Noel weizen

[greenxpaddy]

Looks like I may just have enough time to do a weizen for Xmas. The dunkelweizen 100L batch is on hold til Spring as its intended for friend's Wedding next Summer and I think it will be past its best if I brew it now

So I'll do a triple decoction with this one instead

Noelweizen

Fermentable Colour lb: oz Grams Ratio
Wheat Malt 3.5 EBC 8 lbs. 13.0 oz 4000 grams 62%
Biscuit Malt 50 EBC 0 lbs. 5.3 oz 150 grams 2.3%
Caramunich III 120 EBC 0 lbs. 10.5 oz 300 grams 4.7%
Bohemian Pils Malt 4 EBC 4 lbs. 6.5 oz 2000 grams 31%
Oat hulls 800g

Triple decoction mash using a 15L SS stockpot

Total boil time 90 mins
Hop Variety Type Alpha Time lb: oz grams Ratio
Saaz Whole 3.3 % 60 mins 0 lbs. 1.9 oz 55 grams 100%

Water treatment for my vvsoft water(g): style lager on Graham Wheelers treatment calculator , have for the first time bought some ph strips so will test my mash ph (hope I'm not disappointed).

Gypsum 1.7
CaCl 4.8
Epsom 0.3
NaCl 0.2
Chalk 0.8
1/2tsp


Final Volume: 34 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.054
Final Gravity: 1.012
Alcohol Content: 5.3% ABV Priming added 0.7% to 6.0% ABV ( 570g extra light DME in 500ml)


Total Liquor: 46.9 Litres
Mash Liquor: 14.6 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 85 %
Bitterness: 12.5 EBU
Colour: 16 EBC should rise a little with decoction

1L added to boil owing to evaporation at decoction level

Yeast - Wyeast Activatorâ„¢ 3068 Weihenstephen Weizen Yeast For 9 USgallon batch I will do a 1L striplate starter

Fermenting in a 60L vessel - I hear weizen yeast are mental - gives 40% FV headroom - do hopes that will be enough

Will carbonate well to at least 3.5 vols CO2

With a little luck might just be carbonated ready for week before Xmas. Noel.. noel..... noel.. noel...............

[greenxpaddy]

Here's the decoction schedule

Based upon 7.3kg grain [temp 12.5C], 14.6L liquor, ratio 2:1, 'high wheat' grain bill. i.e. second rest at 50C.

1. Warm mash tun with hot liquor to 40C. Dough in grain to strike at 35C. Rest for 20 mins.
2. Extract 8.13 litres of thick mash (from Brewzor Calculator) plus 10% = 9L. Heat slowly and then boil for 15 mins
3. Add back into MT in stages mixing well, until 50C temperature reached. If temp reached before all decoction re-added wait for the remainder to cool to 50C before adding back in.
4. Rest for 20 mins.
5. Extract 11.27 litres of thick mash (from Brewzor Calculator) plus 10% = 12.3L. Heat slowly and then boil for 25 mins
6. Add back into MT in stages mixing well, until 66C temperature reached. If temp reached before all decoction re-added wait for the remainder to cool to 66C before adding back in.
7. Rest for 45 mins.
8. Extract 9.32 litres of thick mash (from Brewzor Calculator) plus 10% = 10.2L. Heat slowly and then boil for 15 mins
9. Add back into MT in stages mixing well, until 75C temperature reached. If temp reached before all decoction re-added wait for the remainder to cool to 75C before adding back in.
10. Sparge out with liquor maintaining 75C

Using a 14L stockpot - going to be a squeeze.

wish me luck

[barney]

good luck, 14ltr stockpot will be a squeeze!

[greenxpaddy]

It would seem the only way to break the tedium of decoction mashing is to have a beer in the process. However owing to the durations involved I may be pie eyed by the time we get to a boil

[greenxpaddy]

Just had a thought about the oat hulls....they're in the decoction. I hope I don't get a stuck mash. There will be a small percentage of small oats in there and you know what happens when you boil oats.......

Maybe I should have only added them just before sparge..........

[greenxpaddy]

First temp target hit very early. The brewzor calc was way off. Good job I didn't throw it all in. Had a load of decoction that I frantically needed to cool before putting back into the mash

[greenxpaddy]

Second target I was too cautious because of the first. and once homogenised was a bit short 65C.
Mash ph checked for the first time ever....at 20 mins in and was between 5.4 and 5.8 estimated at 5.6. Not bad

[greenxpaddy]

Boil on at 7.45pm

No, I haven't had a break.

It better be worth the effort.

preboil gravity 1.048

thats ahead of target because slightly stuck mash right at the end lost about 3L plus lost some water in all the boiling and transfering of the decoctions

[barney]

10 outa 10 for effort Paddy. When you mix back the decoction is with grain in or just the sparge liquor?

[greenxpaddy]

Grain and all. Thinking of fermentation temps now, got plenty of headroom might go for 21c

[greenxpaddy]

Some selected pics....

Decoction equipment.

14L stainless steel stock pot, giant chef's whisk and a 2.5L handled saucepan for ladeling the hot mash. Actually for stirring the decoction a stainless steel slotted spoon was more effective



Initial dough in leading to acid rest temp. (A little high)



Decoction boil - before boiling at 72 degrees C 10 min rest



Protein rest hit more or less



Largest decoction boiled for 25 mins.



Main mash ph at 65C



Get some ph testers - very easy to use!

[Lugsy]

What did you think of decoction mashing then? I've done a couple of doubles but never a triple, how long did your brewday go on for? I got really good efficiencies from mine but the real bonus for me is the increased maltiness, lovely

[greenxpaddy]

Ahem....ten hours near enough Lugsy.....

Let's put it this way...it was an experience. Makes you realise what they do in Germany is magnificent craftsmanship. And how the heck did they work out each temperature step?

In future I reckon I would skip the acid rest, dough in straight to protein rest, decoct once and boil it longer, then hit main mash temp, leave 60 mins, top up and sparge out with my normal 85c liquor trying to get to 75c mash out in the process.

The colour of the boiled wort was a light caramel colour, really lovely hue, somewhere between honey and golden syrup. Certainly got the mash efficiency up good OG, and that was even after adding an extra 1 litre into boiler. All that decocting led to a lot of evaporation.

[greenxpaddy]

Popped head in to garage yesterday and the temp sensor had rocketted to 22.4C. YIKES. Really must get that husky mini fridge. Its ok thinking that you don't need refrigeration on the FV cupboard when the garage is at 12C but if the heat loss through the FV cupboard is outweighed by the heat created during the first 48hrs of fermentation you are going to get runaway temperatures. Lucky it was on a Sunday when I was there to take the FV cupboard cover off and get the temp back down to nearer 21C.

Nice smells eminating though

[Zapp Brannigan]

That recipe looks like it will turn out very nice.