RECIPE: Hopped-Up Wheat

There are so many variations on American Wheat beer that the only qualification seems to be that you brewed it in America and it has wheat in it. For my money, though, I like to split the malt bill pretty much in half between wheat and barley and to use a nice, clean, yeast, such as White Labs’ WLP 001 or Wyeast 1056.

For this summer wheat recipe, I have added the dry yeast equivalent, Fermentis US-05. All of these are basically the same strain of yeast, and it is a very clean fermenting yeast that has great attenuation and flocculation.

Hopping in American Wheat beers it typically understated, but the recipe I provide below is, for a lack of better words, aggressively hopped. In fact, it probably lands closer to an American Pale Ale than a wheat. The inclusion of flaked oats is also an unusual addition, but it adds a little body to the beer. As such, this beer is a deviation from a traditional wheat beer recipe, but it’s very tasty.

How to Brew “Hopped-Up” Wheat

Now that summer is in full effect, this is a great beer recipe to brew to help you cap off the hotter months of the year with a crisp and refreshing beer. I’ve brewed this recipe many times, and for a wheat beer, this is guaranteed to please the hop-heads in your life.

While aggressively hoppy, this is still a great summer beer with an exhilarating and crisp finish. The flavor is great, but still sessionable for a hot summer day. Especially for those that prefer wheat beers.

Ingredients:

Here’s everything you need to know to brew this summer wheat beer.

Grain Bill

• 4 lbs. Pale Malt
• 2 ¼ lbs. American Wheat Malt
• 1 lb. Flaked Oats

Hops

• 1 oz. Cascade hops @ 5% AA for 60 minutes.
• ½ oz. Cascade hops for 15 minutes.
• ½ oz. Cascade hops at flameout.

Other Ingredients

• 1 lb. Honey
• 1 tsp. Irish Moss

Yeast

Choose between the following:

• Fermentis SafAle US-05
• Wyeast 1056
• White Labs WLP001

Brewing Procedure:

1. Mash in at 152°F for one hour or until starch conversion is complete.
2. Sparge with 180°F water.
3. Bring to a boil and add first hop addition.
4. After 45 minutes, add Irish Moss and the ½ ounce of Cascade hops.
5. Boil another 15 minutes, then turn off heat and add ½ ounce Cascade hops and 1 lb. Honey.
6. Stir very well or whirlpool, then cool to 70°F.
7. Rack to fermenter and pitch yeast. Ferment at 68°F until primary fermentation is completed, then bottle or keg condition and allow several weeks for conditioning.

Extract Version

If you’re brewing this recipe with extract ingredients, substitute 4.5 lbs. Dry Wheat Malt Extract (55% Barley, 45% Wheat) for the Pale Malt and Wheat Malt. Steep oats at 150°F for 30 minutes, then stir in extract thoroughly and heat to a boil. From there, follow the same set of instructions listed above.

Tips

Don’t forget to take rigorous notes throughout the brewing process, as this will help you refine and perfect the recipe if you choose to brew it again.

Once you’re done. Kick back and enjoy your beer.