Apricot Wheat
Apricot Wheat
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain) OG = 1.049 (12.1 °P) / 1.051 (12.6 °P) with fruit FG = 1.013 (3.2 °P) IBU = 18 SRM = 6 ABV = 5.1%
Ingredients
4.8 lb. (2.2 kg) American two-row malt (2 °L)
4.8 lb. (2.2 kg) wheat malt (2 °L)
0.5 lb. (227 g) crystal malt (15 °L)
3 lb. (1.36 kg) Oregon Fruit Products apricot puree
3.75 Willamette pellet hops (60 min.)
(0.75 oz./21 g at 5.0% alpha acid) White Labs WLP320 (American Hefeweizen),
Wyeast 1010 (American Wheat) or Fermentis Safale US-05 yeast.
Step by Step
Mill the grains and dough-in targeting a mash of around 1.5 quarts of water to 1 pound of grain (a liquor-to-grist ratio of about 3:1 by weight) and a temperature of 154 °F (68 °C). Hold the mash at 154 °F (68 °C) until enzymatic conversion is complete. Infuse the mash with near boiling water while stirring or with a recirculating mash system raise the temperature to mash out at 168 °F (76 °C).
Sparge slowly with 170 °F (77 °C) water, collecting wort until the pre-boil kettle volume is around 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) and the gravity is 1.038 (9.4 °P). The total wort boil time is 90 minutes. Add the bittering hops with 60 minutes left in the boil. Add Irish moss or other kettle finings with 15 minutes left in the boil.
Chill rapidly to 65 °F (18 °C), let the break material settle, rack to the fermenter, pitch the yeast and aerate thoroughly. Use 10 grams of properly rehydrated dry yeast, 2 liquid yeast packages, or make an appropriate starter.
Ferment at 65 °F (18 °C). When initial fermentation slows, add apricot puree to a second fermenter and carefully rack the beer onto the fruit. Fermentation should pick up again as the yeast consumes the fructose in the fruit puree. Once fermentation finishes, carbonate to approximately 2.5 to 3 volumes.
Extract with Grains Option: Replace the American two-row and wheat malt with 6.6 lb. (3.0 kg) of liquid wheat extract. Mill or coarsely crack the specialty malts. Mix them well and place loosely in a grain bag. Steep the bag in 1⁄2 gallon (~2 liters) of 170 °F (77 °C) water for about 30 minutes. Lift the grain bag out of the steeping liquid and rinse with warm water. Let the bag drip into the kettle while you add the extract. Do not squeeze the bags. Add enough water to the steeping liquor and malt extract to make a pre-boil kettle volume around 6.5 gallons (24.4 L) and the gravity is 1.038 (9.4 °P). Follow the remaining instructions for the all-grain recipe.
