Elderberry wheat IV

Well, 4th time I brewed this one.  Grain bill identical.  Added a little extra hops this time, same kind of hops as last time (serebrianka), just for the heck of it.  I was thinking “maybe a little hoppier, just a touch,” but didn’t want to make a “hoppy wheat” (I’ve not been too impressed with hoppy wheat beers, to be honest).  Also, a touch more hops is good, but with the elderberries I don’t want to produce a huge clash of flavors.  We’ll see what happens!

Also, mixed yeast this time, just for the heck of it (Bavarian wheat yeast mixed with US-05).  Let’s see how this yeast combo goes with this grain and hops profile.  I’ve never mixed yeasts before, and don’t really know what it will do, but… I don’t have any worries… it will be good!

• 4 lbs, 8 oz pilsner malt
• 4 lbs wheat malt
• 1 lb flaked wheat
• 0.5 lbs 20L crystal malt
• 1 oz Serebrianka at 30
• 1.5 oz Serebrianka at 10
• 1.5 oz Serebrianka at FO
• 8 oz dried elderberries at 20 minutes
• Bavarian wheat yeast + US-05

• OG 1.054
• IBUs 20
• SRM ??
• ABV 5.1%

As usual, 8oz of dried elderberries turned the wort nice and purple.  It’s a really cool thing to have purple beer.

Elderberry Wheat III

Brewing Elderberry Wheat again!  It’s a great recipe and I’m ready for some more of it now that it’s getting warm outside.  Base malts identical to last two times, this time will use serebrianka hops.

• 4 lbs, 8 oz pilsner malt
• 4 lbs wheat malt
• 1 lb flaked wheat
• 0.5 lbs 20L crystal malt
• 1 oz Serebrianka at 30
• 1 oz Serebrianka at 10
• 0.5 oz Serebrianka at FO
• 8 oz dried elderberries at 20 minutes
• Bavarian wheat yeast

• OG 1.054
• IBUs 20
• SRM ??
• ABV 5.1%

Elderberry Wheat Beer II

Well the first batch of Elderberry Wheat beer came out great, so I figured to try it again, this time all grain.  Note that beersmith II doesn’t account for color with elderberries, so I don’t have an expected SRM.  It should be fairly purple again though!  Here’s the ingredients:

• 4 lbs, 8 oz pilsner malt
  4 lbs wheat malt
  1 lb flaked wheat
  0.5 lbs 20L crystal malt
  1 oz Fuggles at 30
  1 oz Fuggles at 10
  8 oz dried elderberries

Yeast: Bavarian Wheat Yeast, with starter

Targets:

• IBUs 19.8
• OG 1.054
• FG 1.015
• SRM ?
• ABV 5.1%

Note: They only had 8 oz packages of elderberries at the LHBS.  Whoa!  Not sure if I’m going to add the whole thing and boil for less, or just add half of them and boil same as last time (20 minutes).  I’m also tempted by all sorts of experimental things I could do with them, so I’ll have to make up my mind before brew day!

1. prepare checklist
2. lay out ingredients and equipment
3. Add grains to mash tun
4. bring 3.3 gallon spring water to 166 F
5. Add 3.5 gallons of 166F spring water to mash tun on top of grains, then stir well
6. add more water to boil pot, bring to near 172F and hold for sparging
7. measure temperature after temperature equalizes in mash
8. adjust mash temperature using either heated mash water or cool spring water as needed to reach 155F, if necessary
9. mash for 75 minutes at 155F
10. during mash, stir about every 15 minutes or so, checking temperature and adjusting if needed
11. at end of mash, begin draining wort into pitcher
12. allow first runnings to drain into a pitcher until clear
13. pour first runnings back on top of mash
14. drain remaining wort into boil pot until mash tun is near empty
15. add 2 gallons 172F water (adjusted as needed)
16. stir well
17. drain first runnings of first batch sparge into pitcher until clear (or close to it)
18. pour first runnings of first batch sparge back on top of mash
19. drain wort into main boil pot until near empty
20. add another 2 gallons 172F water to mash tun (adjusted as needed)
21. stir well
22. drain first runnings of second batch sparge to pitcher until clear (or close to it)
23. add first runnings back into mash tun
24. drain wort into main boil pot
25. bring main boil pot to a boil
26. when boil is reached, boil 60 minutes total
27. at 30 minutes, add 1 oz Fuggles
28. at 25 minutes, add about 1/4 tsp Wyeast nutrient blend to a small amount of spring water and dissolve
29. add wort chiller to boil pot
30. add nutrient blend at 20 minute mark
31. add elderberries at 20 minute mark
32. add 1/8 tsp Irish moss powder at 15 minute mark
33. add 1 oz Fuggles at 10 minutes
34. begin sanitation procedures on spoon, thermometer, bucket, wine thief
35. stir occasionally with sanitized stainless spoon during cooling
36. ensure bucket, wine thief, thermometer, strainer, spoon are sanitized
37. when wort gets to about 70F, add to fermentation bucket, pouring through sanitized strainer to catch any extra solids and to help aerate.  If necessary, clean strainer during process and re-sanitize to remove most of the hop trub and berries before fermentation
    
38. take OG reading with sanitized wine thief
39. thoroughly aerate wort with sanitized stainless steel spoon again
40. ensure wort is 68F or a little less before pitching yeast
41. ensure yeast is a little cooler than wort before pitching
42. pitch yeast
43. gently stir using sanitized stainless steel spoon
44. install sanitized bucket lid and airlock
45. ferment in freezer chest w/Johnson controller for 14+ days at 66F
46. after 14+ days, add dry hops, 1 oz chinook, 0.5 oz willamette
47. ferment a total of 21+ days
48. take FG sample and bottle
49. use 5 oz corn sugar at bottling

Actual OG:

Actual FG:

Notes:

Elderberry Wheat Beer

Well I’m going to try a very simple wheat beer, with a few elderberries added for color and flavor.  The final SRM is only supposed to be about 4 (according to the calculator, lol) but I’m quite sure the elderberries will add quite a bit of color.  There are no specialty grains for this one, so it should be quick and easy.  I’ll be using Wyeast Bavarian Wheat Yeast on this one, along with a good amount of wheat extract, and some Saaz and Hallertau hops.  Easy as pie!

1. prepare checklist
2. lay out ingredients and equipment
3. Bring 4 gallons water and wort chiller to a boil
4. add liquid wheat extract and boil one hour
5. add 1 oz hallertau at 60 minutes
6. add 4 oz dried elderberries at 20 minutes
7. add 1/4 tsp Irish moss powder at 15 minutes
8. add 1 oz saaz at 10 minutes
9. turn on wort chiller and cover at 0 minutes
10. sanitize spoon, thermometer, bucket, wine thief
11. when wort gets to about 70F, strain into fermentation bucket using sanitized strainer
    
12. take OG reading with sanitized wine thief
13. thoroughly aerate wort with sanitized stainless steel spoon
14. ensure wort is 70F or a little less before pitching yeast
15. pitch yeast
16. gently stir using sanitized stainless steel spoon
17. install sanitized bucket lid and airlock
18. ferment in closet for 12-15 days at 67F ambient air temp.
19. use 4 oz corn sugar at bottling

Targets: OG: 1.055    FG:  1.015     IBU: 20    SRM: ?    ABV: 5.2

Actual OG: 1.052

Actual FG: 1.018

Notes:

More Upcoming!

I’ve got my next SEVEN beers planned out!  I’ve already discussed a few of them, and the next two will be my Cascade APA (recipe and procedure already blogged, brewing is just delayed a few weeks), and the very next one will be Coffee Oatmeal stout!

After that I’ve got (in no particular order…)

• a nice English Mild on the way, coming in at low ABV and hopefully high flavor, this will be my first usage of Bramling Cross Hops
• a mega-hoppy IPA, called Benchwarmer IPA, inspired by two posters on BeerAdvocate.Com, using some combination of colombus, chinook, northern brewer, and willamette hops
• Juniper Pale ale, a moderately hopped APA with a touch of Juniper berries added near the end of the boil
• Elderberry Wheat, which should be slightly purple in color and a bit tart in flavor.  This American wheat is a real experimental brew, we’ll see how it goes!

I’ve got my eight gallon fermentation vessel now, ready to brew stouts, barleywines, double IPAs, and anything else with higher gravity (and the potential for a large krausen).  This piece will also allow me to have multiple batches fermenting at once.  Along with this I’ve just gotten a three gallon better bottle, allowing me even more access to making split batches and secondary fermentations for experimental purposes!

My next brew day will be bottling day for my English Special Bitter.  I’m anticipating that to be in about one week from this posting.

A few days after that I’ll be bottling my Bleach Blonde Ale / Blueberry Bleach Blonde Ale.  I’m really anxious to see how that one came out, as not only was it my first attempt at liquid yeast and making a starter, but it’s my first experiment with using fresh fruit!

Once those are bottled, Coffee Oatmeal Stout will be brewed next.  The coffee will be added as a cold brewed addition to a secondary fermentation.  I plan to split this batch as well, putting half of it on vanilla beans in secondary fermentation.  I haven’t decided the exact amount of vanilla beans to use yet, but it won’t be a lot.  I’ve got the beans and they’re potent!  I just want a lightly vanilla flavor, nothing overpowering.  I don’t want the vanilla to clash with the coffee.

And finally, I’m participating in a homebrew BIF on beeradvocate.com.  We’re exchanging homebrew, and a few local commercial beers too.  Always anxious for a BIF!

Lots of good beer stuff coming soon, I can’t wait to taste it!

Cheers!