Lemondrop wheat beer (American style)

[Beersort]

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.

 

[brumbrew]

Lemon wheat beer. Sounds lovely. Had something similar when i was in Poland in feb

 

[jceg316]

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.

 

[MickDundee]

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.

 

[IainM]

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.

 

[ElvisIsBeer]

This does sound very nice. Let us know how you get on.

 

[Beersort]

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!

 

[Mungri]

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.

 

[Beersort]

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

 

[Mungri]

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?

 

[Beersort]

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

 

[Mungri]

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.

 

[brumbrew]

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

Looks like a nice pint

 

[Beersort]

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

 

[Mungri]

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.

 

[Mungri]

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.

 

[Mungri]

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.

 

[Mungri]

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.

 

[krispn]

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!

 

[Mungri]

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.