Midwinter Wheat

[FedoraDave]

I'm going to be brewing up what is probably a mongrel brew this weekend. Very simple extract beer with just a mite of steeping grains. I don't even know if it could be strictly called a wheat beer because of the ratios, but it's got wheat extract in it. Anyway, here's what I got:

3 lb. Amber DME
1 lb. Wheat DME
1/4 lb. Crystal 40

I haven't completely decided on the hop bill or schedule yet, but I'm leaning toward this:

1/4 oz. Hallertau - 45 minutes
1/8 oz. Citra - 45 minutes
1/4 oz. Hallertau - 20 minutes
1/8 oz. Citra - 20 minutes
1/4 oz. Hallertau - 7 minutes
1/8 oz. Citra - 7 minutes

I'm thinking the little bit of Citra will add some intrigue to the aroma and bittering without being intrusive or overwhelmingly grapefruity. Just something to bump it a bit.

I also don't have wheat yeast, but regular dry ale yeast will get the job done.

Told ya it was a mongrel.

[BlackDuck]

I think that recipe has some really good potential Dave. Never thought of putting Hallertau and Citra together, looks like a good one.

[FedoraDave]

Brewing it right this minute. Nearly up to the aroma addition.

I think the small amount of Citra will give it just a little something extra. I don't want it to be intrusive; just interesting.

[Gymrat]

I have read where citra can become catty when used as a bittering hop. Though I have used half an ounce of it for a 60 minute boil in a wheat beer before with no issues.

[Gymrat]

I just checked my records. I used a quarter ounce of citra for a 60 minute boil in a 5 gallon batch. That worked out to 4 AAUs which I consider perfect for a 1.050 beer.

[FedoraDave]

I didn't use that much (well, maybe half of what you used, but I'm making a 2.5 gallon batch, so....). But I also only had a 45 minute bittering boil. And I figured since it wasn't a stand-alone addition, it would be mitigated by the Hallertau, of which there's twice as much.

I wanted this to be more malty, being a midwinter beer, so I really tried to downplay what the hops would do. It smelled pretty darn good throughout the whole process, and it came it at 1.072, so it's going to be a pretty potent libation.