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Author Topic: Red wheat malt & Vienna watermelon ale — Kolsch Yeast — 5 gallons  (Read 2227 times)

Offline Gusbusss94

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Hello everyone, I've been researching a recipe to brew a watermelon ale. I'm wanting to use this Vienna as my basement because I need to use it up.  I planned for a 5 gallon so I will have enough room in my fermenter  for the purée, I bumped up the grain bill because I believe the water in the watermelon will dilute the beer by a bit (but also cause a secondary fermentation, and raise the alcohol a bit;  so it will be interesting to see how this turns out.
The recipe looks like this:
5 Gallon in fermenter:

5 lbs Vienna malt
4 lbs red wheat malt
1 lb  6 row
1 lb. flaked maize

Hops:

0.25 oz Columbus (60 min)
0.25 oz Citra ( 8 min)


Mash @ 153 degrees F for 45 mins

Fermenting @ 59 degrees F — Kolsch 2565 Wyeast

After fermented, going to add this huge watermelon with the flesh puréed then added after Kolsch yeast is done doing its thing.  I will add the weight of the purée once it's time and I know exactly how much.

First post on here; looking for anyone who is interesting and might have something useful to say.
Thanks again. Planning to brew Thursday April 27, 2017.

Offline Stevie

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Re: Red wheat malt & Vienna watermelon ale — Kolsch Yeast — 5 gallons
« Reply #1 on: April 26, 2017, 01:29:08 pm »
I recommend deleting one post to keep the discussion concise.

Offline Gusbusss94

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Re: Red wheat malt & Vienna watermelon ale — Kolsch Yeast — 5 gallons
« Reply #2 on: April 26, 2017, 07:16:30 pm »
Ok thanks for the input
« Last Edit: April 26, 2017, 07:23:08 pm by Gusbusss94 »

Offline el_capitan

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Re: Red wheat malt & Vienna watermelon ale — Kolsch Yeast — 5 gallons
« Reply #3 on: April 26, 2017, 07:19:11 pm »
Looks to be a light, easy-drinking ale.  Hopefully that melon flavor will come through for you.  I have a couple questions though - what is the purpose of the 6-row?  That's one malt that I haven't ever used in 13 years of brewing.  You shouldn't have a problem with converting the wheat malt.  I wouldn't think the flaked maize would be a problem either. 

This grain bill doesn't look like any style per se, but in general I would expect it to be a lighter, easy-drinking ale with a restrained hop character that should (hopefully) let your watermelon shine through. 

I would consider switching out the Columbus hops for something smoother, such as Magnum.  Unless that's what you're limited to for on-hand ingredients.  Let's see what the rest of the hooligans have to say.  Welcome to the forum!

Offline Gusbusss94

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Re: Red wheat malt & Vienna watermelon ale — Kolsch Yeast — 5 gallons
« Reply #4 on: April 26, 2017, 07:26:08 pm »
Thank you.  I know the maize already is geletanized so its already converted and can be mashed normally, but I'm using the six row because I have like 5 pounds on hand that I need to use. I don't see the need for it in the future to convert any adjuncts for me. With the extra protein content, it would help with that.  Also I want to see if it might contribute any different flavor I'm not used to.. basically, though, I have it on hand and should use it.
« Last Edit: April 27, 2017, 05:13:56 am by Gusbusss94 »

Offline dsmitch19

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Re: Red wheat malt & Vienna watermelon ale — Kolsch Yeast — 5 gallons
« Reply #5 on: April 27, 2017, 09:45:41 am »
Any specific reason you are using a Kolsch strain?
Cheers!
Dennis Mitchell
Grand Master Judge + Mead Judge
BJCP Communications Director
AHA Governing Committee

Offline Gusbusss94

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Re: Red wheat malt & Vienna watermelon ale — Kolsch Yeast — 5 gallons
« Reply #6 on: April 27, 2017, 10:58:08 am »
Any specific reason you are using a Kolsch strain?
No, there is no reason other than I had some in a mason jar from a month ago that I want to use up; made a 2 pint starter.

Offline 69franx

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Re: Red wheat malt & Vienna watermelon ale — Kolsch Yeast — 5 gallons
« Reply #7 on: April 27, 2017, 11:10:17 am »
So, kind of a clean out the supplies kind of brew? I would make sure to taste before adding the watermelon. You may find out that you already have a wonderful brew for the summertime.
Frank L.
Fermenting: Nothing (ugh!)
Conditioning: Nothing (UGH!)
In keg: Nothing (Double UGH!)
In the works:  House IPA, Dark Mild, Ballantine Ale clone(still trying to work this one into the schedule)

Offline dsmitch19

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Re: Red wheat malt & Vienna watermelon ale — Kolsch Yeast — 5 gallons
« Reply #8 on: April 27, 2017, 11:25:39 am »
Any specific reason you are using a Kolsch strain?
No, there is no reason other than I had some in a mason jar from a month ago that I want to use up; made a 2 pint starter.

Ok...tough to give recipe advice when all the reasons are "using up ingredients on hand." Perfectly legitimate reason to make something, but it's hard to offer recipe input if that is the main reason for all your ingredient choices. 

Kolsch yeast throws off some wonderfully delicate characteristics that I think would get overpowered by the watermelon. Given how finicky I've found that yeast to work with, it wouldn't be worth it to me to use in a beer where the yeast would get covered up.

Overall, seems like this would make a nice fruit beer.
Cheers!
Dennis Mitchell
Grand Master Judge + Mead Judge
BJCP Communications Director
AHA Governing Committee

Offline Gusbusss94

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Re: Red wheat malt & Vienna watermelon ale — Kolsch Yeast — 5 gallons
« Reply #9 on: April 27, 2017, 12:58:59 pm »

So, kind of a clean out the supplies kind of brew? I would make sure to taste before adding the watermelon. You may find out that you already have a wonderful brew for the summertime.
Will do; smart.

Any specific reason you are using a Kolsch strain?
No, there is no reason other than I had some in a mason jar from a month ago that I want to use up; made a 2 pint starter.

Ok...tough to give recipe advice when all the reasons are "using up ingredients on hand." Perfectly legitimate reason to make something, but it's hard to offer recipe input if that is the main reason for all your ingredient choices. 

Kolsch yeast throws off some wonderfully delicate characteristics that I think would get overpowered by the watermelon. Given how finicky I've found that yeast to work with, it wouldn't be worth it to me to use in a beer where the yeast would get covered up.

Overall, seems like this would make a nice fruit beer.

I hope it turns out. I was hoping to experiment with Vienna and and wheat as the main base. I didn't want to add too much wheat malt. I used Vienna also because I wanted some nice toasty aspects of the brew.    I think the delicate kolsch Yeast isn't  too foreword that it's light fruitiness will compliment the watermelon.  But hey we'll see🤔
Will post numbers in a bit

Offline Gusbusss94

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Re: Red wheat malt & Vienna watermelon ale — Kolsch Yeast — 5 gallons
« Reply #10 on: April 27, 2017, 04:08:10 pm »
***same grain bill
Ended up with this hop schedule
0.25 oz Columbus ( 60 min)
0.30 oz Citra ( 20 min)
0.25 oz Citra (5 min)

Looks like I got 65% efficiency.  I think I would've benefited from a 15 minute protein rest for the wheat for insurance

Mashed with 5 gallons, added 2 tsp lactic acid brought ph to 5.3 @ mash temp.
Ended up mashing above 148.. strike water was 163, temp went down to 153, but had hard time keeping the temp consistent, added boiling water additions, to keep above 148, but was aiming for 152-153 range.
Sparged with 3 gallons and got kettle volume to 7 gal.
Took the rest of the runnings and boiled for an hr and ended up with a gallon—fermented that with US-05.

5 gallon main batch
Pre boil volume: 7 gal
Pre boil gravity 1.038
Post boil volume 5 gal
Post boil gravity: 1.043

No readings on the 1 gallon parti gyle batch

If u read this, sorry for droning on, and on to the next brew, which will be better;  I'll be updating in here. Thanks again.
« Last Edit: May 04, 2017, 05:51:06 am by Gusbusss94 »

Offline santoch

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Looks like a fun beer.

I don't want to be pedantic, but since the interwebs are forever, I wanted to point out a small error.  Flaked maize is NOT converted until you mash it in the presence of amylase enzyme.  Its a subtle point but quite important.  Unconverted grains have starch that needs to be turned (converted) into sugar.  Converted ingredients (e.g. crystal malt, malt extracts, and a couple others like Victory Malt) have already been turned into sugar so extract brewers can go ahead and add or steep them into their batches. Adding unconverted starches to a batch has a has a tendency to increase haze, decrease shelf life, and provide ample food for the bad critters to take over once the yeast have used up all they can.

Oh, and wheat and rye malts both have very high diastatic power, so you don't have to worry about adding barley malt in order to convert adjuncts.

Hope that makes sense.
S
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Offline Gusbusss94

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Looks like a fun beer.

I don't want to be pedantic, but since the interwebs are forever, I wanted to point out a small error.  Flaked maize is NOT converted until you mash it in the presence of amylase enzyme.  Its a subtle point but quite important.  Unconverted grains have starch that needs to be turned (converted) into sugar.  Converted ingredients (e.g. crystal malt, malt extracts, and a couple others like Victory Malt) have already been turned into sugar so extract brewers can go ahead and add or steep them into their batches. Adding unconverted starches to a batch has a has a tendency to increase haze, decrease shelf life, and provide ample food for the bad critters to take over once the yeast have used up all they can.

Oh, and wheat and rye malts both have very high diastatic power, so you don't have to worry about adding barley malt in order to convert adjuncts.

Hope that makes sense.
S


Ok...if I'm mashing there will be amalayse enzyme present so that will convert the corn, no? I may be good in that arena
« Last Edit: May 04, 2017, 06:20:06 am by Gusbusss94 »

Offline Gusbusss94

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Ohp, I see where I made my mistake. Thank you.