Wheat Beer

[wvbrewer]

I am going to me making a Thomas Coopers series wheat as my next brew.  Has anyone tried this one and how did it turn out.  I am ging to use LDM and Dextrose for the brew. 

Thanks
Dave

[PetenNewburg]

  I think I might brew up a batch of Octoberfest Vienna Lager this weekend.  This is a Marzen (wheat) beer with the base grain being Vienna Malt.
  This is a all extract recipe.  I'll use 3 of the MrBeer hopped kits (6 lb HME) and 2 lbs Amber DME to make 5.5 gallons.  I'll keg 5 gallons and bottle the remainder without yeast for later use for a yeast slurry, I'll just use a sanitized 2 liter soda bottle to store it.  The kits claim; 3.7% ABV,  SRM: 9,  IBU: 23  as brewed per instruction for a 2 gallon batch.  According to BeerSmith, my recipe should yield;  5.7% ABV, SRM: 9.9 , IBU 27 for a 5.5 gallon batch.  I'll use a 2 quart starter of the amber DME and 2 packs of the kit yeast.  2 weeks in the fermenter, filter with a 5 micron filter, age 3 - 4 weeks in my lagering box, then carbonate in the keg @ 12.5 PSI for a week. 

  If I get off my ass and actually do this, it will be ready for New Years Eve!

  I bought a bunch of these MrBeer kits last summer on clearance, we'll see how it works out!

[wvbrewer]

That sounds like a cool project.  I am sure it it will turn out good.  I have beeen thinking about getting into using some speacialty grains with my extract brews.  Remember the Pilsner I made?  Since it has aged it is not that bad as long as you leave a inch or so in the bottle.  My wifes Dad has been drinking alot of it.  I plan now to bottle that Wheat on Mon or Tuesday.  I thought it might benefit from siting in the fermenter a few more days.  It has not gotten hotter in the room than around 71 degres during the day and 67 at night. I hope this will turn out a good beer.  I used a one quart starter for this kit.

Dave

[PetenNewburg]

A little trub never hurt anybody!!  Actually full of vitamins, not to forget that cleansing effect!  I got a strip of stainless steel screen to wrap around my racking tube to cut down on sediment.  I also got a filtering system to really clean up the beer.  Just fill a keg with unfiltered beer, use CO2 to transfer the beer through a filter to another keg.  I use a regular house H2O filter with lines to hook up to the corny kegs.  Filters can be had from .5 (very fine) to 1.5 or larger.  The .5 will also remove most of the yeast so carbonation is CO2 forced.  Crystal clear beer!

[wvbrewer]

I may have to start kegging soon, once I am a little better at brewing. 

[wvbrewer]

I tasted my TC Wheat after a week in the bottle.  It is a little young yet, so I will retaste in another week.  That will be Tuesday.  You know how you can not leave that homebrew alone..  I have few others to keep me busy till then. 

[wvbrewer]

2 weeks later and it getting better. Nice color, Good carbonation and mild taste. The only bad thing it is very easy to drink if you know what I mean. 

[PetenNewburg]

  That's the way stout goes around here!  My son-inlaw and car show buddies seem to know when a keg is getting tapped, they bring their growlers!