IDEA
I was curious how would rye impact this otherwise refreshing german style. To achieve a noticeable impact, I used both rye malt and flaked rye, with a combined 18.8% of the total grist.
I planned to use Mangrove Jack’s M20 yeast, which has a much higher temperature tolerance. When I started the brewday and checked for the yeast, I was surprised that it was nowhere to be found. This never happened to me, but I guess there's a first time for everything. I quickly checked my fridge to find an alternative strain, and this is when I found WB-06. I always wanted, but never actually used this yeast. With my hands tied, this looked like just the perfect opportunity to finally try it out.
Recipe
Stats:
Est. OG: 1.051
Est. FG: 1.016
ABV 4.7%
Color: 6.6 SRM
IBU: 14.4
Est. Brewhouse Efficiency: 70%
Boil-Time: 30 minutes
Water Profile: Munich, Germany
| Name | Temperature (Metric) | Temperature (US) | Time (minute) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferulic Rest | 44.5C | 112.1F | 20 | |||||||
| Mash In | 67C | 152.6F | 60 | |||||||
| Mash Out | 75.6C | 168.08F | 10 | |||||||
| Boil | 100C | 212F | 30 |
| Name | Weight (Metric) | Weight (US) | Percentage | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weyermann Pale Wheat Malt | 2 kg | 4.41 lb | 41.7% | |||||||
| Thomas Fawcett Golden Promise | 1.7 kg | 3.75 lb | 35.4% | |||||||
| Weyermann Rye Malt | 0.7 kg | 1.54 lb | 14.6% | |||||||
| Flaked Rye | 0.2 kg | 0.44 lb | 4.2% | |||||||
| Weyermann Caramunich I | 0.2 kg | 0.44 lb | 4.2% |
| Name | Weight (Metric) | Weight (US) | IBU | Alpha Acid | Time (minute) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnum | 12g | 0.42 oz | 14.4 | 12.5% | 30 |
| Name | Producer | Type | Style | Dry Alternatives | Liquid Alternatives | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SafAle Wheat WB-06 | Fermentis | Dry | German Wheat Beer Yeast (Weihenstephan) | WYeast - 3068 Weihenstephan Wheat Yeast | ||||||
| WLP300 - Hefeweizen Ale Yeast | ||||||||||
| OYL021 - Hefeweizen Ale Yeast |
| Strike Water (Metric) | Strike Water (US) | Sparge Water (Metric) | Sparge Water (US) | Ca | Mg | Na | SO4 | Cl | HCO3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20L | 5.28 gal | 8.15L | 2.15 gal | 75 ppm | 20 ppm | 10 ppm | 10 ppm | 2 ppm | 200 ppm |
| Name | Weight (Metric) | Weight (US) | Time (minute) | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yeast Nutrient | 1g | 0.04 oz | 15 | |||||||
| L-Ascorbic Acid | 3g | 0.11 oz | Strike Water before mash |
Brewday
In the morning I crushed the malts, as I already collected the RO water the day before.
I added the flaked rye, and the crushed malts to the kettle to start the ferulic rest.
After eight minutes, I checked the pH of the wort. The measured value was sky high, so I added 9ml of 80% lactic acid.
The amount of lactic acid was a bit too much, and it almost lowered the pH too much.
Before the end of the mash I made an iodine test. The test showed that a small amount of starch is still present in the wort, so I gave an extra ten minutes to the mash. After ten minutes I made another iodine test, which was negative this time, so I proceeded to mashout. After the mashout I checked the pre-boil gravity, which was 0.001 gravity points higher than the expected.
While the wort was heating, I measured the hop additions.
The hop schedule was really simple, when the wort started to boil I added the magnums and after 15 minutes I added the yeast nutrient. After the boil was done I started the chilling.
When the chilling was done I measured the original gravity of the beer. The measured value was 1.050 which curiously was 0.001 points lower than expected.
There was only one problem. The main reason behind using the M20 Bavarian wheat strain was the temperature inside my flat. I had to find a solution to cool down the fermenting beer. I used the same method as with the Christmas ale and put the fermenter in cold water.
The yeast chewed through the beer like a beast, and within 4 days reached the final gravity. The temperature was between 18.6℃ (65.5℉) - 21.9℃ (71.4℉), with an average of 23.1℃ (73.6℉). It’s important to note that fluctuating temperatures during fermentation are bad for the end product. I used this method out of necessity. On the last few days of fermentation, I let the temperature free rise so the yeast can clean up.
Please note that the gravity readings by my iSpindel are used for the tracking of the fermentation and should not be taken as specific gravity.
The final gravity came out 0.003 points lower than the expected 1.016.
Tasting
First week: The smell of the beer was reminiscent of classic Bavarian weissbiers. The banana aroma was not overpowering. In its taste, the beer had that pleasant banana flavor, with the graininess of the wheat and the spiciness of the rye malt. The body was cloudy and chewy, just as expected.
Later on: Over the weeks, the beer cleared out a little as the proteins dropped out of solution. However, other than that, there was no real change to the beer.
Conclusion
This beer was a great success among my family and friends. The chewy texture and the refreshing weissbier flavor made an enjoyable mix. The only thing that I missed is the clove flavor, which should have been present. However, the spiciness of the rye somewhat compensated for this. At the and I was very happy with this beer and can recommend to anyone who likes the idea of a heavier weissbier.