Experimental Summer Brew help...

[jblizz]

Every year I run a bus trip to the local Jimmy Buffett concert usually Camden NJ or Philly. This year I would like to start adding my own beers into the mix utilzing soda kegs.

I want to start experimenting now so when the time comes to start the real brewing I have a plan in place. I have never really strayed from a receipe before so this is new ground to me. Also I need to keep the alcohol percentage reasonably low as I don't need to deal with them getting drunk too early in the day

I plan to start with the American Wheat Beer extract kit from Northern as my base..
http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/american-wheat-beer-extract-kit-2.html

I have several 4L Carlo Rossi jugs my plan is to primary in a bucket then split the batch over 4L jugs to secondary in and add some summer tones. I was thinking Lemon peel in one, Lime in another, Orange in a third... Would love to hear some suggetions here.

I assume I should also attempt to clairify this as I don't want to scare people off with the cloudiness. I have seen people say to make extracts with the citrus zest and vodka. Also have heard boiling them, anyone have experience doing this sort of thing.

Open to any suggestions...

 

[zgardener]

Sounds interesting. I don't think that you would get a lot of flavor from just adding the zest to secondary, usually boiling is the best way to extract the flavors your looking for. I've tried the extract method, wasn't my favorite, maybe I did it wrong, but it left a harsh after taste. Maybe make a series of teas and add those to your secondary vessels while racking?

 

[Skyforger]

Lemon, lime and orange will likely be too similar to really make that all of your selection. You could do a lemon/lime one and an orange one, perhaps. I would also consider red grapefruit a la https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/red-grapefruit-wit-207372/ . Putting in peach and/or apricot is also a popular addition to wheat beers (Like Magic Hat #9 or OFallans Wheach). Ginger is another possibility, as are raspberries or cherries (see Left Hand Juju and Founders Cerise for commercial examples). Really, wheat beers tolerate quite a few variations.

So far as clarity goes, that can be a bit tricky with wheat. Not the best style if clarity is important. But many people are now familiar with Blue Moon, at least; just tell them it's like that. Or if you really don't think it would fly, use irish moss in the boil, gelatin in the secondary (which I assume you will use for flavoring) and keep chilled a few weeks before serving. Making an AG batch rather than extract would also help, as you could then use a long protein rest to help clarify things. But that would perhaps be a bit of a jump if you're not set up for AG brewing.

Oh, also you might consider experimenting with belgian strains of yeast, such as WLP300, WLP380, or WLP410. These can give clove, banana, or citrus flavors that are very pleasant. They are probably best left unflavored except for perhaps some bitter orange peel or grains of paradise.

I don't mean to overwhelm you with options here; just thought I'd give a brain dump of possibilities to you so you can pick out anything that looks interesting. I've been thinking about this a bit lately, as I'm planning on making some experimental wheat ales myself this summer.

 

[jblizz]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, I am not really setup for all grain just yet and am not sure I will be by the time the concert rolls around. I will definitly look into the different belgian strains of yeast and concider some other fruits. I definitly want to go for a summer ale taste. The tea idea is interesting as I am sure I could find a few different summer flavors.

Luckily I have some time to play around I just want to make sure whatever I brew gets drank, the tought of them kicking the kegs of Natty light before mine gives me nightmares already lol...

 

[Skyforger]

I just want to make sure whatever I brew gets drank, the tought of them kicking the kegs of Natty light before mine gives me nightmares already lol...

A lot of people will just go for what's familiar, even in the face of something better. So don't take it too hard if this does happen. But a good summer wheat beer has never gone unappreciated in my experience....

 

[zgardener]

If you play with a Belgian yeast, I'd say go with WLP400, just a standard Wit yeast. It's subtle, but still evident esters give a very pleasant nose and flavor, but won't be too overwhelming for people used to Natty.

 

[logan3825]

Maybe go with a pale ale base instead of wheat if you want a clearer beer.

There are a couple citrus beer recipes in the recipe section. Do a Google search for "citrus wheat homebrewtalk" or "citrus pale ale homebrewtalk."

 

[jblizz]

Don't get me wrong most of the group that goes is in their early to mid 30's so certainly some of their tastes have matured. I am sure quite of few of them will enjoy a more full flavored beer then pasturized water...

I think I am going to stick with a wheat unless I do two different ones which is not out of the question since I am planning to fill 4 Corneys. I checked out the Citrus Wheat it's an all grain which I am not setup for but I can still learn from some of the ingredients used in my experiments..

Depending on how many test runs this takes I will certainly try the WLP400 I appreciate the suggestions..

 

[zgardener]

Good luck, let us know how the tests go

 

[logan3825]

I could have sworn I saw a citrus weisse recipe somewhere in my searches. At the very least it has some good information how much lemon and orange to use. I just brewed a citrus hefe over the weekend.(used the Midwest Bavarian wheat as a base) I didn't put much zest in because I only wanted hints of citrus.

8oz carapils
45m @ about 150-155
6lbs wheat LME
1oz tettnang 4.5% 60m
1oz tettnang 4.5% 62m
5.4g lemon zest 5m(about 1 lemon)
15.4g orange zest 5m(about 2 oranges)
Wyeast 3056

 

[jblizz]

I decided to start with the AHS Blue Moon Clone Partial Grain as that seems to get great reviews from everyone including many on this site. I am going to use the WLP400 yeast with it and have ordered a few additional flavors to test and play around with. Since this is Clementine season I will be utilizing a few of these plus freezing a few whole as well as saving skins for zesting. The bonus is if I do get setup for full grain in time I can just order the other kit as a jumping off point...

 

[Skyforger]

Sounds great! It's good you're starting to experiment with this now, rather than just in time to have some beer ready for the event. It's only recently that I've begun to really think ahead on my brewing schedule, and really, the sooner you begin to do that the better.
The WLP400 is a good idea. It won't give you any overpowering characteristics, but it can still add some pleasant complexity. I've never tasted a Clementine witbier, but it seems like it could be pretty good.
Good luck with it, and have fun! Report back, alright?

 

[jblizz]

I certainly will, I appreciate the help along the way and will be sure to document and update this thread as brewing commences.