When someone asks which style of beer is my absolute favorite I half-jokingly tell them that I like all styles of beer, which in fact I do. From the moment I take that first cold sip of beer I start to single out everything I like about it. Perfect color, good carbonation, a lingering head, great lacing, plenty of flavor, aroma and taste.... See what I'm saying, I've just cited seven common qualities to look for in a beer, without hinting at any particular style of beer at all. Still unsure about which style of beer is being described our mind works hard to fill in the missing details. Suddenly a mental image of the beer begins to develop and soon you find yourself thinking about your personal favorite beer style. The imaginary beer can be darker or lighter in color and if you were to focus on it long enough you may almost begin to taste it too. The question is did seasonal weather conditions influence your imaginary choice of beer style at all?
Beautiful Golden Color In The Kettle
Although I share the same appreciation for the care and quality that goes into producing any well-crafted beer I do have my own seasonal favorites. In the hot, humid hazy days of summer here in the Northeastern United States I find myself favoring light citrusy refreshing Ales over robust Stouts and Porters. Whether it be the crisp bite of an IPA or the softer more subtle flavors of a Wheat beer. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying I drink only light colored beers in summer, if there's an interesting dark beer on tap I'll gladly drink it too. But I will admit in hot weather I do favor the lighter colored beers over darker beers.
Five years ago I started brewing wheat beers in late Spring just before the outdoor temperatures began to soar. I tried to have plenty on tap for drinking over the hot summer months. Over time the recipes evolved from extract to all grain ranging in style from Belgian Witbier to American Wheat beer and it was during this time that Screwy's 420 Special Wheat beer was born. My original recipe was dated and saved on April 20, 2013 as I listened to the sound of commuter trains off in the distance. (What were you thinking?)
Carbonate To 2.75 Co2 Volumes
Below is the original ingredient list and recipe for this amazingly refreshing beer. Everyone's brewing process is different, from grain crush to final packaging and all points in between. Keep this in mind as your mileage may vary, you are encouraged to tweak the amounts to your own liking.
Style: American Wheat
Pre-boil Volume 6.50 gallons
Package Volume 5.00 gallons:
Estimated IBU = 26, SRM = 7, OG = 1.069, FG = 1.017, ABV= 6.7%
Brewing Date: 30-Jun-2013
Orig. Gravity: 1.068
Final Gravity: 1.015
Dry Hopped: 06-Jul-2013
Cold Crash: 12-Jul-2013
0.50 pound Munch (German)
0.50 pound Biscuit (Belgium)
2.00 pounds Honey
2.50 pounds Wheat (German)
3.00 pounds Flaked Wheat
6.00 pounds Pilsner (Belgian)
-----------
12.50 Total grain bill
0.50 ounces Columbus pellets
3.00 ounces Cascade pellets
1.00 ounces Centennial pellets
------
4.50 ounces Total hop bill
0.25 teaspoon crushed coriander seed (adjust to taste)
0.50 teaspoon ground Cardamom
0.50 ounce bitter orange peel
Mash at 152F for an hour
Add 0.50 ounce of Columbus hops to the kettle then lauter 6.50 gallons of wort on top of the hops.
** Optional add 1 tablespoon of gypsum to the kettle with the hops.
Boil for 90 minutes
Add 1 oz. Cascade and .25 Centennial @ 17 minutes
Add 2 lbs. of honey @ 10 minutes
Add all of the spices @ 10 minutes
Add WhirlFloc and yeast nutrient @ 10 minutes
Add 1 oz. Cascade and .25 Centennial @ 7 minutes
Add 1 oz. Cascade and .50 Centennial @ knockout
** Optional dry hop for 2 weeks **
1 oz. Cascade and .50 oz. Centennial
There you have it, the entire recipe just as I last brewed it. You can ferment this beer using WLP-001 or Wyeast 1056 - American Ale, Safale S-05 Dry Ale yeast or any clean fermenting strain to let the citrusy hop flavor and aroma come through.
Cool Off With Some Golden Sunshine In A Glass
I recommend adding a yeast nutrient during the boil and then oxygenating the wort when pitching your yeast. Maintaining the temperature of the fermenting beer at the lower end of the fermentation range of the yeast used will reduce ester development resulting in a cleaner tasting beer. When fermentation has completed I put the fermentor in the refrigerator to cold crash for three days to help the yeast to drop out of suspension prior to packaging. I hope you find this recipe useful and you get to try brewing it for yourself soon, it's one of my many favorites. Enjoy!
Beautiful Golden Color In The Kettle
Although I share the same appreciation for the care and quality that goes into producing any well-crafted beer I do have my own seasonal favorites. In the hot, humid hazy days of summer here in the Northeastern United States I find myself favoring light citrusy refreshing Ales over robust Stouts and Porters. Whether it be the crisp bite of an IPA or the softer more subtle flavors of a Wheat beer. Don't get me wrong I'm not saying I drink only light colored beers in summer, if there's an interesting dark beer on tap I'll gladly drink it too. But I will admit in hot weather I do favor the lighter colored beers over darker beers.
Five years ago I started brewing wheat beers in late Spring just before the outdoor temperatures began to soar. I tried to have plenty on tap for drinking over the hot summer months. Over time the recipes evolved from extract to all grain ranging in style from Belgian Witbier to American Wheat beer and it was during this time that Screwy's 420 Special Wheat beer was born. My original recipe was dated and saved on April 20, 2013 as I listened to the sound of commuter trains off in the distance. (What were you thinking?)
Carbonate To 2.75 Co2 Volumes
Below is the original ingredient list and recipe for this amazingly refreshing beer. Everyone's brewing process is different, from grain crush to final packaging and all points in between. Keep this in mind as your mileage may vary, you are encouraged to tweak the amounts to your own liking.
Style: American Wheat
Pre-boil Volume 6.50 gallons
Package Volume 5.00 gallons:
Estimated IBU = 26, SRM = 7, OG = 1.069, FG = 1.017, ABV= 6.7%
Brewing Date: 30-Jun-2013
Orig. Gravity: 1.068
Final Gravity: 1.015
Dry Hopped: 06-Jul-2013
Cold Crash: 12-Jul-2013
0.50 pound Munch (German)
0.50 pound Biscuit (Belgium)
2.00 pounds Honey
2.50 pounds Wheat (German)
3.00 pounds Flaked Wheat
6.00 pounds Pilsner (Belgian)
-----------
12.50 Total grain bill
0.50 ounces Columbus pellets
3.00 ounces Cascade pellets
1.00 ounces Centennial pellets
------
4.50 ounces Total hop bill
0.25 teaspoon crushed coriander seed (adjust to taste)
0.50 teaspoon ground Cardamom
0.50 ounce bitter orange peel
Mash at 152F for an hour
Add 0.50 ounce of Columbus hops to the kettle then lauter 6.50 gallons of wort on top of the hops.
** Optional add 1 tablespoon of gypsum to the kettle with the hops.
Boil for 90 minutes
Add 1 oz. Cascade and .25 Centennial @ 17 minutes
Add 2 lbs. of honey @ 10 minutes
Add all of the spices @ 10 minutes
Add WhirlFloc and yeast nutrient @ 10 minutes
Add 1 oz. Cascade and .25 Centennial @ 7 minutes
Add 1 oz. Cascade and .50 Centennial @ knockout
** Optional dry hop for 2 weeks **
1 oz. Cascade and .50 oz. Centennial
There you have it, the entire recipe just as I last brewed it. You can ferment this beer using WLP-001 or Wyeast 1056 - American Ale, Safale S-05 Dry Ale yeast or any clean fermenting strain to let the citrusy hop flavor and aroma come through.
Cool Off With Some Golden Sunshine In A Glass
I recommend adding a yeast nutrient during the boil and then oxygenating the wort when pitching your yeast. Maintaining the temperature of the fermenting beer at the lower end of the fermentation range of the yeast used will reduce ester development resulting in a cleaner tasting beer. When fermentation has completed I put the fermentor in the refrigerator to cold crash for three days to help the yeast to drop out of suspension prior to packaging. I hope you find this recipe useful and you get to try brewing it for yourself soon, it's one of my many favorites. Enjoy!