Fruit Beer watermelon wheat

[iamatuna]

I thought about that

If you were to say use the same juice and do a forced ferment to see how much it goes down you could determine the amount of fermentables within the juice.

I recently tried this with some mango and it turned out really well

Cheers

 

[illadelphbrew]

Hey this recipe looks good. So good I had ago at it this Saturday, so it will be ready by memorial day, with some minor tweeks. I used 1 lb oh each of the steeping grains, 6 lbs of extract and 1.5 lbs of honey. I bumpeds up the fermentables to try to give it alittle bit more abv. But I do have a question. I used wyeast 1068 and my airlock is going off like a machine gun for the last 2 days. It is going off more than any other beer I have done in that time frame. I fermented at 68 degrees. This is my first wheat. So my question is, is this activity common with wheats? If not how worried do I have to be about having an off/hot taste? Thanks in advance...

 

[shotputman]

Thanks for all the talk on this, my wife and I brewed this on March 19th, bottled a few days ago, can't wait to taste it!

I used a MoreBeer American Wheat Kit, and Wyeast 3056 Bavarian Wheat Blend. Fermented at around 68 for two weeks, then racked to 5 cups (or so) of watermelon juice that I squeezed through a paint strainer bag after blending up the pulp.

illadelphbrew: this is my first wheat as well and it blew the top off the airlock, had to switch to a blow-off tube.........I'll post some tasting notes in a week or two when I taste it, but initially it's tastes great, just the right amount of watermelon flavor.....a bit estery, but that might be due to the yeast. Might just try a plain ale yeast next time.

 

[ben the brewman]

Hey this recipe looks good. So good I had ago at it this Saturday, so it will be ready by memorial day, with some minor tweeks. I used 1 lb oh each of the steeping grains, 6 lbs of extract and 1.5 lbs of honey. I bumpeds up the fermentables to try to give it alittle bit more abv. But I do have a question. I used wyeast 1068 and my airlock is going off like a machine gun for the last 2 days. It is going off more than any other beer I have done in that time frame. I fermented at 68 degrees. This is my first wheat. So my question is, is this activity common with wheats? If not how worried do I have to be about having an off/hot taste? Thanks in advance...

Im glad you guys are liking my recipe! It is very normal for a wheat to go crazy for a few days they have a pretty violent fermentation. Keep brewing and let me know how all of these turn out.

 

[ben the brewman]

I thought about that

If you were to say use the same juice and do a forced ferment to see how much it goes down you could determine the amount of fermentables within the juice.

I recently tried this with some mango and it turned out really well

Cheers

The only thing about that is that it can vary from year to year and ripeness of the melon.

 

[bmock79]

Anyone have thoughts on throwing some jolly ranchers directly in the keg? Like dry hopping?

Cheers!!

 

[bmock79]

Another quick question, if doing the all grain what is a good temp and time to mash for?
THanks!!

 

[shotputman]

Ok, I've been sampling my beers now for a week or two. First off, I really can't tell the difference between the ones primed with Dextrose and the 5 22oz bottles I did with a jolly rancher. Second, the watermelon flavor was great when I was bottling, but not that it's carbonated, I really don't get much. Finally, the Bavarian Witbier yeast worked fine, but very estery, when I do this again, I think I'm going to go with something alittle tamer........any suggestions?

 

[bmock79]

So do you think jolly ranchers in the keg would do anything?

Shotputman, have you tried the 21st amendment watermelon wheat? Does it compare at all to that?

Cheers

 

[ben the brewman]

I dont see any reason you cant use the jolly ranchers in the keg at all. Now that I have brewed this a few times I almost prefer 1056 or american wheat yeast. Both have turned out good results for me.

 

[ben the brewman]

Oh almost forgot the mash temp. I mash this beer at 152 when I brew it.

 

[shotputman]

The 21st amendment is great beer, mine is a similar color, and the watermelon flavor is about the same (get some in the finish but that's about it), the biggest difference is that mine is much more estery and clovey. Probably due to combination of my Bavarian Wheat yeast and fermentation temps.

 

[bmock79]

Awesome, thanks for the input. I am going to brew this one up next week, I will post my results as thy come in.

Cheers

 

[ben the brewman]

Awesome, thanks for the input. I am going to brew this one up next week, I will post my results as thy come in.

Cheers

After brewing this so many times I think I almost prefer it with honey malt and not the real honey just my opinion though. It would be a little cheaper too.

 

[Sacreddog717]

I'm interested in the Jolly Ranchers in the keg also. Keep me updated. Thanks.

 

[nutty_gnome]

Ben - I'm about ready to brew this one again. Please elaborate on your substitution of honey malt for honey. I'm always looking to save a buck.

 

[ben the brewman]

I sub the honey for honey malt as the exact same so instead of 1lbs of honey just use 1lbs of honey malt. I personally think it comes out better using just the honey malt. It was a accident on my part no paying attention to the recipe one day and only seen honey listed and thought to myself a yes honey malt, oh well still tastes great.

 

[ben the brewman]

The 21st amendment is great beer, mine is a similar color, and the watermelon flavor is about the same (get some in the finish but that's about it), the biggest difference is that mine is much more estery and clovey. Probably due to combination of my Bavarian Wheat yeast and fermentation temps.

1056 is great in this beer too. I go between 1056, american wheat and german wheat. I really think the 1056 and the amerian wheat are my favorites.

 

[stblindtiger]

I'm giving this recipe a try now. I am going to use the Begian Wit ale yeast WLP 400. Has anyone tried it yet with this? Ben, you originally said you were going to try it with this yeast, but through 14 pages of replies, I didn't see any mention of that yeast ever again?

I'm hoping to have this ready for the 4th of July, so I'll reply back with my results when I'm finished with it.

Thanks for the recipe!

 

[ben the brewman]

I never did. I have been primarily using 1056 and american wheat but if you do use please let me know how it turns out. I am going to be brewing a batch very soon my self so I may try 2 different yeast to see the outcome.

 

[stblindtiger]

Racked my Wit to a carboy today, and added 5 cups of watermelon juice to it.

It is now officially a Watermelon Wit!

It looks a lot more pink in person...

 

[ben the brewman]

Yea the color never show up well in pics. You gotta love the funky pink head it grows after the juice is added. Keep me posted on how it turns out for you.

 

[ben the brewman]

Racked my Wit to a carboy today, and added 5 cups of watermelon juice to it.

It is now officially a Watermelon Wit!

It looks a lot more pink in person...

Any updates?

 

[brum]

Mine tastes more like the rind of the watermelon than actual watermelon. Granted its only been carbing for 1 week I'm hoping it'll start tasting a little sweeter. My OG was a little low though, and it tastes a little watered down as I oversparged

 

[ben the brewman]

Sorry to hear that. This is usually a pretty good beer.

 

[brum]

Yeah its all on me. I'm going to try it again here in a few weeks. It smells delicious but just an odd taste.

 

[SirBC]

Watermellon Wheat is our "go to" summer beer. Just added 6 cups of juice to the secondary (our house recipe):

 

[bmock79]

SirBC what's your house recipe if you don't mind me asking?

I just made mine with 50/50 mix of 2 row and red wheat, and about 8 percent honey malt. And for lack of any wheat yeast at my LHBS I went with 001.

Thanks and you pic looks delicous!!!

Cheers

 

[SirBC]

Was 12 cups of Au Juice (for 12 G batch), not 6.

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 13.98 gal
Post Boil Volume: 12.48 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 12.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.059 SG
Estimated Color: 4.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 19.6 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 85.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 85.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
1 lbs Rice Hulls
11 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US
11 lbs White Wheat Malt
1.25 oz Pearle [6.50 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1.25 oz Pearle [6.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min
1.25 oz Pearle [6.50 %] - Boil 1.0 min
3.40 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins)
4.50 g Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash 60.0 mins)
8.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins
12.00 Cup Watermelon Juice (Secondary 5.0 days)
2.0 pkg American Wheat Ale (Wyeast Labs #1010)
2.00 tbsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 mins)
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins)


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body, No Mash Out
Total Grain Weight: 23 lbs
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 37.90 qt of water at 158.1 F 150.0 F 60 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 9.27 gal water at 168.0 F

 

[bmock79]

Thanks, I just took my first gravity reading. I hit my marks and it looks like it finished right at 4.5%. The sample tasted great and it seems like I should be good to go with the watermelon juice this week!!! STOKED!!!