SquamyWeizen

Wheat batch number 2 off and running. This time German.

Pretty typical brew day...although I almost had my first boil over. well not really but it came the closest it has ever come to boiling over to date. I think it was due to the 3lbs of DME (dried malt extract) I used. I have never used that much of the dried extract, I usually use malt syrup and I think the dried might be a little more prone to boil overs.

The only other slightly strange thing that happened was the way the yeast mixed in with the wort. This was only my second time using dried yeast and the first time it had me rehydrate before adding to the wort. This strain of yeast just said to sprinkle it into the wort when adding it to the water and when I did that it kind of caked up a bit on the surface of the batch. I am assuming it will slowly rehydrate and I'm not too worried but I think it would have gone a bit smoother if I had rehydrated first.

Well my concerns about the yeast were unfounded. Because here we are at less than 24 hours after brew day and this batch is looking like the first one in a while that might be a candidate for a blow off tube.

snuggly

*UPDATE*: This batch is bottled. I set a land speed record while bottling...2 hours start to finish including clean up. Now two batches are bottled and hopefully they will last me until my next two high gravity batches are done. Each of those will take two months but I think they will be very interesting brews and will be well worth the wait.

'the operation'

One Armed Wit

I'm back on the brew horse! Its been a while since my last batch...probably because last time around I had two batches bottled at once and we haven't had any Blue Zoo events to help it disappear in a timely manner.

Its a bit early to start Spring batches but I am on the DL thanks to my unintentional 12ft booter to flat ground to memory loss to radiology dept incident at Jay last weekend. Cant shred, might as well brew right?

Jake has been on a Belgian kick lately (and I can't blame him...Belgium rules) and bought me this Belgian Wit (Wheat) kit. I don't really partake in wheat beers that often but they are delicious and a pretty good weight for Spring so after this batch I will be doing another wheat beer this time in the German tradition...SquamyWeizen

Todd from Fermentation Station helped me put together a basic weizen recipe that should come out on the strong side with a nice cloudiness, characteristic of german wheat beers. I should be firing that up soon

*disclaimer*: technically that sling isn't necessary, shoulder recovery is going well, but I needed it for dramatic purposes and to make the name of the batch legitimate.

*UPDATE*: Well this batch had some trials and tribulations early in its life and even through adolescence I was doubting this batch a bit because the fermentation never really 'took off'' like it has with all my other batches....it just kind of putted along. I think that is mostly due to temperature issues. Belgian beers like it real warm...which is strange because Belgium is renowned for some of the worst weather in western europe.

Even with the slow fermentation I am fairly sure things wrapped themselves up and I bottled this batch this evening. The color and consistency look real good even now (a nice golden copper, see pic), and the taste seemed pretty Belgian to me...I dont drink belgians very often but I did have some recently that Jomo brought up and I could taste some similarities so I think this batch is doing just fine.