Saturday, June 26, 2010

American Wheat Ale

grain:
- 11 pounds Briess White Wheat malt
- 6 pounds Briess 2 row Brewer's malt
- 5 pounds Weyermann Pils

hop:
- 1 1/2 ounces Willamette (whole hops) 60 minutes
- 1 ounce Willamette whole hops @ flame out

yeast: White Labs German Ale/Kolsch

comments:
A hint of flowery Willemette hops in an otherwise malt focused Summer quaffer. Based on a BYO recipe.

batch size: 10 gallon

ambient outdoor temperature: 78 degrees Fahrenheit
ambient basement temperature: 68 degrees Fahrenheit

mash notes:
- (9:10 AM) mash start @ 148 degrees Fahrenheit
- (9:30 AM) @ 144 degrees Fahrenheit
- (10:40 AM) @ 150 degrees Fahrenheit
- (11:00 AM) first sparge at 17 degrees Brix
- (11:35 AM) second sparge at 12 degrees Brix

boil notes:
- (12:10 PM) boil start
- (1:40 PM) boil end
- post boil Brix reading: 17 degrees

brew date: 6/26/2010
keg date:
- first keg forced carbonated by shaking, tastes great. Enjoyed a pint on 7/7.
- second key kegged on 7/10 with full package priming sugar. Added a 1/4 ounce Willamette to keg. Will naturally carbonate until the first keg is retired.

bottle date: kegged the whole batch


notes:
- an exceptional brew; must join the California Common and Amber / Red Ales as yearly batches
- learned wheat is more dense and more difficult to mill than barley
- no problems with stuck sparges
- spent grains cooling off prior to composting:
- boil about to begin:
- hot day in the brewery ... a Summery image:
- enjoying a pint