Outer Banks Brewing Station’s Lemongrass Wheat Ale clone
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.050 FG = 1.012
IBU = 17 SRM = 4 ABV = 4.9 %
Ingredients
5.5 lbs. (2.5 kg) wheat malt
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) Pilsner malt
0.25 lb. (113 g) CaraHell® malt (10 °L)
0.25 lb. (113 g) Vienna malt
0.1 lb. (45 g) acidulated malt
4.5 AAU Liberty hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
5 oz. (142 g) fresh, smashed lemongrass (0 min.)
Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan Weizen), White Labs WLP300 (Hefeweizen Ale), or SafAle WB-06 yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Mill the grains, then mix with 3.2 gallons (12 L) of 169 °F (76 °C) strike water to achieve a single infusion rest temperature of 153 °F (67 °C). Hold this temperature for 60 minutes. Mashout to 170 °F (77 °C) if desired.
Vorlauf until your runnings are clear before directing them to your boil kettle. Batch or fly sparge the mash and run-off to obtain 6.5 gallons (24.6 L) of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the Liberty hops at the beginning of the boil. No need to add any fining agents as this is meant to be a cloudy beer.
After the boil, add the fresh lemongrass and rapidly chill the wort to at least 68 °F (20 °C). Pitch yeast, then maintain this temperature for the duration of active fermentation.
Once primary fermentation is complete and the beer has settled, bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 3.0 volumes.
Outer Banks Brewing Station’s Lemongrass Wheat Ale clone
(5 gallons/19 L, extract only)
OG = 1.050 FG = 1.012
IBU = 17 SRM = 5 ABV = 4.9%
Ingredients
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) wheat dried malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) Pilsen dried malt extract
½ tsp. 88% lactic acid
4.5 AAU Liberty hops (60 min.) (1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
5 oz. (142 g) fresh, smashed lemongrass
Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan Weizen), White Labs WLP300 (Hefeweizen Ale), or SafAle WB-06 yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Warm 6.5 gallons (25 L) of water to roughly 150 °F (66 °C). Add the two types of extract and lactic acid, with stirring, before heating to a boil. Return to heat once all the extract is dissolved. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops at the beginning of the boil. No need to add any fining agents.
After the boil, add the fresh lemongrass and rapidly chill the wort to at least 68 °F (20 °C). Pitch yeast. Maintain this temperature for fermentation. Once primary fermentation is complete and the beer has settled, bottle or keg the beer and carbonate to approximately 3.0 volumes or as high as your draft/bottle pouring system will allow.
Tips for Success:
This recipe is best brewed as an all-grain version as the nuances provided by the CaraHell® and Vienna malt aid in producing a mildly complex malt profile. Water chemistry should be fairly neutral with neither chlorides nor sulfates being emphasized. Finally, use the freshest lemongrass that you can find; pinch it and smell your fingers, it should have a citrus, ginger aroma. Similarly, don’t forget to crush the lemongrass before adding it to the end of the boil as masticated lemongrass releases substantially more oil into the brew.
