Scott Shurr's all-grain beer recipe page - Wheat Beer

Winter Steam Wheat Beer

• 4 lbs. American 6 row pale malt
• 3 lbs. German 2 row wheat malt
• 1 lb. Belgian Pilsner malt
• 1/4 lb. American 6 row crystal malt (40L)
• 1 oz. Cascade leaf hops
• 1 oz. Saaz hops plugs
• 1 tsp. gypsum
• Wyeast 2035 American lager yeast
• 8 gallons water, filtered or pre-boiled
• 3/4 cup corn sugar or 1 1/2 cups dehydrated malt extract, for priming

Activate the yeast so that it is ready to go 1 day before brewing. Add yeast to starter solution so that starter is ready to go on brewing day. Heat 2 gallons water to 134 degrees and add 1 tsp gypsum. Combine with crushed grains. Hold at 120-123 degrees for at least 30 minutes. Add another 1 gallon water at 198 degrees. Hold between 150-155 degrees for at least 60 minutes. Sparge with remaining water at 170-180 degrees. Boil for 60 minutes. Add Cascade hops at beginning of boil. Add Saaz for final 10 minutes. Chill, combine in carboy with yeast starter. After fermentation has slowed (no more than 1 week), rack to secondary. To prime, stir sugar or extract into 1 1/2 cups of boiling wort, and combine with the rest of the wort before bottling.

O.G. 1.043
F.G. 1.018

Judge's comments

• Nice "flowery" hop aroma. Mild sweet malt aroma, mild low diacetyl- correct for style.
• Nice flowery hops aroma. No noticeable esters. Some diacetyl OK for style.

• Nice golden color- excellent, mild haze- OK for style, head retention is OK.
• Color to style. Some cloudiness OK for style. Good head retention.

• Nice hop flavor initially, could use a little more toasted malt for flavor to balance hop flavor, base bitterness seems low for style, great conditioning.
• Good malt/hop balance. No noticeable esters. Somewhat sweet.

• Nice medium to light body- OK for style.
• Medium, to style.

• Very well made beer, could use more hops for base bitterness for style. Toasted malt flavor could be increased in middle flavor.
• Very drinkable beer. Warming fermentation would bring out characteristic esters.