Without a Ladder Cantaloupe Wheat Ale

Source: Matt Barr
Recipe added: 02/08/97
Email: 75230.272@compuserve.com

This is the first recipe I have ever entirely created myself and I would sure appreciate any comments. I am enjoying the finished product now, but should warn you that from the time you remove the fruit until about a month after you bottle, this stuffs stinks to high heaven and doesn't taste much better! It's a good thing it was my first recipe or I might not have seen it through. It has turned out very well with little hop bitterness and an interesting "tangy" taste that sticks to the sides of your tongue. As with most of my brewing I try to use up leftover ingredients, and that accounts for the choice of hops. You shouldn't be wedded to those particular varieties.

Specifics

Recipe type: Extract
Batch Size: 5 gallons
Starting Gravity: 1.033
Finishing Gravity: 1.012
Time in Boil: 45 minutes
Primary Fermentation: 3-4 days
Secondary Fermentation: 10-14 days

Ingredients:

3.3 lb can Munton's Wheat extract syrup
1.0 lb extra light DME (I used Dutch)
1.25 lb crystal malt 40L
1 oz Cascade 4.4% AA (45 min boil)
1/2 oz Mt. Hood 3.9% AA (20 min boil)
1/2 oz Saaz 3.1% AA (finish)
1 tsp Irish moss
English ale yeast culture (I didn't like the particular
"brand" I used for no reason relating to the quality of the
finished product, so use your favorite and next time I will,
too)
3-4 ripe, medium cantaloupes
1 cup corn sugar

Procedure:

Crack grains and add to 1.5 gal 80-90 F water. Bring to boil. Remove grains. Add extracts. Bring to boil again and add Cascade hops (45 min). At 20 min add Mt. Hood hops. At 10 min, add Irish moss. At 0 min, remove from heat and add finishing hops. Cool to 165-175 F and add lightly mashed meat of 3-4 cantaloupes. Steep covered for 30 min, careful to maintain temp so as to Pasteurize fruit. Rack to primary with enough pre-boiled, chilled water to make 5 gallons. Cool to 70-80 F and pitch yeast. When primary fermetation activity subsides rack to secondary (it was at this time I read a 1.012 gravity, not at the end of the process). Ferment 10-14 days more. Prime & bottle.

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