Help with partial wheat beer recipe and equip.

TomCo

I'm just starting out with home brewing at the moment and I need someone to take a look over a wheat beer recipe I've tried to convert from all grain to partial mash (I don't really want to start off with a kit).

1.5kg of Liquid Malt Extract (Wheat)
1.75kg of pilsner malt
1.75kg of wheat malt
25 g. Hallertau Mittelfru hops (Havent been able to find a source for these yet)
WLP300 liquid yeast

Should make 26ltr before fermenting.
Have I got my ratio's reasonably correct?

I haven't got a boiler yet, but I was looking at this 30ltr pot:
http://www.mybeerandwine.ie/stainless-steel-kettle-p-311.html

Would 30ltr be big enough for this brew?

BeerNut

First thing I'd suggest is get some brewing software to help put recipes like this together. I use BeerTools Pro; others are available.

Second thing is that spraymalt is generaly better than LME. LME has a tendency to oxidise and is much less flexible in terms of adjusting amounts.

TomCo wrote: »

I've tried to convert from all grain to partial mash (I don't really want to start off with a kit).

Just a suggestion but you could leave off the partial mash and just go extract for this one: use wheat spraymalt and steep some CaraPils or similar. It's one less thing to worry about.

TomCo wrote: »

WLP300 liquid yeast

It's probably best to make a starter for this, just in case you were planning to pitch straight in. But I've heard different stories about the WhiteLabs vials.

TomCo wrote: »

Should make 26ltr before fermenting.
Have I got my ratio's reasonably correct?

I've punched it into BeerTools and it says you're way off

26L of this will give you OG 1.033, FG 1.008: 3.3% ABV. Probably not what you're after.

You haven't given us a hop schedule, but boiling 25g of 4.5% AA Hallertauer for 60 minutes gives 10.8 IBUs so well within the style boundaries of 8-15.

To get all the parameters inside the style boundaries, BeerTools says your final volume with these ingredients should be about 18L: that's OG 1.048; 4.7% ABV, though your IBUs are up to 15.6 at that point. You might want to split the addition and add some later.

TomCo wrote: »

Would 30ltr be big enough for this brew?

I think I'd like a bit more than 4L headspace for a boil that size. As the blurb says, it's suitable for 5 gallons. Much over 23L and I'd start to be concerned about the danger to my stovetop/marriage.

Martyn1989

Also consider how well your cooker is going to cope with trying to boil 5 gallons of water. Mine struggles to do 12l (we have some kind of ceramic electric hob).

Partial mash is alot of effort when you havn't ran a test batch to see how your fermentation temperatures go, I would definitly follow Beernuts advice and go extract for this first one. (Plus you can get away with your regular pots without having to buy that huge one).

Get into homebrewing then deicide what equipment you want to invest in that will work best in the space you have to brew in.

TomCo

Thanks for the advice. I only have a 6 liter pot at the moment, so I'd say I can only use about 4 liters of that for doing a partial boil.

Adjusted recipe (BeerTools is very handy!):

2kg wheat spraymalt (muntons)
1kg CaraPils
20g Hallertauer Hersbrucker
WPL300 yeast (1l starter)

• Crack the the CaraPils and steep it in a muslin bag for 30mins at ~65C in 2L of water. Sparge into the boiling pot with a further 2L and add the steeping water.
• Bring the water to a rolling boil and then add the hops.
• 30mins later add the 2kg of wheat spraymalt, add 16.5L of sanitised water to the primary fermenter.
• 30mins later remove the pot from the heat and add to the water in the primary fermenter (should have a final volume of around 18.5L). Pour from a height to oxygenate the wort.
• Take a measure of OG and pitch the yeast starter culture.
• Seal the primary and set up the airlock etc etc.

Would it be worth getting a bigger pot?

Martyn1989

TomCo wrote: »

Thanks for the advice. I only have a 6 liter pot at the moment, so I'd say I can only use about 4 liters of that for doing a partial boil.

Adjusted recipe (BeerTools is very handy!):

2kg wheat spraymalt (muntons)
1kg CaraPils
20g Hallertauer Hersbrucker
WPL300 yeast (1l starter)

• Crack the the CaraPils and steep it in a muslin bag for 30mins at ~65C in 2L of water. Sparge into the boiling pot with a further 2L and add the steeping water.
• Bring the water to a rolling boil and then add the hops.
• 30mins later add the 2kg of wheat spraymalt, add 16.5L of sanitised water to the primary fermenter.
• 30mins later remove the pot from the heat and add to the water in the primary fermenter (should have a final volume of around 18.5L). Pour from a height to oxygenate the wort.
• Take a measure of OG and pitch the yeast starter culture.
• Seal the primary and set up the airlock etc etc.

Would it be worth getting a bigger pot?

My extract recipes wouldn't normally have that amount of grain in them, I would normally only use about 500g of specialty grains, and I havn't brewed a beer of this style but your hitting all your targets in beer tools.

When doing an extract recipe I don't sparge the grain, I don't think its necessary as your just extracting colour and flavour and not sugars from the grain. When the steeping is finished just lift the bag out let all the wort drain out of it at its own rate then get it into the bin. (my friend who keeps chickens takes mine)

How do you plan to sanitise the water? I just top up with water from my tap.

When your adding the spraymalt make sure you take the pot off the heat to prevent it sticking to the bottom and burning.

You will eventually want to get a bigger stockpot, for this first one I wouldn't bother as its not completely necessary, the best piece of equipment Ive bought is my boiler, it makes life alot easier

BeerNut

You're going to need a bigger pot

That seems like a lot of fermentables to be boiling in just 4L of water, but you might get away with it.

I would expect the CaraPils to be pre-crushed. Did the seller say it wouldn't be? I have used as much as a kilo of steeping grains, but I'd steep in about 5L of water if using that amount. Another pot-size issue.

I do sparge and I think I do get extra benefit from it. It's not just about the fermentables, Martyn

Other than that, I'd say just go for it. You'll learn plenty. And I'd say you'll see the need for a bigger pot quite quickly. If you're serious about getting into extract brewing it's worth investing in a boiler and chiller: it makes things so much easier.

Martyn1989

BeerNut wrote: »

I do sparge and I think I do get extra benefit from it. It's not just about the fermentables, Martyn

Yeh what ever method I followed the first time I did an extract recipe didn't involve it so I just never did. It does make sense because your getting more from your grain, but after that first time it never occured to me to. Maybe next time

I went and got my stockpot, did one recipe and kicked myself for not spending €30 extra and getting a boiler (when I was just doin extracts). The boilers are great as they can be used anywhere, and heat/boil water very fast. Alot of people add secound elements to them to make them even quicker.

@beernut any easy ways of cleaning the element? got a few bits stuck to areas I can't get to with a cloth and don't want to fire it up and have them burnt on. Maybe something to soak it in?

oblivious

Martyn1989 wrote: »

any easy ways of cleaning the element? got a few bits stuck to areas I can't get to with a cloth and don't want to fire it up and have them burnt on. Maybe something to soak it in?

A standard Kettie cleaner (descale) is very good or some citric acids to help remove the lime build up with some scrubbing, this will really help

TomCo

oblivious wrote: »

A standard Kettie cleaner (descale) is very good or some citric acids to help remove the lime build up with some scrubbing, this will really help

Effervescent vitamin C tablets should be good at that so, or even denture cleaners.

TomCo

Martyn1989 wrote:

How do you plan to sanitise the water? I just top up with water from my tap.

Boil it the night before and store it in a sanitised fermenter bucket. I don't like the taste of the water in my area, has a strong chemical taste.
I might just invest in a charcoal filter to save effort.

BeerNut wrote:

I would expect the CaraPils to be pre-crushed. Did the seller say it wouldn't be?

I don't think it said it was precrushed, I'll check when I get home (site blocked in work due to "Alcohol" :rolleyes:)

BeerNut wrote:

And I'd say you'll see the need for a bigger pot quite quickly. If you're serious about getting into extract brewing it's worth investing in a boiler and chiller

I might actually have a go at making a boiler. I found two old kettles with working elements in the shed last night, plus I have a spare 33 liter fermenter. Might be worth sacrificing additional fermenting capacity for a boiler.

EDIT: I'm really going to have to start getting this underway, the long I think about it the more complicated I'm making it!
I started looking at PID's to control boiling temperature today.......

fobster

I pitched a vial of WLP300 within its best before date straight into 21L of well aerated wort in a 33L bucket and even with that amount of headspace it left some sludge on the underside of the lid... so I wouldn't make a yeast starter unless the vial is past its best before date, one less thing on your to do list!

Martyn1989

TomCo wrote: »

EDIT: I'm really going to have to start getting this underway, the long I think about it the more complicated I'm making it!
I started looking at PID's to control boiling temperature today.......

As far as I know, you just need a strong boil, maintaining a particular temp won't be any advantage. You wont be able to turn the element on if your mashing in the vessel because you'll end up with a burnt element. Might want to make life easier.

TomCo

Has anyone got a delivery from thehomebrewcompany.ie that came in a comically oversized box?

I got a delivery yesterday for a few fermenters and a few ingredients - came in a box the size of a fridge!

A huge amount of plastic rubbish and crushed food boxes filled the bulk of the box. It looks like they just threw any old rubbish they had lying around into the box to avoid having to recycle it.

I have to make a special trip to a bring centre just to dispose of the packing material.

Martyn1989

Ive had comically sized deliveries, but only when I had a very large order. I wasnt in and I think the delivery guy went next door empty handed and asked if they would take it in, he then must have come down the path with this giant box, big enough that you cant see over or around it when carrying it. I kept the box and just keep everything in it in the shed, or you could fit 2 or more fermenters into it and it would offer insulation and protect against fluctuation in temps etc.

mayto

Homebrew supplies are generally heavy,fragile or both. I think you would have to pack things well or items will break. Beer kits like coopers will nearly dent just by picking them up, a tin of beeas seems to be a lot tougher :rolleyes:

TomCo

Grrr, I seem to have inadvertently steeped my grains at 85c for about 15mins.
Can I continue with this, or should I start again?