Gordon Strong’s Weissbier
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.050 FG = 1.010
IBU = 12 SRM = 3 ABV = 5.3%
Ingredients
6.25 lbs. (2.8 kg) German wheat malt
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) German Pilsner malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) rice hulls
3.1 AAU Sterling hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 6.2% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan Weizen) or White Labs WLP300 (Hefeweizen Ale) or Mangrove Jack’s M20 (Bavarian Wheat) yeast
7⁄8 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
No starter is required. This recipe uses reverse osmosis (RO) water. Adjust all brewing water to a pH of 5.5 using phosphoric or lactic acid. Add 1 tsp. of calcium chloride to the mash.
This is a combined step and single decoction mash: Mash in both grains at 113 °F (45 °C) in 15 qts. (14 L) water. Hold at this ferulic acid rest temperature for 15 minutes, then raise the temperature to 131 °F (55 °C) for a protein rest. Maintain at this temperature for 10 minutes.
Pull a thick decoction (33–40% of mash with minimal liquid) and heat the decocted portion to 158 °F (70 °C) for 20 minutes, then boil gently for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Meanwhile (during the decoction), heat the main mash to 147 °F (64 °C) and hold. Recombine the two mashes and rice hulls to hit 158 °F (70 °C) . Rest for 10 minutes. Raise the mash temperature to 168 °F (76 °C) for mashout. Recirculate for 15 minutes.
Sparge slowly and collect 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of wort. Boil the wort for 90 minutes, adding hops at the time indicated in the recipe.
Chill the wort to 57 °F (14 °C), pitch the yeast, and ferment until complete at 62 °F (17 °C). Rack the beer, prime, and bottle (or cask) condition, or keg and force carbonate.
Weissbier
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.050 FG = 1.010
IBU = 12 SRM = 3 ABV = 5.3%
Ingredients
5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) Bavarian wheat dried malt extract
3.1 AAU Sterling hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 6.2% alpha acids)
Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan Weizen) or White Labs WLP300 (Hefeweizen Ale) or Mangrove Jack’s M20 (Bavarian Wheat) yeast
7⁄8 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Use 6.5 gallons (24.5 L) of low mineral or RO water in the brew kettle; heat to 158 °F (70 °C).
Turn off the heat. Add the malt extract and stir thoroughly to dissolve completely. Turn the heat back on and bring to a boil. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at the time indicated.
Chill the wort to 57 °C (14 °F), pitch the yeast, and ferment until complete at 62 °F (17 °C). Rack the beer, prime and bottle (or cask) condition, or keg and
force carbonate.
Tips For Success:
Decoction mashing is not an essential part of this recipe, but should help develop the proper mouthfeel. If time is short on brew day, you can just do the ferulic acid rest and a single saccharification rest at about 152 °F (67 °F).
If this is your first time attempting a decoction mash, a good tool to pull the grains out of the mash tun is a stainless steel colander (and gloves). This will help drain most of liquid back into the main mash. You want a little liquid with the grains, but not too much. By the end of the boil, there should be some Maillard reactions occuring in the decoction pot, but the grains should never scorch.
