Based on from "Wit Guy White Ale" from "Radical Brewing" Mosher.
This batch was started right before the sparge of the Munich Helles. Fortunately Gordon and Tarra came over and were able to help out with stirring, and Cindy took over the Helles boil.
Info:
- Brewer: Ryan
- Mash: 2 part adjunct mash
- Date: 1/13/2008
- Size: 5 gallons post-boil
- Adjunct Mash
- 3.0lb unmalted wheat (ground to coarse grist in my hand flour mill)
- 2.5lb 2 row pale
- 1.0lb rolled quick oats
- Malt Mash
- 3.0lb 2 row weyerman pilsner
- 1.0lb munich
- 1.0lb rice hulls
- Safbrew WB-06 dry wheat yeast
- Starter made a couple of hours before pitching with a little corn sugar and a pinch of yeast nutrient.
Mash schedule based on "Adjunct Mash Procedure" in "Radical Brewing" by Randy Mosher
I was going to try and explain the mash, but decided that it was easier to just plot it. Since I didn't have gnuplot installed I thought to myself "how hard can it be to do this in open office"? Well it turns out that its basically impossible. So I downloaded gnuplot and plotted it in about 2 minutes.
The basic idea is that you do a short mini mash with the wheat, oats and pale. This is then boiled to gelatinize the wheat starch. While this is going on the malt mash is brought through acid and protein rest with hot water like a regular infusion mash. The adjunct mash is then add that back to the malt mash to raise to mash out temperature. After this another short infusion of water is added to go to a high mash, then sparge at 180F.
- 20 minutes naked boil (the wort not the players)
- 1.2 oz Mt Hood (4.1aau) @ 60
- 0.5oz Mt Hood (4.1aau) @ 5
- peel from two mandarin oranges, .5 oz crushed coriander and the "mystery spice" (red peppercorns .2 oz) crushed and added @ 5 (left in primary)
- Total: 20 IBU
- OG: 1.052
- Pitched yeast, full krausen in <>
Sounds great. I was planning on doing this recipe and its complicated mash. How did it go? BTW, I wouldn't call what you did rehydrating the dried yeast with some sugar a 'starter.'
ReplyDeleteThis beer was outstanding, quite possibly the best I've ever made. In taste comparisons with several commercial wit's, I picked this brew hands down over the others. The spice balance was excellent, there was just the right hint of citrus (apparently mandarin peels work well - although I think the yeast contributed just the right amount as well).
ReplyDeleteThe main disappointment is that it didn't hold very well, after about a month in the keg the nose and flavor started to degrade noticeably, if you are making this beer make it when you can dedicate the time to make sure its consumed in its prime.
I have to agree that this brew was awesome. This summer I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Belgium, and it would have fared quite well against some of the best the region had to offer.
ReplyDeleteGreat! Thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to have to make this now.
ReplyDeleteHow much water did you use for the grain and adjunct mashes?
ReplyDeleteFor the mash I followed the schedule in Moshers "Brewers Companion" for an american adjunct mash ((http://www.amazon.com/Brewers-Companion-Randy-Mosher/dp/0964041014 - sadly out of print. While perhaps not as thorough as Designing Great Beers, it has much nicer worksheets).
ReplyDeleteThe schedule was 2qts/lb for the adjunct and 2qts/lb for the main mash. If I recall correctly the adjunct mash was a bit on the thick side so I added another .5-.75 qts to thin it out enough to stir without worrying (as much) about sticking and burning. Burning is a big worry with the adjunct portion, that was where I came closest to screwing up - there was a little bit of scorch on the bottom of the pot from the boil of the mash, but I carefully poured off of it and didn't scrape any so the taste stayed clean. This beer is delicate enough that I think even a little bit of scorched mash going into the main mash would definitely be noticeable in the beer. When the instructions say "stir frequently" during the mash boil - I'd say that means "stir constantly" unless you have a really good (thick) pot and some diffused heat. A good strong long handled spoon or stir stick is also highly recommended - I carved myself a nice big one thats about three feet long. Spilling boilding mash on yourself is no joking matter.