TBA Fruit American Wheat (first recipe)

[TripleC223]

I have a few extract brews under my belt and wanted to try my hand at a "recipe." Honestly, it's is just a combination of a few different wheats I've researched. However, I'd like some feedback before I get started.

This is in response to a request from my wife/co-brewer, who wants a fruit beer for the spring/summer. I don't know what fruit will be best to use, but we will probably use some sort of berry (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, etc.). My plan is to make a standard American wheat and add the fruit during secondary fermentation.

One note -- I recently got a vintage 5-gallon carboy from my grandfather, so I now have the option of racking to a secondary. I have only used a bucket as my sole fermenter in the past.

TBA American Wheat
Method: Extract
Volume: 5 gallons
Boil: 60 min (2.5 gallons)
OG: 1.054
FG: 1.010
IBU: 17
SRM: 4

Fermentables
6 lbs Wheat DME

Steeping Grains
1 lb Flaked Wheat
0.5 lbs Pilsen Malt

Hops
1 oz Magnum (60-min boil)
1 oz Saaz (15-min boil)

Yeast
Safale US-05

Additions
TBA fruit (blueberry, strawberry or raspberry)
-Will use fresh or frozen fruit
-Will let fruit sit/thaw with campden tablets before adding to fermenter

 

[sfish]

Sounds good. I made the following and discovered it needed time to age about a 8 months then loved it and did not share, should have oaked. It may be due to using bllueberries so maybe try the raspberry. I suggest using less wheat and add honey.

4 gallons batch size
OG 1.082
Fg 1.008
ABV 9.5%
SRM 13 (this was projected, looks more like 30ish and dark red)
24 IBU

.75 lbs Carawheat (8.0%)
.5 lbs Honey Malt (5.3%)
.5 lbs Melanoidin Malt (5.3%)
3.0 lbs DME Wheat (32.0%)
4.0 lbs Honey (42.5%)

.50 oz Sterling (Pellets, 7.5 %AA) boiled 70 min.
.38 oz Sterling (Pellets, 7.50 %AA) boiled 15 min.
.75 oz Tettnanger (Pellets, 5.5 %AA) boiled 1 min.
.12 oz Sterling at 1 min.

6 lb. Blueberries (frozen) smashed and in primary at pitch temp removed after 5 days.

 

[TripleC223]

Sounds good. I made the following and discovered it needed time to age about a 8 months then loved it and did not share, should have oaked. It may be due to using bllueberries so maybe try the raspberry. I suggest using less wheat and add honey.

4 gallons batch size
OG 1.082
Fg 1.008
ABV 9.5%
SRM 13 (this was projected, looks more like 30ish and dark red)
24 IBU

.75 lbs Carawheat (8.0%)
.5 lbs Honey Malt (5.3%)
.5 lbs Melanoidin Malt (5.3%)
3.0 lbs DME Wheat (32.0%)
4.0 lbs Honey (42.5%)

.50 oz Sterling (Pellets, 7.5 %AA) boiled 70 min.
.38 oz Sterling (Pellets, 7.50 %AA) boiled 15 min.
.75 oz Tettnanger (Pellets, 5.5 %AA) boiled 1 min.
.12 oz Sterling at 1 min.

6 lb. Blueberries (frozen) smashed and in primary at pitch temp removed after 5 days.

I've never used honey, let alone 4.0 pounds of it. I understand it dries out the beer, but what would that much honey (compared to 3.0 lbs DME) do the flavor? Does it still taste like a wheat beer?

 

[Steveruch]

This is in response to a request from my wife/co-brewer, who wants a fruit beer for the spring/summer. I don't know what fruit will be best to use,

What fruit(s) does she like? Since you're brewing it for her. You can use any fruit in beer.

 

[TripleC223]

What fruit(s) does she like? Since you're brewing it for her. You can use any fruit in beer.

We're pretty open with this one. I guess a better question would be what fruit contributes the most to a beer?

We have never brewed with fruit before, but in my research, I've seen apples, peaches and pears don't really come through very well. Raspberries, however, seem to contribute a good bit of flavor.

I'm open to suggestions. I do not want to use fruit extract, at least not with this brew.

 

[chickypad]

The flaked wheat and pilsner malt should be mashed, if you're not planning that I'd probably just go all wheat DME. Also the full oz magnum seems a lot and I can't believe it's only 17 IBU, I wonder if it's calculating it that way because it's a small concentrated boil. I'd suggest adding most of your extract late, and plug it into the calculator that way. When I do that in Beersmith I'm getting like 50 IBU's with your additions (not knowing your exact AA's).

As far as fruit I'll make a plug for watermelon. I'm not a fan of fruit beers in general but I love my watermelon wheat every summer. I do about 4 cups fresh juice for 5 gal batch. It's on the subtle side which I like, but maybe not what you're going for.

 

[bigplunkett]

I made a all grain black berry wheat for my sister wedding 5#wheat and 2row bitter with tettnang and an oz of it at 10 min. I useed wyeast 1010 and 3lbs of black berrys came out great not to fruity and had a nice light purple hue to it.