Wheat Beer Shopping List

[MPLMPL]

After recently starting extract brewing again I placed an order to see me through my next few brews (IPAs, stout/porter, ESB). It never occurred to me when I placed the order that it's essentially just as easy to make extract-based wheat beers. Having enjoyed a couple of weissbiers yesterday, I'm considering ordering 3kg of spray-dried wheat malt. In the same order I want to pick up a stock of steeping grains/hops/yeast that will allow me to brew e.g. a Belgian Wit, German Hefeweizen and a Dunkelweizen (I'll probably go for e.g. 3 X 11L brews using ? ~1kg of wheat malt mixed and 0.5 Kg pale DME per brew). I'm not sure which grains to go for, so I would welcome any advice/suggestions.

I currently have the following in stock, so it would be useful to know if some of these could be used for said purpose. Steeping grains: crystal 60L, chocolate, black, Carapils, Cara Munich(III); hops: Tettnang, Northdown, Willamette, Cascade, Citra, Galaxy

Cheers.

 

[rpt]

I'm sure pittsy will be along soon to give you good advice. Just remember that wheat spraymalt is usually 50% barley malt and 50% wheat malt.

 

[MPLMPL]

I'm sure pittsy will be along soon to give you good advice. Just remember that wheat spraymalt is usually 50% barley malt and 50% wheat malt.

I wasn't aware of that, cheers for the top tip.

 

[pittsy]

Hello , welcome to the forum mate , yes wheat beers can be very simple . A lovely grain to steep would be carahell (300g)or something similar for a pale german wheat beer, i would avoid munich 3 unless brewing a dunkel and then only a small amount (150g max) yeast has to be wlp300 or wlp380 for both weissbier and dunkel , belgian wit has to be wlp400 for me saaz hops are what i use for a wit and hersbrucker for a weissbier . I wouldn't dry hop for these beers . Best to ferment the weissbier at around 22c good luck .

 

[boozy_shoes]

Your Tettnang will go perfectly into your Weissbier! I did a single hopped Hefeweizen with it last year and it was gorgeous. I will post up the hopping schedule for it when i'm back at home later.

 

[MPLMPL]

A lovely grain to steep would be carahell (300g)or something similar for a pale german wheat beer

Thanks for the sage advice. I was planning to order from one of the sponsors who are cheapest for the wheat spray-malt; they don't stock Carahell. I assume Caramalt (Warminster Extra Low Crystal 25 EBC) be a suitable replacement? Or Carabelge (30-35 EBC)? They also appear to have 5% off everything today.

i would avoid munich 3 unless brewing a dunkel

Having looked around this forum for recipes for dunkel, I'm guessing I can get away with a bit of chocolate malt and Munich 3 for a dunkel?

belgian wit has to be wlp400

Similar steeping grains for Belgian wit plus a bit of dried curacao peel and coriander seeds?

Having discovered that the wheat spray-malt is probably 45-50% barley malt, presumably no light barley DME is needed, I should just go with all wheat spray-malt (to give a beer that is ~50% wheat), 300g of the steeping grains and sufficient hops to give ~ 20 IBU.

Cheers.