Last beer to brew for Oktoberfest. Using Bavarian Wheat yeast and changing up the hops. Sometimes a beer comes down to the ingredients you can get. Should be fine, as long as brew day goes smoothly. HA HA HA. Read on.
Saturday August 27, 2022
Weizenbier 10 gallon
Charles, Alan, Rob, Andy
Calculated Stats-
- Original Gravity – 1.050 (1.044 – 1.052)
- IBU – 13.7 (8 – 150)
- SRM – 3.8 (2 – 6)
- Final Gravity – 1.012 (1.01 – 1.014)
- ABV – 5 (4.3 – 5.6)
Grain Bill (half batch)
- 5 lbs Pilsner
- 4.75 lbs Pale Wheat
- .25 lb Flaked Wheat
- .25 lb Carapils
- .2 lb Crystal 40
- .5 lb Rice Hulls*
Hop Bill (full batch)
- 1 oz. Tradition 5.1% – 60 mins.
- 1 oz. Hersbrucker 2% – 60 mins.
- 1 oz. Hersbrucker 2% – 30 mins.
- 1 oz. Saaz 3.5% – 5 mins.
First time using Hersbrucker hops.
Hersbrucker is an old-world German land variety that originally horned in on the popularity of Hallertau Mittelfrüh. It is named after the growing region it was cultivated in and has a distinguished noble aroma. Hersbrucker historically has a low Alpha Acid, ranging from 1.5-4%, which makes it perfect for traditional lagers and pilsners.
Yeast
Wyeast 3068 Bavarian Wheat
Profile: A complex alternative to the standard German wheat strain profile. This strain produces apple, pear, and plum esters in addition to the dominant banana character. The esters are complemented nicely by clove and subtle vanilla phenolics. The balance can be manipulated towards ester production through increasing fermentation temperature, increasing the wort density, and decreasing the pitch rate. Over pitching can result in a near complete loss of banana character. Decreasing the ester level will allow a higher clove character to be perceived. Sulfur is commonly produced, but will dissipate with conditioning. This strain is very powdery and will remain in suspension for an extended amount of time following attenuation. This is true top cropping yeast and requires fermentor headspace of 33%.
Had to toss out the mash plan due to a stuck mash. This was the first wheat beer in the Foundry and the false bottom got locked up tighter than a nun’s knickers. All attempts to free it up failed. Alan offered to pick up more rice hulls on his way over while Rob helped with plan B. Actually plan C. Or D. I lost track. We eventually got the old igloo water cooler mash tun out and dumped the mash into it, mixed in another half pound of rice hulls and ran the liquid off. Salvaged 5 gallons of wort.
Mixed in the remaining half pond rice hulls into the grains for batch 2, mashed into the cooler tun and everything went smoothly from then on.
Now there are all kinds of mash steps and attempts to fix stuck mash that I am skipping over because the first half of this brew day was such a FLUSTER CLUCK. However, when all was said and done, it looks like this will shape up to be a very good beer.
Collected about 13 gallons.
Pre boil gravity = 1.042 (should be 1.046)
Hop schedule per above. Used hop screens this time.
Chilled to 83˚.
Transferred to fermenter in kitchen. Dead on 10 gallons. 10.75 with yeast starter.
OG = 1.048 (should be 1.050)
Fermentation was fast and furious. Mostly done by Wednesday morning.
Friday Sept. 2
Racked to secondary. Not sure I am happy with this yeast. Odd smell and flavor but as with most beers I will reserve judgement until it is flowing out the tap. Not sure the Weizen purists will be pleased. Whatever. Free beer so STFU.
Gravity = 1.007
Friday Sept. 9
This beer is done. Gravity has not budged.
Racked to 2 kegs.
FG = 1.007 = 5.38 abv
Flavor has improved greatly. With all the brew day problems it looks as if this will be a stellar Weizenbier. We will see in two short weeks. PROST!
All Grain Underground 