Lemondrop wheat beer (American style)

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Beersort

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Hi all, brewing this at the weekend. Got 100g of lemon drop hops and the description of them struck me as something that would well in a simple American style wheat beer, thoughts?

Batch size 23 litres -

2kg wheat malt
2.5kg extra pale malt
250g carapils
250g torrified wheat
100g oat husks to prevent a stuck mash
Probably mash at 67c. Water treatment is 10g 5.2 stabiliser, 5g calcium chloride 4g calcium sulfate

60 minute boil -
5g Apollo at 60

50g lemon drop 30 minute hop stand at 70c
50g lemon drop dry hop after 4 days fermentation

Us-05 yeast

Hoping for something around the 4.5% mark.
 
Sounds really good. I've not used or drank Lemon Drop (to my knowledge) but it's been on my to try list for a while. The recipe looks good, almost like a cross between an IPA and wheat.
 
The recipe looks good, almost like a cross between an IPA and wheat.
It’s a pretty standard American Wheat recipe - apart from the oat husks and torrified Wheat it’s almost the same as the Greg Hughes American wheat grain bill - it was one of my favourite beers I’ve brewed.

I’m interested to hear how it works with Lemondrop hops.
 
Lemon and wheat beer sounds like a marriage made in heaven. Lemon drop is quite subtle though, certainly no where near as pungent as citra or amarillo.
 
It's currently in the fermenter. OG was slightly lower than expected (1046, was hoping for 1048) but the Lemondrop hops smell really nice in the raw. Similar to cascade!

Did a hop stand a little lower at 66. Looking forward to this!
 
It's currently in the fermenter. OG was slightly lower than expected (1046, was hoping for 1048) but the Lemondrop hops smell really nice in the raw. Similar to cascade!

Did a hop stand a little lower at 66. Looking forward to this!
How's this one going? It can't be far off an early taste now. Sounds like a really nice recipe.
 
How's this one going? It can't be far off an early taste now. Sounds like a really nice recipe.

It's dropped pretty clear! Nice easy drinking beer, lemondrop hops are quite nice and subtle. Certainly a bit of lemon in there, but a bit of spiciness present too
 

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It's dropped pretty clear! Nice easy drinking beer, lemondrop hops are quite nice and subtle. Certainly a bit of lemon in there, but a bit of spiciness present too
Cheers mate. I've done lots of pretty hoppy brews lately so a little more subtlety will make a nice change. This will be my next brew on.
Did you hit your 4.5% target from this grain bill?
 
Cheers mate. I've done lots of pretty hoppy brews lately so a little more subtlety will make a nice change. This will be my next brew on.
Did you hit your 4.5% target from this grain bill?

Went a little higher - got 4.8% in the end. It's still very sessionable! Wouldn't mind trying it with a base malt like golden promise instead and maybe a more characterful yeast like wyeast 1010 but us 05 is pretty solid!

Also used white labs clarify ferm which appears to have help it to drop clear
 
Went a little higher - got 4.8% in the end. It's still very sessionable! Wouldn't mind trying it with a base malt like golden promise instead and maybe a more characterful yeast like wyeast 1010 but us 05 is pretty solid!

Also used white labs clarify ferm which appears to have help it to drop clear
4.5& -5.5% is just where I like it, so that's ideal. Never used a clarifier other than a protofloc or Irish moss in the boil.
Thanks again, I'll get this on in the next couple of weeks.
 
4.5& -5.5% is just where I like it, so that's ideal. Never used a clarifier other than a protofloc or Irish moss in the boil.
Thanks again, I'll get this on in the next couple of weeks.
Cool, glad you are giving it a go! Any questions let me know
 
Mashing this now.
A couple firsts for me today.
First time using a mash tun instead of my usual biab and first time brewing a wheat beer.
Be interesting to see how my efficiency is.
 
Finally got it done and cleaned up. Took a lot longer than my usual BIAB method.
Good thing is pre boil of 1041 and post boil of 1056. Really surprised at the post boil. I did up the grain bill by 10% from Beersort's original.
 
Bottled this today after a 5 day dry hop. Looking forward to tasting. I think it's going to be a nice refreshing summer pint. :gulp:
 
Had a couple of pints of this last night. Really nice drink. Lemon Drop flavour pretty subtle as @IainM says.
One of those that when first tasted I thought not bad, a few swigs later and I was loving it and so was the missus.
Chees Beersort. :thumb: I'll definitely brew this one again.
 
Bit of a thread revival...
I’m making (well made) a Helles and apart from the the usual mittelfruh hops for bittering I did a hop stand with lemon drop. Added 25g. I may well dry hop with 25g - it’s a 5gal batch. I’m asking if those who’ve used lemon drop before would that 25g addition be enough to remain subtle but still impart a nice citrus/lemon overtone?

I’ll taste the beer and if I do dry hop I’d probably do this around the d rest and then cold crash and lager. I think it’ll be a good hop for a lager.
Fingers crossed and input welcomed!
 
Hi @krispn.
I'd say it would need the dry hop. I had 100g in my wheat beer and it gave a lovely subtle lemon flavour. Really nice, but in the background.
 
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