Jon's Homebrew: A Malty Heff

Here is another homebrew from the connoisseur’s brewery (my kitchen).  I wanted to make a Hefeweitzen-style beer, but I wondered at the same time what a full-bodied Hefe would taste like.  I know it is a contradiction in terms of style, but I wanted to give it a try anyway.  So, here’s the recipe:

5 gallons of water

10 oz. dry unroasted wheat

2 cans Thomas Cooper Wheat Malt Extract

1 lb. Munton’s Dried Dark Malt Extract.

2.5 oz. Tettnenger hop pellets

1 tsp. Irish Moss

1 oz. Bitter Orange Peel (I used Brewer’s Garden brand)

1 packet Safale US56 Dry Ale Yeast

1 packet priming sugar

Bring 2 gallons of water to a boil in a large pot and then turn off the heat.  Put wheat in a grain sock and soak in the water for 20 minutes.  Remove the sock, not squeezing it out but allowing it to drip out.  Mean while, open the malt cans and loosen them in a small pan of hot water.  Turn the heat on and add all malt extract (liquid and powder) to the wheat water, along with 1.5 oz. of the hops.  Stir, being careful of flare-ups.   Let cook for 40 minutes, and then add the Irish moss and orange peel.  Cook for 15 minutes and then add the remaining hops.  Cook for 5 more minutes and then take off of heat.  Add the wort to three gallons of cold water (filtered is best) in your fermenter.  Wait until mixture has reached room temperature, take your readings, and then add the yeast and ferment (Mine went for about 2 weeks).  Syphon into bottling bucket, avoiding residue, and take second readings.  Add prepared priming sugar and bottle.

My original gravity was 1.057, and my final gravity was 1.013, so my alcohol content was 5.73%.  I tried it after 2 weeks in the bottle, and it was still cidery, but after a bit more time, the cidery taste leaves.

This beer has a slightly cloudy coppery brown color.  The head was porous and dish soap foamy with an off-white color and little staying power.  The nose hints at strawberries and distinct malty smells.  The first flavors are quite sweet and berry-like with a dry mouthfeel.  Hops create a bitter forefront that dissipates into the sweet flavors of this beer.  As the beer hits room temperature, more of the pine and cedar flavors surface.  The finish is not long, and the body is smooth, but the bitter citrus aftertaste lingers slightly.  All-in-all, this is a decent beer, though not my crowning achievement.  With more age, the off-putting sweetness fades, making this beer more enjoyable and palatable.  It is definitely unlike any other beer I’ve tried.