Brew On

[pittsy]

Started a brew for the spring thing this morning , first step done on to the next , here it is a wheat beer with a touch of carahell to give a little sweetness (not too much hopefully) .
Weizen/Weissbier
Type: All Grain Date: 28/10/2012
Batch Size (fermenter): 23.00 l Brewer: pittsy
Boil Size: 29.26 l Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 70 min Equipment: Pot and Cooler ( 5 Gal/19 L) - All Grain
End of Boil Volume 26.87 l Brewhouse Efficiency: 73.00 %
Final Bottling Volume: 21.49 l Est Mash Efficiency 82.0 %
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage Taste Rating(out of 50): 47.0
Taste Notes:
Ingredients


Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
2.75 kg Wheat Malt, Pale (Weyermann) (3.9 EBC) Grain 1 55.0 %
2.00 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) Bel (5.9 EBC) Grain 2 40.0 %
0.25 kg Carahell (Weyermann) (25.6 EBC) Grain 3 5.0 %
25.00 g Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] - Boil 70.0 min Hop 4 9.7 IBUs
15.00 g Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 5 2.8 IBUs
1.0 pkg Hefeweizen IV Ale (White Labs #WLP380) [35.49 ml] Yeast 6 -

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.049 SG Measured Original Gravity: 1.052 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.007 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.016 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.5 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 4.7 %
Bitterness: 12.5 IBUs Calories: 492.9 kcal/l
Est Color: 8.6 EBC
Mash Profile

Mash Name: Decoction Mash, Single Total Grain Weight: 5.00 kg
Sparge Water: 15.71 l Grain Temperature: 12.0 C
Sparge Temperature: 75.6 C Tun Temperature: 12.0 C
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.20

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Protein Rest Add 9.00 l of water at 47.1 C 41.0 C 15 min
gluten rest Add 3.00 l of water at 82.7 C 50.0 C 20 min
sacch rest Decoct 4.27 l of mash and boil it 64.0 C 20 min
sacch rest Add 3.50 l of water at 98.8 C 71.0 C 20 min
Mash Step Add 4.00 l of water at 97.7 C 76.0 C 15 min

Sparge Step: Fly sparge with 15.71 l water at 75.6 C
Mash Notes: Used in some authentic German styles. Attempt to draw decoction from the thickest portion of the mash. Profiles vary. Some traditional German mashes use a long acid rest at 40 deg C. Also some sources recommend the decoction amount be given a 15 minute saccharification rest at 158 F (70 C) before boiling it.
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Bottle Volumes of CO2: 2.7
Pressure/Weight: 146.39 g Carbonation Used: Bottle with 146.39 g Table Sugar
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 21.1 C Age for: 30.00 days
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage Storage Temperature: 18.3 C
Notes


Created with BeerSmith

 

[EskiBrew]

Have a good one :thumb:

 

[Baldbrewer]

Hi Pittsy,
Slightly off topic question here but as the wheatmiester I thought you'd know;
" are wheat beers any good in corni kegs?" I've just bought 2 :thumb:

Thanks mate.

 

[rich27500]

Like the look of this I got some free Munich yeast so more wheaty/wits are planned.

 

[pittsy]

i don't have cornie kegs (yet) but i have read that yes is the answer , you should be able to carb it up with a cornie , i find with table sugar around 2.7 is about best i can get without foam overs but wheats should be around 3.4 (i think brewing at mo so no time to check)
:grin: :mrgreen:

 

[EskiBrew]

I've had wheat in cornies - no problems :thumb:

 

[Dunfie]

They work well although the yeast does eventually drop out so its worth giving the cornie a shake to mix as you go or the last few can end up very clear.

 

[pittsy]

well so far so good , brew all good at the mo , just finishing decoction whilst sitting in my shed on laptop as i go . i also have been doing water chemistry on this 1 and mash ph lowered

 

[Baldbrewer]

No photos ? :

 

[pittsy]

already done a few brews with pictures , would be the same really so ain't bothered to do any :nah:

 

[Baldbrewer]

Down to last 2 bottles of weissbier so just ordered your ingredients damn you Pittsy!

 

[pittsy]

Down to last 2 bottles of weissbier so just ordered your ingredients damn you Pittsy!

good to hear lol ,
just got 20 mins of boil left then cool for 30 mins , transfer 15 mins jobs a good un

 

[pittsy]

Tasting this and i think it may be my best weizen yet brewed by me and it's gonna be in the comp :party: on a lesser note early tasting of my wit not as good , it seems not enough corri seed enough though same amount added as per other time and it was strong last time but a little weak in my new wit , that is also in comp but if i have enough time i plan to brew again and hopefully better .

 

[troutie]

Is there , or can the wheatmiester please do an explanation of the Decoction mash for us newbie brewers

 

[pittsy]

sure , what you have to do is when you mash in your grains with warm water in your mash tun , after a period of time (say your mash was resting at 50c for 20 mins ) you would remove a good portion of the mash (grains and wort, nice and thick , think of porridge , for me it is around 5 to 6L) into a pot and slowly heat up to 71c , this should take around 10 mins and always stir to insure grains do not scorch (it will ruin your beer with a burnt taste ) but avoid splashing while stirring , oxygen at hot temps can cause faster stale beer effects etc . While at 71c rest here for 15 mins (to allow for sacc rest , important ) then slowly raise temp to boiling again taking around 10 mins and keep stirring .
When you have reached boiling , you may not need to stir but keep and eye on it . You keep at boiling for at least 15 mins , this will darken the overall beer colour and add malt flavour , if you are doing a dunkel then boil for at least 20 mins , 30 mins better . Then add slowly back to main mash which will raise temp for another mash rest .
Some say why bother , all i can say is it seems to be better for me but my advice is if you can't be bothered to do a decoction when doing a wheat beer , fine , but do the step mashes , i say that has the bigger effect . enjoy .

 

[jonnymorris]

sure , what you have to do is...

:shock: You don't make it easy for yourself do you.

Do you always use liquid yeast?

 

[pittsy]

lol no i sure don't , but it's like cooking the more you do the better (i'm sure not always) it will be , besides it just means a brew day is around 7 hrs ish , some nutters in Germany do like 18hrs mashing , i won't be .
And yes since i moved onto liquid yeast i noticed a vast improvement so i've always used liquid yeast since, (maybe this is more to do with that banana/clove thing in weizen , not sure about other styles ) I'm certain if i brew a new (to me ) style of beer i'll be looking at getting liquid yeast .

 

[jonnymorris]

The reason I ask about your yeast is that I think there's no doubt its better, or at least healthier, but its also correspondingly more expensive. I've used it once and as I'm not competent at re-using it the price puts me off.

Maybe I should bite the bullet and go liquid too... or perhaps dry yeast with nutrient...? (apologies for the thread hijack).

 

[pittsy]

i have 4 strains of yeast split into many bottles in the fridge , 1 vial plus dme equals possibly 50 odd brews , so 1 vial £6.50 divide into say 40 and add 100g of dme each time is around 96p per brew , how much you paying for dried , £3 ?

 

[pittsy]

p.s if you can brew beer you can grow yeast , same same :thumb: