Results of my first brew

[TheGeek]

Ok so I thought I'd throw my first attempt at a batch of brew out here so some other noobs like myself can learn from what mistakes I made and some of the pros could lend me some advice for the next batch.

Here's my recipe:

Thyree Weisse Guys - American Wheat Beer

3 gallons water preboiled and added to fermenter
3 gallons water used for wort
3.3lb wheat malt extract (liquid) full boil
3.3lb wheat malt extract (liquid) at knockout

0.5oz dry lemon peel at 5 minutes

0.5oz Sterling 7% at 60 minutes
0.75oz Liberty 4% at 30 minutes
1oz Liberty 4% at knockout

Yeast - Wyeast 1010 american wheat

OG - 1.053

Cooled with wort chiller in about 7 minutes to 80 degrees and added to preboiled water in fermenter, temp 70 degrees. Aerated by shaking bucket for about 5 minutes. Pitched from the Wyeast activator package, which had plumped up to show active yeast inside. Allowed to ferment in primary for 9 days. Used a closet for fermentation, temp was in the 65-70 range. Recipe called for 10 days, but I was wanting to do a secondary and was unsure as to whether the fermentation time in the recipe was total or for primary only. Racked to a secondary on day 9, gravity at the time was 1.015 and allowed to ferment for another 7 days.

FG 1.008, goal was 1.010-1.012 so pretty close. I think next time I will cut the primary time down by a couple of days.

Primed with 3/4 cup sugar boiled in 2 cups water. Now 2 days into conditioning, the beer is not yet carbonated, as I expected, but I pulled a cold one from the fridge to give it a taste test. Its a little hoppier than I expected for a wheat and not as sweet either. This I expect is due to the over fermentation eating up all my sugars. I can get just a hint of the lemon which is nice, but not as pronounced as I wanted. Also just a touch of a 'hot' alcohol feel. The beers still green and fermenting in a closet isn't the ideal way to go, so it may have fermented just a tad too warm. Finally its not got the body I wanted, but this is most likely due to it being all extract.

Overall I'm happy with the result, next time I'm going to do a partial mash to bring out some body and flavor. Also, I won't use dry lemon peel instead opting for something fresh and probably increase the amount added. I'd like to get a small wine cooler or refridgerator to ferment the next batch as well so I have more control over that. Finally, I'm going to swap hops for something more citrusy and probably cut back a half ounce or more so the wheat isn't overpowered.

Any comments or suggestions are IMMENSELY appreciated. =]

 

[mightynintendo]

Over time your hops will mellow out. I've had similar results with wheat extracts in that they ferment further than I desired. When you finally get there, kegging american wheats is the best route as the line between too thin and dry and just right is rather hard to avoid crossing when bottling with priming sugar at an already too low FG.

 

[mightynintendo]

One thing too you might consider in the future making your wheat beers 60% wheat extract and 40% barley extract. This usually takes care of the over-fermentation problem and just tastes better overall (IMHO).

EDIT: Barley extract like 2-row pale ale

 

[McGarnigle]

That's Palmer's recipe, and a good one to start with, I think.

The consensus at these forums would probably lean toward no secondary, or at least letting it finish fermenting before transferring to secondary. 16 days total from brew day to bottling is short, but this style is one of the quicker ones.

BTW, the next step could be partial mash or just extract + specialty grains (wheats often don't have specialty grains).

 

[TheGeek]

Good suggestions. I definitely wanted to try a partial mash next batch. Maybe I'll mash in with some light malted barley then add the wheat extract something like 2lb barley, 4.5lb wheat extract.

 

[McGarnigle]

Just keep in mind that wheat extract isn't 100% wheat. I'm not saying it's wrong to go more barley/less wheat, but it's not like your current brew is 100% wheat. It's more likely 50%.

 

[TheGeek]

So a better route might be steeping some wheat for the partial and sticking with the wheat extract for the remainder?

 

[mightynintendo]

I'm probably not the best for giving good advise about wheat recipes. The most wheat I put in my brews is 8% but preferably 0%. However, I will say that secondaries seem unnecessary for wheat beers (since they don't really clear anyway) and that you should always let the fermentation finish fully. If your yeast consistently attenuates really well then adjust your recipe. You might have just gotten your hands on some really fresh yeast.

 

[TheGeek]

Well I didn't figure I'd get much out of the secondary, really only did it because my primary and bottling bucket are the same bucket. heh. Plan on getting a 6.5gal carboy for primary and using the bucket for bottling only.

 

[TheGeek]

Update: a little over 2 weeks after bottling and the beer is quite tasty. =] The "hot" alcohol feel I had described is gone and the wheat sweetness I expected is there. It carbed nicely in the last 2 weeks, tho some bottles carbed more than others which I find odd because I mixed the priming solution into the bottling bucket as I filled it. I am guessing its due to the swing top bottles I used not sealing 100% due to my lack of experience.

In any case, its a very tasty brew and I am just elated to be drinking a tall cold glass of joy I made myself. =]