Wheat beer idea

[Florin]

Hello!

I'm new to brewing, i have a Bavarian wheat beer kit which started for 3 days already and everything seems to go fine until now. I have read a lot in the past weeks and i would like to try also the BIAB method for a small batch to test things.
My preferred beer always have been the Paulaner weissbier.
I would like to try something similar to this beer, but not necessary to replicate it, i think i like wheat beer (i'm also in love with bread, baking my own bread for years).
Bottom line is, i would love a beer which is not bitter, it's low on alcohol and sparkling.

Based on what i've found in the shop i use, i've come up with these ingredients:
- Brewferm wheat flakes 10%
- Weyermann wheat 80%
- Weyermann Acidulated 10%
- Hallertau Mittelfruh hops ( found description: "General AA range 3-5.5%. A very nice mellow spicy hop with great flavor with citrus tones" )
- M20 Bavarian wheat yeast

What do you guys think ? I know, there are other things to consider, not just the ingredients. I plan to study a bit which temperatures and timings …. but i wanted to know if at least the base ingredients seem ok.
Or, if you guys have some ideas on how i should brew with these ingredients for my target result, i appreciate it.

 

[cushyno]

Most wheat beers have a goodly portion of barley malt that provides enough of the right enzymes to convert starches to sugars and make them fermentable.

You will probably want between 30-60% of your grain bill to be lager/pilsner/pale/Vienna/Munich malt which all provide enough enzymes and fermentability.

Drop acidulated to 5% and Weyermann wheat from 40%, keep the wheat flakes, and add 45% pilsner or Vienna malt depending on how much colour you want.

Good choice of yeast and hops

 

[Florin]

Thank you very much for you time and information !! I will do that.
I've added Weyermann Vienna malt to my shopping cart :)

 

[Jim Brewster]

I like Paulaner too, I recently did 40% pale Maris otter, 60% wheat malt. Used M20 and it came out really good, just how I wanted it. Compromised slightly and used East Kent Goldings to about 25IBU as it's what I had to hand but wasn't a problem.

 

[Florin]

Thank you guys!
Good to know, so then I would modify it like this. Maybe if there are less fermentable ... ill get a lower alcohol level ? :)
- Brewferm wheat flakes 10%
- Weyermann wheat 45%
- Weyermann Acidulated 5%
- Weyermann Vienna 40%

As i have no idea about what would be a perfect timing, for starter, i was thinking to this method from Braumeister Wheat recipe:

1. 50 °C › Start mashing
2. 52 °C › 0 min
3. 63 °C › 15 min
4. 73 °C › 35 min
5. 78 °C › 15 min
6. Boiling › 80min

Hop addition › 70 min before end of boil

 

[Brew_DD2]

I would honestly go for single infusion. Step mash not required.

 

[cushyno]

I would honestly go for single infusion. Step mash not required.

Sound advice, especially for a first attempt. Try to get the single Infusion mash temperature at 63-65°C. The wheat content will give you plenty body. Mash out at 75°C if you can, or if doing no sparge (full volume mash) just bring up to boil.

 

[cushyno]

There is something to be said for step mashing a wheat bear to improve the level of Isoamyl acetate (banana flavour ester) but it's quite complex and involves decoction and possibly adding extra grains part way through the mash. I have a plan to do this but it's a long and complex brewday.

 

[Florin]

Well, i'm an adept of KISS methodology (keep is simple stupid ) ... ill probably go with single infusion. Thank you guys for all the input.

Meanwhile, after just 3 days ... my MJ Bavarian wheat is at 1017 and tastes good, like a beer . A bit bitter, but could be because of the current 23degree temperature, lack of CO2 and/or the fact that i used 1-2 liters less water for fermentation. I'm super happy for the result after just 3 days. ( i pitched at almost 26C, first day it stayed at 24C, then until now 23C constantly. The yeast package said 18-30C)

 

[chthon]

Well, i'm an adept of KISS methodology (keep is simple stupid ) ... ill probably go with single infusion. Thank you guys for all the input.

Meanwhile, after just 3 days ... my MJ Bavarian wheat is at 1017 and tastes good, like a beer . A bit bitter, but could be because of the current 23degree temperature, lack of CO2 and/or the fact that i used 1-2 liters less water for fermentation. I'm super happy for the result after just 3 days. ( i pitched at almost 26C, first day it stayed at 24C, then until now 23C constantly. The yeast package said 18-30C)

Temperature is not a problem with M20. I fermented last summer one between 25 and 30 degrees. Very nice beer.

 

[Florin]

I though it's more interesting to see the results ... and dumb mistakes, so i'lll post it here:
Last evening i've managed to pitch my wheat beer:
- Brewferm wheat flakes 15%
- Weyermann wheat 40%
- Weyermann Acidulated 5%
- Weyermann Vienna 40%
2.5KG for 11-12 L of wort.

Mashed at aprox 67C for 1 hour. Just tried a bit of sparging.
Boiled it for 1 hour, with 11 grams of hops.
Because i didn't had a big enough pot, i didn't had enough wort for my 12L plan. I boiled some more water and add it, also added one bottle of still mineral water. I improvised, as it was already very late, loosing a lot of hours because of lack of experience ... hope it's fine.
Pitched the yeast at 25-26C. it was 00:00 already :)), and put the bucket in 22C room. In the morning it was 23C and slowly bubbling.
OG was 1041 only, sounds low, but a light, low alcohol beer is what i target anyway.

 

[cushyno]

Well done on your first AG brew!

Time to reflect and make a list while it's still fresh in your mind of what went well, what could be improved.

You have a reasonable gravity wort and it's fermenting, so it'll make beer anyway.

 

[Florin]

Many thanks! I'll keep updating this ... even if it goes bad

 

[Florin]

Update:
After 8.5 days of fermentation i just bottled the beer.
The temperatures of fermentation started well at 23C, for a couple of days, then because of 40C outside, i could not hold it steady and raised a couple of days at 26-27C. The yeast has a range of 18-30C, so it should be fine.
The FG was 1010, resulting an ABV of 3.94%. I wanted a light beer ... I got one.
The color it's too pale, I didn't think at the color at all when I created the recipe. What do you think I should change in order to make this recipe more colorful … if it's possible. :)
Also, seems a bit too watery, but i'm not an expert and maybe i'm comparing too much with a beer which is finalized, not just fermented. I know i wanted something light, maybe i've made it a bit too light.
I must say that i'm not impressed comparing to my Bavarian wheat beer kit i just started to enjoy, but maybe it's too early and it gets better.
This is my first bottle of my Bavarian wheat beer (kit):

 

[Jim Brewster]

The wheat flakes to some extent. I'm no expert on malts but they will make the beer lighter in colour and to me have less body then wheat malt. I would probably omit them if it was my recipe.

 

[Florin]

Thanks ! I will take this into consideration for the next try!

 

[phillc]

Try switching the Vienna malt with Munich. That’ll make the final product darker, but you will also loose some diastatic power.

Maybe drop the wheat flakes and go for something like:

40% wheat malt
30% pilsner malt
30% Munich malt

if still not satisfied with the body next time, you could look adding 5% Carapils or similar.

 

[chthon]

Using wheat malt and wheat flakes or flour will definitely give a light coloured beer, especially when used with lager malt.

Watery: next time add more hops at 15 minutes before the end of the boil. They will not increase your bitterness dramatically, but will add body.

 

[Florin]

Great info/tips guys ! Many thanks!

 

[Surfingobo]

I go 50/50 wheat and pale. I’ve tried wheat and vienna but it was to sweet. Single step mash. MJ M20 yeast at 21 degrees. 20 ibu of a german hop. Beautiful.