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What wheat beer can I brew under these circumstances?

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Bryan_85

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With the warm weather approaching, I wanted to brew a wheat beer on Saturday.
Goal:
- good tasting wheat beer. I know that's vague, but I'm pretty open - just trying to optimize based on the constraints.
- try doing a cereal mash for as much of the grain bill as is feasible

constraints:
- I went to my LHBS and the only wheat yeast they had was WB-06, and since I had heard a few decent things about it, I got that.
- I ferment in my apt, which will average about 72, I'm guessing, over the next 2-3 weeks.
- BIAB

I've read a lot about WB-06. Some ppl seem to like it for hefeweizen, but this one that expresses some uncertainty about what you'd call a wheat beer made with that yeast:
then you make a wheat with the WB-06 dry yeast and have no idea what to call it. It's banana/clovey to a certain extent but who know exactly what the heck it is...
I'm under the impression that a hefeweizen would have less (maybe none?) of a cereal mash than a witbier?

With wheat beers, it seems like the flavors of the yeast are especially important, and clearly that's hugely affected by temp - which will be relatively high (72 +/- 2).

Would it work to use 50% raw white wheat, 25% 6-row and 25% malted wheat (and a few rice hulls)?

So if anyone has an suggestions for a general wheat style that would turn out well (or ones to avoid) in these rather specific circumstances, I'm all ears!
 
I have no experience with WB-06, but if fermenting with an ambient temp of 72 I think a Belgian yeast would be best, or us-05/wlp001/1056.

If you don't already... Get a cooler or plastic container and fill with water and frozen water bottles and place fermenter in there for rudimentary temperature control.

Your grain bill looks fine, 100% malted wheat would be easier but more power to you for the extra effort with a cereal mash. What kind of hops are you looking to use?

Using WB-06 your pretty much locked into doing a German hefe. Change the yeast and you can different styles.
 
Just checked out the fermentis web site. It states fermenting above 73 will give banana esters and below 71 will give clove. So if you like banana your good to go at 72 ambient.
 
What kind of hops are you looking to use?
I know that to be true to style I should use a German hop with a hefe, but I'm not too concerned with that. I also have some other hops around that I'd prefer to use up. I'll probably aim for about 10-15 IBUs with East Kent Goldings. It seems like if most (or all?) of them are added early in the boil, as I expect, then the fact that I'm not using a traditional hefe hop will be less crucial.
But if someone thinks this would be pretty bad, I do have a few others on hand (but they're higher AAs, so was thinking they're less ideal).

Using WB-06 your pretty much locked into doing a German hefe. Change the yeast and you can different styles.

Exactly what I need to know. thanks!
 
It doesn't really matter what hop you use to bitter, especially with that low of an IBU, it will taste like a Hef regardless, since you are using 06
 
Watch your blowoff control if you do any kind of a wheat at 70+, if you don't already know.
 
I brewed a summer wheat with WB-06, fermented at 70 and still got lots of clove flavor. I wasnt too happy with the flavor so if I were you and want more banana make sure your up in the 74 range.
 
I brewed a summer wheat with WB-06, fermented at 70 and still got lots of clove flavor. I wasnt too happy with the flavor so if I were you and want more banana make sure your up in the 74 range.

that makes me curious - just how high could you go? 80?
 
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