Homebrewed Rye Wheat Ale

A couple of months ago, I decided to create a unique beer that I hoped to enjoy during the summer. I'm not a big fan of commercial summer beers, because I feel they're usually less interesting and flavorful than beers from other seasons. I had a container of Briess Wheat malt extract and decided to base my summer beer around it. I also had a good supply of malted rye, so that went into the wort as well. I then added some traditional wit beer elements - coriander and orange peel - and came up with my Rye Wheat Ale. It has the citrusy elements of the wheat malt, along with a spicy touch added by the rye. Some hops rounded it out, and I'm pleased with the results. Here's the recipe I used for 2.5 gallons:

3.3 lbs Briess Bavarian Wheat LME
6 Oz Rye Malt
4 Oz Wheat Malt
4 Oz 30L Crystal Malt
.3 Oz Orange Peel
.3 Oz Coriander-crushed
1/2 oz Perle hops - 60 minutes
1/2 Oz Spalt Hops - 15 Minutes
1/4 Oz Hallertau Hops - 5 minutes

I fermented using Safale's new wheat yeast - WB-06 and primed with corn sugar. My only problem is that it gets warm too fast in that big glass!

Tucher Helles Hefe Weizen

Now this is a true Bavarian Hefe Weizen, complete with the banana and cloves esters that are the trademark of an authentic Hefe. These flavors come from the yeast itself, and they're somewhat unique to this style. As you can see, it also has the huge fluffy white head and cloudy appearance that is also traditional for this style. Tucher is a German Brewery, in case you hadn't guessed. This made for an excellent summer brew.

Homebrewed Apricot Wheat Ale - First Taste

Well, as with all my homebrews, I couldn't wait to give this one a taste test. I put one in the fridge this afternoon so it would be ready for dinner. It's been carbonating for just shy of 2 weeks, and if the gunshot sound of the bottle opening was any indication, it's well carbonated! I think I better get the rest of them in the fridge before I have any bottle bombs.

This recipe was modified from a recipe in Sam Calagione's Extreme Brewing book. He called his beer Kiwit, since it was a Belgian style Wit beer with Kiwi fruit added. I substituted fresh frozen apricots for the Kiwi, to get a little bit different beer. My version is a little too dark to be a Witbier, but anyone who homebrews knows that it's difficult to brew a truly light-colored beer from extracts. After the afore-mentioned "gunshot" opening of the bottle, the beer poured a medium amber with a big fluffy white head. I'm proud of that head - I have had so many commercial beers that have no head, that it frustrates me.

The flavor of the beer was VERY tart - almost a lambic style. It had the typical flavor of the Belgian Witbier yeast, but I think there might have been some other wild yeasts adding their own personal influence. It also tasted like it could be aged a while longer, but that's normal for my homebrews. I enjoyed it a lot, the tartness made it quite refreshing.

Here's the recipe for a 2.2 gallon batch:

3.3lbs Briess Bavarian Wheat LME
4 Oz 2-Row Malt
4 Oz Wheat Malt
2.5 lbs Fresh Apricots - frozen, then thawed
1/4 Oz Crushed Corriander Seed
1/2 Oz Tettnang Hops
1/4 Oz Willamette Hops
Wyeast 3944 Belgian Wit Yeast

I used my standard procedure of crushing the grains and letting them heat up to 170 degrees in a gallon of water, and then pulling them out. I brought it to a boil and added the Tettnang Hops. After 45 minutes, I added the malt extract and corriander. At 55 minutes, I added the Willamette hops. At the hour mark, I put the pot in an ice-bath and when it cooled to 80 degrees I added the wort to my Mr Beer fermenter, which already contained a gallon of cold water, and the apricots in a nylon bag. I then topped it off to the 8.5 liter mark and added the yeast. It sat in the fermenter for nearly a month because I got sidetracked by other tasks. I bottled it and primed it with corn sugar, and it sat for 2 weeks, until today. I consider this recipe a success.

Saranac Pomegranate Wheat

When my sister visited me last month, she was generous enough to bring me some beer that I'm unable to get here in Florida, namely Saranac and Otter Creek. Unfortunately, she was unable to find the Saranac summer beers collection, so she brought me their Trail Mix instead - which I have been enjoying immensely. Today, my wife and I made our monthly pilgrimage to Whole Foods to get some of their decaf coffee (which is the best decaf we have ever had) and to my amazement, the beer cooler had a 12 pack of Saranac's "12 Beers of Summer". Now, "12 Beers" is a bit of a misnomer, because there are actually 6 different varieties, 2 bottles of each. Needless to say, the 12 pack landed in the cart, along with a bottle each of Dogfish Head's "Black & Blue" and "Red & White". Those two will be saved for a special occasion - probably Christmas. We landed at Whole Foods just before lunch, which is the worst time to go there. We browsed their amazing meat cooler. and spied their freshly made sausages. They have a great selection of sausages, and we decided to try their English style bangers, some maple apple chicken sausage, and their jalapeno chicken sausage. With the sausages and Saranac in the cart, I could hardly wait to get home to make lunch. $115.00 later, and we were out the door, headed home. We decided on the maple apple sausages which we cooked on the grill, and I grabbed a bottle of Pomegranate Wheat from the 12 pack. Thankfully it was already cold. The sausages were to DIE for! They were just slightly sweet, a little spicy and extremely hot. We ate them on hot dog rolls with no mustard or anything to detract from the flavor of the sausage. The Saranac was a perfect choice to go with the sausage. It's an American style wheat beer, and it poured a slightly hazy gold color with a small white head. The Pomegranate added a tartness that was very refreshing. I know in one of my my last posts I said that I was over the summer beer thing, but this beer was much better than the Sunrye. Then again, maybe it was the combination of beer and sausage....

Flying Dog In-Heat Wheat Hefe-Weizen Ale

Today I enjoyed another beer from the Flying Dog variety pack that my wife bought for my 50th birthday party. It's their Hefeweizen Ale - In-Heat Wheat. I didn't read the label before I tasted it, and was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting an American style wheat beer, but this is actually a Bavarian style Hefeweizen. In fact, this was the most authentic Hefeweizen I have tasted that wasn't from Germany. It had the classic bananas and clove flavor from the yeast and a huge white head that left a lot of lacing as the level went down. If I had read the label, I would have realized this was a German style beer. The label berates drinkers who "wing a lemon slice in it", since "Germans don't drink it that way". I prefer German-style wheat beers over the American style, so I was not guilty of this type of affront. This is definitely a winner from Flying Dog - no lemons or oranges needed!

Homebrewed Apricot Wheat Ale

I tasted my Apricot Wheat ale today. It's been in the fermenter for weeks, with the yeast busily working on the apricots. It finally looked about finished, so I decided to see how it tastes before bottling. It's totally flat, since the carbonation is generated in the bottle, but I can tell it has a lot of potential. It's quite tart, almost a lambic-style flavor, and the apricots come through nicely. I think a couple of weeks in the bottle to carbonate will definitely do it some good. I'm thinking of carbonating it using some Apricot nectar, but I'm a little concerned about how much to use. I'd hate to finish up my Apricot Ale by turning it into a bunch of bottle bombs.

With dinner tonight, I had a bottle of my Maple Wheat ale, which has aged nicely. It's smoothed out a lot, but I still think I'll go with a little less maple the next time. I need to lower the alcohol level a bit, and it would be perfect.

Tucher Kristall Weizen

I found another bottle of Tucher wheat beer in the fridge - this time it's their Kristall Weizen. A Kristall is a filtered wheat beer, which differentiates it from the Hefeweizen, which is unfiltered. It generally has a cleaner, crisper flavor than a hefe. This one falls into that category precisely. It still has the banana-clove flavor of a Bavarian Hefe, but it is lighter in body, color and flavor. The Tucher poured a golden color, almost like a Pilsner. It had a big frothy white head. This is a great warm-weather beer, which I enjoyed tremendously.

Grozet Gooseberry & Wheat Ale

Tonight, I had the 3rd choice from my "Historic Ales of Scotland" assortment - Grozet Gooseberry & Wheat Ale. I had never heard of a gooseberry until I started brewing, and then I noticed some gooseberries in the canned fruit section of our local supermarket. They're canned by Oregon, a very popular brand of fruit favored by brewers due to their lack of preservatives. Based on the picture on the can, a gooseberry looks a lot like a white grape. This was a very mild-flavored ale, and very refreshing as well. It poured a golden color, with almost no head. It didn't have the usual tartness of a wheat beer, but instead had a wine-like quality to it, presumably from the gooseberries. I'm not sure if there are any hops in this ale, because I certainly didn't notice any. So far, this assortment of ales has been a winner. Every one has been very enjoyable.

Sea Dog Apricot Wheat Beer from Pugsley Brewing

Pugsley Brewing is a Maine brewery, and they're known for their fruity wheat beers. This is the first time I've tried their Apricot Wheat. Since I have my own Apricot Wheat Ale fermenting as I write this, I thought I'd try a commercial version. I've also tried the apricot ale that Dunedin Brewery makes. This version has a strong apricot aroma, and pours a golden yellow color with a small white head. The head was a little disappointing for a wheat beer. It has a strong apricot flavor that tastes like it was created using an extract of some kind. Once I got used to the apricot, I was able to taste the tartness of the wheat. This is a very mild beer with very little hop flavor. It's good, but I think my own apricot wheat will be better - no extracts used in that one!

Sierra Nevada Unfiltered Wheat Beer

Now that Sierra Nevada is one of the 3 largest US owned brewers, I decided to give their Unfiltered Wheat Beer a try. It poured a cloudy golden color, with a big white head. The beer wasn't as cloudy as I was expecting from a wheat beer, so I guess I didn't stir up the yeast very much when I poured it.



One thing I have to say for Sierra Nevada is that they love their West Coast Hops. This was a hoppier wheat than most, for sure. It tasted like Cascades or a similar variety was used. It had the citrus-like flavor of an American Wheat, but the hops definitely added an interesting flair. This is the 3rd Sierra Nevada beer I have tried since starting this blog, and every one of them has been worth the time. Fritz Maytag must know what he's doing out there in California.

Tommyknocker Jack Whacker Wheat Ale

Compared to the Sun Dog I tried a few days ago, this wheat ale is much more authentic. It has an immediate tangy cirtus flavor, and a subtle hop finish. Tommyknocker Brewery & Pub adds some lemongrass at the end of the mash, which accentuates the usual citrus flavor of the wheat. It poured a cloudy orange color with a small white head. This ale was very nice with my turkey sandwich - very refreshing. This is the second beer I have tasted from Tommyknocker, and they have both been very enjoyable. I'll have to look for some more of their beers.

Anheuser Busch Sun Dog Amber Wheat Ale

I don't generally drink Anheuser-Busch products, because their "traditional" brews, like Bud, Michelob and Busch give me a splitting headache the next day, even if I drink only one. Their micro-style brews don't have the same effect, thank goodness. If someone handed me a glass of Sun Dog, without telling me it was a wheat, I would have never guessed it was. It doesn't look like a wheat beer, and it doesn't taste much like a wheat beer. It poured a clear amber color, with a 1-inch tall white head. The head was pretty long-lasting. There was a faint hint of citrus, but that is the only clue that there is any wheat to be found. It's a basic middle-of-the-road ale, brewed for the Anheuser-Busch market share. I could drink it on a hot day and find it thirst-quenching, but I wouldn't seek it out.

Weihenstephaner Vitus - Weizenbock

Today, I had a beer from one of my favorite German Brewers. Weihenstephan claims to be the oldest brewery in the world, with continuous brewing since the year 1040. Weihenstephan Vitus is a weizenbock, which is a maltier, higher alcohol version of their Hefeweizen. This beer had a fruity, citrusy background, with the typical banana/clove flavors of the Bavarian weizen yeast. In fact, if you're a homebrewer, you can buy the Weihenstephan strain of yeast from Wyeast - it's number 3068.

At 7.7% alcohol, Vitus is significantly stronger than Weihenstephan's standard wheat brew. This beer is obviously maltier, with a heavier mouthfeel as well. It poured a deep golden color, with a huge white head that lasted forever. I got the glass as a promotion from the local liquor store, by buying 4 bottles of Weihenstephan. It's my favorite glass, and today I was able to turn the glass around and display the logo for my photo. It's the perfect glass for drinking a wheat beer with a nice full head.

Hacker Pschorr Weisse

Hacker-Pschorr is an established Munich, Germany brewery that makes a variety of different wheat beers. This one is simply called "Weisse", with the subtitle "Traditional Wheat". Since my wife and son both took several years of German in high school, I have learned that in the German language, when two vowels are together, the first one is silent. So the word "Weisse" rhymes with ice, rather than rhyming with geese. This was a revelation to me! I can at least sound intelligent when talking about German beers. This wheat beer is different from the traditional Bavarian Wheat beers I have tried, such as Weihenstephan, or Paulaner Hefe-Weizen. This does not have the pronounced banana/clove flavors of the Bavarian Hefe's. This has a smooth fruity flavor, almost like a sorbet. It poured a cloudy orange/amber color, with a huge fluffy head. I like my beer to have a head, so wheat beers rarely disappoint. Another refreshing beer for the summer!

A Tale of Two Wheat Beers

Today, I want to talk about two distinctly different wheat beers. The first is from Blue Moon Brewing, which is a branch of Coors. Blue Moon's Rising Moon Spring Ale is a member of their Seasonal Collection, and it's flavored with the zest and leaves of Kieffer limes. It poured a light amber color with a huge head. This is the kind of head a wheat beer should have! It's very refreshing, and I could taste the lime flavors from the additional ingredients. This is a very nice American Style wheat beer, great for the warmer months.

The second beer is from Belgium, and it's a traditional Belgian Witbier. It's Hoegaarden, and many folks consider it the best Belgian Wit available. This is the first time I have tried it, and it's excellent. The Belgians have their own special yeasts that impart a truly unique flavor. This one is also citrusy, and a little spicy. Witbier's are usually brewed with orange peel and coriander, and I believe that's true with this one.


Whether you pick the American, or the Belgian, you can't go wrong. Both are refreshing thirst-quenching beers for these warmer months.

Widmer Hefeweizen

Widmer Hefeweizen is an American wheat beer. I don't think I would call it a hefeweizen. Although it's made from wheat malt, and it has the yeast in the bottle, it just doesn't have the flavor of a true Bavarian hefeweizen. This is a good refreshing beer for the summer, with the fruity, citrusy flavor I would expect from an American wheat, but it doesn't taste like a hefe.

Florida Brewing's Hurricane Reef Raspberry Wheat Ale

Forida Brewing is one of the few microbrewers in this beer wasteland of Florida. I've tried a number of their beers, and they have been ok - nothing to brag about, but quite drinkable. This Raspberry Wheat Ale follows in that tradition. It poured a kinda orange-amber, with no head at all. What's up with that? A wheat beer should have lots of head. As a homebrewer, I know that some brewers add some wheat to their brews, simply for that reason. This was a very fruity wheat with lots of raspberry flavor. The raspberry was more pronounced than in Abita's Purple Haze, but I think the Purple Haze tasted a little more authentic. This was good, with a nice hop finish.

Bell's Oberon Ale - American Wheat

This is one of the better American wheat ales that I have tried. It pours a very cloudy golden color with a large fluffy white head. If you're not accustomed to a cloudy wheat beer, this one might surprise you with the amount of "stuff" floating around. It looks down-right chunky. It has a fruity flavor - mostly citrus - and a nice hop presence. This is an excellent summer beer - very refreshing and light.

My Newest Homebrew - Maple Wheat Ale

I started homebrewing using the Mr Beer system several years ago, and I still use their fermenters because they're the perfect size - about 2-1/2 gallons. One of the Mr Beer recipes that always interested me was their Maple Wheat. So, I decided to make my own. I don't use their ingredients anymore, but the inspiration was from them. Here's the recipe:
3.3 lbs Briess Bavarian Wheat Malt Extract
16 Oz Pure Maple Syrup
4 Oz Crystal Malt 10L
4 Oz CaraPils Malt
1/2 Oz Hersbrucker Hops
1/2 Oz Saaz Hops
Wyeast 1010 American Wheat Yeast
I really like using Maple Syrup in my beer. I like the flavor it adds. It also kicks up the horsepower! I cracked open my first bottle of this yesterday, and I'm very pleased. I have to say that the alcohol level is unusual for a wheat beer. It turned out darker than I expected, but had a great big head. It tasted like a wheat beer, but had some alcohol in the finish. The hops were subdued, so I probably should have used a little more. I'm looking forwared to seeing how this ages.

Paulaner Hefe-Weizen

Tonight, I had another good brew from Paulaner. This is a very classic example of a Bavarian Hefe-weizen. Since Hefe means "yeast", it poured a cloudy golden color, with the huge head that is typical of a good Hefe-Weizen. The cloudiness is from the yeast that has not been filtered from the beer. The flavor is fruity, with the essence of bananas and cloves that I have come to expect from a Bavarian style Hefe. These flavors are produced by the yeast. I think this wheat compares very favorably to another favorite Hefe-Weizen. the one produced by Weihenstephan.