Drew's Brew Wheat

Classification: wheat beer, weizen, extract

Source: Andrew Lynch (atl@kpc.com), HBD Issue #1066, 1/29/93

I've gotten a number of complements on my extract wheat beer, and a request for the recipe, so I thought I'd post it here.

This is about he simplest recipe I've ever made, and it tastes great. Clean and refreshing, and a little on the light bodied side. I might lower the lovibond rating of the crystal malt to get a color that more matches the flavor. I'll be attempting to recreate this with all grain this weekend.

Ingredients:

2, 4 lb cans Alexanders 60% wheat 40% barley unhopped extract
1 lb 80L crystal malt, crushed
2 oz 5.3 alpha Styrian Golding hop plugs
2 oz 6.1 alpha Cascade whole hops
Wyeast #3056 Bavarian Weissen yeast

Procedure:

3 days before brewing, pop the Wyeast package. 2 days before brewing, pitch Wyeast package contents into a starter made from 2 cups water, 1 cup light dry malt extract, and 1 Tettnanger pellet. I use this type of starter on all my batches and pitch *after* high krausen.

BrewDay: 1) "Teabag" the Crystal malt, and add to 3 gallons cold water. 2) Bring almost to a boil and remove the "teabag". 3) Add malt extract and bring to a boil. 4) Add Styrian Goldings hops and boil for one hour. 5) Add Cascade hops, return to boil and remove from heat. 6) Steep 15 minutes. 7) Chill with immersion chiller to 80F. 8) pour into clean fermenter and top up to 5.5 gallons total volume with cold water. 9) shake up starter, pitch and vigorously stir wort. 10) Ferment ~3 days at ~68F. 11) Rack to secondary. 12) bottle when clear (~1 week) with 1.25 cups light dry malt extract.