What would you call this style? (+ kegging on the cheap, G30 grain bill, etc.)

[CafeRoaster]

Hi, folks! Very green home-brewer here. I'm going into my fifth brew, and I've read The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, and I still know absolutely nothing. I do know what styles I like, that I enjoy low ABV, and that home-brewing gets very complicated very easily. Hah!

I'm working on the following recipe (5 gallon batch in my modified Grainfather G30):
- 4# Weyermann Barke Pilsner
- 4# Weyermann Oak Smoked Wheat
- .5# Sugar Creek Gotlandsdricka
- 1 oz Yakima Valley Hops Hallertau Mittelfruh (AA 2.9) @ 60:00
- 1 oz Yakima Valley Hops Hallertau Mittelfruh (AA 2.9) @ 5:00
- Omega German Lager I + DKO liquid yeast

What style would you call this beer? I couldn't find Gotlandsdricka in Grainfather or Brewfather, but it is a smoked malt for sure.

I just scored a free grain mill, and this will be my first batch with rice hulls. I'm hoping to increase my efficiency. My last batch had the highest efficiency at 62%, which was due to a very fine mill (so fine that it doughed up within 5 minutes, so that's how often I stirred hah!). Before that, I was at 51%. Aiming for 70% or better!

What mill size should I aim for? I do have feeler gauges, so I can get pretty accurate measurements of gap size.

I'm at a point where I don't have enough bottles to be drinking a beer and conditioning another. At the same time, I've realized that bottling is my least favorite thing about brewing. I think I have the following options:
- 2-tap Kegerator ($$$)
- DIY 2-tap kegerator ($$)
- Used 2-tap kegerator ($$)
- Use only swing-top bottles ($$)
- Just get more bottles and caps ($)
- Something else?!

This also leads me to think about how I should maybe have a cold crash setup, as I only do California Common lagers right now.

I don't have much money to spend on this hobby, so I'm looking for cheap DIY stuff. I have a spare cooler, a spare mini-fridge, there are cheap refrigerators in my area, etc. But even a conversion kit is $400, which is just too much. Maybe a used wine cooler + picnic taps?

As you can tell, I'm a bit overwhelmed by all the variables and options. Hah!

 

[Beekeeper]

Might just be called 1D: American Wheat Beer

 

[CafeRoaster]

Might just be called 1D: American Wheat Beer
View attachment 880295

Whoa, what tool is that? Clearly from Brewer's Friend. And what did you put in for the Gotlandsdricka?

 

[JohnDBrewer]

With the smoke wheat your style is one of the smoked categories. A German Rauchbier's a lager, but that typically does not use smoked wheat. The rest of the recipe fits. A Piwo Grodziske, uses smoke wheat, though usually very low gravity and an ale. It sounds interesting. Let us know how it comes out.

A good rule to follow, never declare your beer until you taste it, no matter what you think you may be brewing.

 

[CafeRoaster]

With the smoke wheat your style is one of the smoked categories. A German Rauchbier's a lager, but that typically does not use smoked wheat. The rest of the recipe fits. A Piwo Grodziske, uses smoke wheat, though usually very low gravity and an ale. It sounds interesting. Let us know how it comes out.

A good rule to follow, never declare your beer until you taste it, no matter what you think you may be brewing.

Yes, I'm excited to see how it turns out! I've become friends with someone that owns and runs a brewery, and he knows that I like Rauchbiers. He did preface by saying, "That's not what these are for, but they are fun!" He mentioned Piwo Grodziske too, as it's something he's workshopping.