Wheat Beer Advice

[_jon_]

As per a different thread, having missed the OG on my wheat beer by a country mile, and forgetting to add the bitter orange and coriander...

It's been in the FV for 8 days now. No dry hop of course as it's a wheat... but what are your thoughts about dry hopping some bitter orange peel and coriander now? For another 5 days? To ramp up the flavour...

If you think it's worth a shot, how should I sanitise the orange peel and coriander seeds? And should I put them in a muslin hop bag or something?

 

[stigman]

Dont see why you cant boil em in a muslin bag with a little dme for 5/10 mins then chuck if in the fv.

 

[Slid]

As per a different thread, having missed the OG on my wheat beer by a country mile, and forgetting to add the bitter orange and coriander...

It's been in the FV for 8 days now. No dry hop of course as it's a wheat... but what are your thoughts about dry hopping some bitter orange peel and coriander now? For another 5 days? To ramp up the flavour...

If you think it's worth a shot, how should I sanitise the orange peel and coriander seeds? And should I put them in a muslin hop bag or something?

I would add hot water to the peel and crushed coriander, say in a jam jar or something overnight and pour the water in the next day through a sieve.

Water temps? Ask me another! Maybe 80C?

Wheat beer is an awkward cuss of a brew for me in the Grainfather - had to handball the mash, sparge, boil etc on my second wheat beer.

 

[_jon_]

I would add hot water to the peel and crushed coriander, say in a jam jar or something overnight and pour the water in the next day through a sieve.

Water temps? Ask me another! Maybe 80C?

Wheat beer is an awkward cuss of a brew for me in the Grainfather - had to handball the mash, sparge, boil etc on my second wheat beer.

Would that dilute my FG even more and weaken the beer? It's already almost non alcoholic haha. Or do you mean just a little bit of water? And by seive, you mean don't add the actual bits, just the fragranted water? In which case, the more water the more flavour?

 

[Covrich]

As per a different thread, having missed the OG on my wheat beer by a country mile, and forgetting to add the bitter orange and coriander...

It's been in the FV for 8 days now. No dry hop of course as it's a wheat... but what are your thoughts about dry hopping some bitter orange peel and coriander now? For another 5 days? To ramp up the flavour...

If you think it's worth a shot, how should I sanitise the orange peel and coriander seeds? And should I put them in a muslin hop bag or something?

When I did a witbier which was 50/50 grain and flaked wheat my efficiency was way off too and I normally get consistent results with that.. maybe you had teh same returns on teh flaked wheat

btw it was still a great beer

I would probably boil them for 5 mins or so personally

slids idea is interesting.

 

[_jon_]

Oh that's interesting. Maybe it wasn't just me then, and maybe the wheat let me down.

So, you think to just bag the lot and boil the bag to sanitise, then drop the bag into the FV?

 

[_jon_]

Just a thought...

If I boil the orange peel and coriander, won't I be taking most of the flavour out of them in the boil?

Which is maybe why Slids was suggesting boil them and throw the water in?

 

[Slid]

When I did a witbier which was 50/50 grain and flaked wheat my efficiency was way off too and I normally get consistent results with that.. maybe you had teh same returns on teh flaked wheat

btw it was still a great beer

I would probably boil them for 5 mins or so personally

slids idea is interesting.

Kind of on the basis that the flavour and aromas are the ones that might get boiled off at high temps?

I guess it has to be a line of thought and would take making another wheat beer to get any feedback from. That is "Add to Boil" vs "Steep to Keep" on the peel and coriander.

As I over bought my wheat malt and may still have enough to add a decent head to every beer I will ever drink for the next n years, I may do another in the New Year, if the #2 brew is OK.

 

[_jon_]

How about the best of both worlds?

Bag the coriander and orange. Boil in just enough water to cover the bag, but only up to say 75-80c? (Should be hot enough to sanitise but not hot enough to boil), then throw the bag AND the water into the FV?

 

[Slid]

How about the best of both worlds?

Bag the coriander and orange. Boil in just enough water to cover the bag, but only up to say 75-80c? (Should be hot enough to sanitise but not hot enough to boil), then throw the bag AND the water into the FV?

Good idea, I like this and don't see what goes wrong. If you are wasting this amount of time on it, why not chuck some malt extract in at the same time?

 

[_jon_]

Well I do like this idea... I guess that will kick the ABV up to where it needs to be. But just average light malt? And I guess I'd need to mix it up to disturb the yeast?

 

[stigman]

The one and only wheat beer I did added both for last 5/10 of the boil. If your OG was very low my suggestion must be better. whack some dme in a pot and gain yourself those missing gravity points as well.

 

[_jon_]

Yeah I think you're right. Apologies, as I didn't see your initial post. Must have posted at the same time as Slid. :) You were already bang on.

One think I should mention... I'm not at all concerned about the cost of ingredients (I only have one hobby, which is making beer... so I don't mind spending a couple of quid on it). And I also have time to brew, I work from my home office.. so I don't really have to wait for the weekend.

With this in mind, why am I bothering trying to save this beer? Since it's going to need another week or so in the FV if I add DME etc. Maybe i'm better off ditching it and brewing again? This time making sure I'm up to speed with the OG and don't forget anything...

 

[Saisonator]

I would add hot water to the peel and crushed coriander, say in a jam jar or something overnight and pour the water in the next day through a sieve.

Water temps? Ask me another! Maybe 80C?

Wheat beer is an awkward cuss of a brew for me in the Grainfather - had to handball the mash, sparge, boil etc on my second wheat beer.

The first one I did was a step mash and it stuck to the base like s**t to a blanket, burnt so bad that I had to dump the wort. Second one turned out alright, well I can say that for sure when it finishes carbing on Saturday.

I think you need 300g of rice hulls to keep it flowing.

 

[_jon_]

The first one I did was a step mash and it stuck to the base like s**t to a blanket, burnt so bad that I had to dump the wort. Second one turned out alright, well I can say that for sure when it finishes carbing on Saturday.

I think you need 300g of rice hulls to keep it flowing.

Mine went through the mash tun fine, but I've got a false bottom as opposed to a pickup. I've read about people needing rice hulls, and I did look for them, but I can't get them anywhere.

Might have a change of heart with regards to the wheat beer, as I kegged my Punk IPA last night, carbed it... had a tiny taste this morning and it's not good! Hopefully it'll get better with age, but it's a bit sour.

 

[Dexter101]

unless a beer is undrinkable I don't see the point in getting rid of it. You could always brew another batch extra strong and then blend the 2 after FV ready for bottling?

 

[BeerCat]

When I did a witbier which was 50/50 grain and flaked wheat my efficiency was way off too and I normally get consistent results with that.. maybe you had teh same returns on teh flaked wheat

btw it was still a great beer

I would probably boil them for 5 mins or so personally

slids idea is interesting.

I think flaked wheat is an adjunct so that's why you got lower efficiency. No Diastic power. I never normally check but I did a pumpkin beer where I noticed it was less than 30 so I had to change it.

 

[Sheepish]

Quick question, have you tried stirring it to try and get it going again?

I'm brewing a wheat beer and the temp control went screwy and fermentation stopped (day 2 in the FV), I gave it a good stir and it started up for a day, then stopped again (at 1.019), I've given it another stir and it's been going quite happily now for 3 days ...just a thought.