF filters. For the candy flavor I think the sim-arillo combo brings it to the table. I remember it being less hoppy and more clear at the brewery as well. Either way I don't care as I like this recipe better. It may be a teeny bit too sweet for a 90 degree day but if it's 89 degrees I'm good with it.

Eskimo- I'd hesitate to mash that high as it's pretty full on the palate for the "style" as is. With more hops though who knows?

For me, I'd be hesitant to add more heft to this beer. About the only thing that I'd change with the AG recipe would be to add some breadiness with a decoction. For some reason the PM version is like a hoppy cookie to me and I didn't pull that off with AG.

I'm glad that this recipe is still getting some run and even though I haven't brewed in over a year I'm still checking this thread from time to time. Once the weather breaks here I'm hoping to climb back into the saddle.

 

[KCBigDog]

I took this beer to a party this weekend, and someone happened to bring two bottles of Gumballhead. We did a side by side blind taste test:

Nose was very similar. So close, that a few people said exact. The commercial beer was a little lighter in color. They tasted very close. I think the commercial version was a little sweeter.

Everyone loved this recipe, and all but one person (out of 7) said they liked the homebrew better.

 

[Justibone]

Everyone loved this recipe, and all but one person (out of 7) said they liked the homebrew better.

Fresh beer usually beats store beer.

 

[Fastmetal]

I just pulled a sample off the primary after 7 days to take a gravity reading and it's down to 1.010 and tastes freaking amazing! I am going to dry hop it for 7 days and keg. This batch is going to go fast.

 

[1Q84]

Whoa. My go-to retailer just got some Amarillo in stock. Ordering up everything to hopefully make this soon.

Man, do I got an awesome summer lined up.

 

[DrDale]

I made a partial mash that came out phenomenal but disappeared way to fast. I hope to duplicate it soon!

 

[Justibone]

My friend enjoys his partial mash version more than the all-grain version. He also likes it better bottled than kegged. He's made it four times or so, whereas I've only made it once (partial mash, bottled).

That's my $.02!

 

[D_Ranged_Eskimo]

So any confirmed ways to keep the sweetness up in the end when doing an all grain batch? This beer was amazing (got another extract version brewed up 2 weeks ago), but I just upgraded to all grain and would like to make 10 gallons of this.

 

[DrDale]

I am about to step into all grain myself, in asking around, some have said to add a little dme to the end of the boil.

 

[D_Ranged_Eskimo]

Although it may change the taste slightly, I wonder if a yeast that is less attenuating would work to retain a higher FG and sweetness.

 

[D_Ranged_Eskimo]

Just threw my second extract batch of this into secondary to dry hop with just an oz of amarillo this round, and the hydro sample was better tasting than the first batch. I fermented lower this go round (60 degrees F ambient temp).

But back to the discussion at hand to retain sweetness. I've just started doing all grain and have it stuck in my mind I want to find a way to keep that sweetness without having to add DME.

After reading a thread on an Oberon clone, they were having the same issues retaining the sweetness and ended up with a drier than desired beer. The solution they came up with (and might be more trouble than it's worth) was using a decoction method instead of single infusion.

I'm still very new at the all grain game, but do you think a decoction would allow some of the sweetness to remain in the final product?

Edit: The oberon clone mash schedule was a single decoction with a 15 min rest at 122 and then an hour mash for 156.

 

[HawksBrewer]

To achieve a higher FG and resultant higher sweetness, you should mash higher, say 156-158*F. Cheers.

 

[D_Ranged_Eskimo]

To achieve a higher FG and resultant higher sweetness, you should mash higher, say 156-158*F. Cheers.

I had mentioned that earlier but with objections that it would not fix the problem. It was determined that it would only increase body and mouthfeel, but I suppose like anything else, I need to try it and see where it lands the beer!

Thanks.

 

[Justibone]

I'm still very new at the all grain game, but do you think a decoction would allow some of the sweetness to remain in the final product?

Yes.

It would be easier to do the Crystal Malt, though.

 

[D_Ranged_Eskimo]

Yes.

It would be easier to do the Crystal Malt, though.

I'm all for easier at this point. Do you think .5# would do the trick?

 

[Justibone]

I'm not really sure. I could bull**** you, but I'm not 100% on that.

It's a place to start, though. Crystal also contributes color. I'd message Cuinrearview, or hit up your LHBS recipe expert.

I've read that Crystal should never make up more than 5% of your total grainbill, but that could be bull**** someone else fed me.

Good luck!

 

[DrDale]

How's it going D_ranged? I'm getting ready to try this again. The only issue I had with my last WIPA was that the crisp hop note faded after some time in the bottle. I love the Amarillo but am wanting to try the zombie dust clone which is similar to the gbh just uses lots of citra

 

[Justibone]

The only issue I had with my last WIPA was that the crisp hop note faded after some time in the bottle.

That's always going to happen with any hop-aroma beer.

 

[cuinrearview]

The freshness of the hop flavor and aroma coincides with the freshness of the beer, unfortunately there is no way around it.

I've thought for a while (and I think mentioned in this thread) that a decoction would probably be the best way to clone the extract/PM version of this beer. To me my all-grain recipe was missing the "cookie" or "sweet bread" taste that made the PM version so perfect. Having only read about the character that a decoction mash adds to a wheat beer I would recommend trying it as my first suggestion. I think that more crystal would take it in the cloying direction. A higher mash temperature would be my second suggestion but I'd be scared to mash at more than four degrees higher. I have not tried any of these things but the PM beer, to me at least, is so damn good it would be worth experimenting with if you are dead set on nailing it with the all grain process. I've read that some beers are just better brewed with extract and maybe this is one of those cases.

 

[D_Ranged_Eskimo]

How's it going D_ranged? I'm getting ready to try this again. The only issue I had with my last WIPA was that the crisp hop note faded after some time in the bottle. I love the Amarillo but am wanting to try the zombie dust clone which is similar to the gbh just uses lots of citra

The same thing happened to my first batch. As time went on, the hop flavor and aroma faded, but that's just a part of the life of beer. The intensity of the hops is naturally going to fade no matter what hop you use.

I will say that having brewed this only twice, and just kegging my second batch last night, going with citra/amarillo gives off very strong grapefruit flavors, while going simply with amarillo, it was more of a tangerine aroma and taste. So far both of them have been outstanding, and I'm leaning towards the amarillo only, but I'll know for sure by this weekend when the beer has some carbination to it.

I'm not really sure. I could bull**** you, but I'm not 100% on that.

It's a place to start, though. Crystal also contributes color. I'd message Cuinrearview, or hit up your LHBS recipe expert.

I've read that Crystal should never make up more than 5% of your total grainbill, but that could be bull**** someone else fed me.

Good luck!

The freshness of the hop flavor and aroma coincides with the freshness of the beer, unfortunately there is no way around it.

I've thought for a while (and I think mentioned in this thread) that a decoction would probably be the best way to clone the extract/PM version of this beer. To me my all-grain recipe was missing the "cookie" or "sweet bread" taste that made the PM version so perfect. Having only read about the character that a decoction mash adds to a wheat beer I would recommend trying it as my first suggestion. I think that more crystal would take it in the cloying direction. A higher mash temperature would be my second suggestion but I'd be scared to mash at more than four degrees higher. I have not tried any of these things but the PM beer, to me at least, is so damn good it would be worth experimenting with if you are dead set on nailing it with the all grain process. I've read that some beers are just better brewed with extract and maybe this is one of those cases.

Thanks for the input from you two on this subject matter. I guess finally get my all grain setup squared away last week has put me in the mindset of steering away from extract and trying to maximize the all grain techniques and aspects of brewing. The other determining factor that is keeping me from going PM or staying extract only is the challenge. It would be nice to come back with postive results on creating this beer purely out of all grain and nailing that same sweetness perceived from using malt extract.

To be completely honest, after brewing this a second time, it's going to become a house beer and something that will remain on tap all year long. It's just too damn good not to keep it around!

With that said, I'm planning on brewing this again in 2-3 weeks time and going to try one of the variations mentioned. It looks like a higher mash temp will be a good starting spot, and then decoction if that doesn't produce a desired result.

 

[joshstokes122]

I picked up the ingredients to do my third batch of this a couple of days ago. Made the yeast starter yesterday to get ready to brew tomorrow and just realized that I had wrote down and bought the wrong yeast.

I picked up Wyeast Bavarian wheat 3056. Pretty sure I meant to pick up good old 1056. Oops. I guess I could go to my LHBS and pick up some 1056 before I brew, but I think I'll go ahead and try the Bavarian yeast. Any thoughts on how this might turn out?

 

[Justibone]

I picked up Wyeast Bavarian wheat 3056. I guess I could go to my LHBS and pick up some 1056 before I brew, but I think I'll go ahead and try the Bavarian yeast. Any thoughts on how this might turn out?

It is sooooo good as is, I'd be afraid to experiment like that. If you really want to experiment, I'd pull off a gallon and ferment it separately.

The secret to really good German wheat beers is, like every other beer, cool fermentation temps. I used to ferment wheats warm, but Jamil Zainascheff made me a believer... cool-fermented wheats kick those banana-bread wheats right in the jimmy!

I don't know how the hops would go with a German wheat style yeast. I would tend to think they might be in conflict, but that is just a guess.

Seriously, this recipe is so good (you've made it before, right?) that I wouldn't mess with a whole batch of it just to experiment.

 

[DrDale]

D_ranged,
I just made my second batch as well and its sitting in my secondary now for almost a week. I did use the Amarillo for both, 3oz in the boil and then another 1 for a week dry hop. Is that similar to your recipe?

 

[Diesel48]

Once the beer cleared up in my keg, it seemed to have a lot better cleaner crisper flavor

 

[cuinrearview]

Once the beer cleared up in my keg, it seemed to have a lot better cleaner crisper flavor

This seems strange. Did you make the PM or all-grain version? Every time I've made the PM recipe I couldn't get after it fast enough turbid or not. But I was bottling then so maybe that makes a difference. The only batch I've kegged was my one attempt at all-graining it.