Summer Lovin' American Wheat

Brewed: 6/9/2024 Kegged: 6/19/2024


National home-brew day was coming up, and I asked the Beer Model if she would like to brew a beer that day.  She said "yes".  I gave her some choices on what to brew and eventually, she decided on a beer like New Belgium Brewery's Sunshine Wheat.

Sunshine wheat is a light, crisp, easy drinking, refreshing American Wheat beer with a nice citrusy orange and coriander flavor and just a bit of a honey malt coming through.

The Beer Model decided she would like to call her beer "Summer Lovin'".  That is better than any of the names I had come up with, so that is the name we went with.

I created the recipe for her using most of the ingredients from the New Belgium web-site, although I did take some liberties.  Instead of carapils, I used some honey malt, which has worked real well for me in the past.  I also used East Kent Goldings instead of Target hops, which really should not make a huge difference, especially since they only provide the bitterness.  Just as with Sunshine Wheat, I will use coriander and orange zest for flavoring.  Summer Loving Wheat may be a bit higher in alcohol than Sunshine, but not much.

This was SheppyBrew's first all-grain wheat batch.

sl_wheat.jpg

The second batch was pretty much the same as the first one except I adjusted it to be slightly larger and made in the mash tun instead of BIAB. I also used Chinook hops and threw them in as a first wort hop rather than a traditional 60 minute addition.

Batch 3 was the same, except I got rid of the double infusion and adjusted the hops to match what I had in stock.

Batch 5 was the first done in my Anvil Foundry.

Batch 7 was a Big Brew Day brew at my friend Doc's house.

Batch 8 was my 2024 "June Seasonal" and back in the Foundry.

If you would like to read on the blog about brew day or other Summer Lovin' related content, follow this link.

Summer Lovin' Wheat --- Batch 9

Style American Wheat Beer Batch Size 5.50 gal
Type All Grain Boil Size   6.48 gal
Brewhouse Efficiency   65.00   Boil Time   40 minutes

Recipe Characteristics

Recipe Gravity 1.050 SG Estimated FG 1.009 SG
Recipe Bitterness 22.2 IBUs (Rager) Alcohol by Volume 5.5 %
BU : GU   0.440        
Recipe Color 5.2 SRM
Color
   
Measured OG:       Measured FG:    
ADF:       Measured ABV:    

Ingredients

Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU Volume
7.79 gal Denver, Colorado Water 1 - -
4.00 g Calcium Chloride (Mash) Water Agent 2 - -
2.00 tsp Lactic Acid (Mash) Water Agent 3 - -
5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 4 45.5 % 0.39 gal
5 lbs White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 5 45.5 % 0.39 gal
8.0 oz Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 6 4.5 % 0.04 gal
0.500 oz Magnum [12.50 %] - Boil 45.0 min Hop 7 22.2 IBUs -
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 8 - -
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 9 - -
8.0 oz Honey [Primary] Honey 10 4.5 % 0.04 gal
1.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 11 - -
2.00 oz Orange Zest (Primary 5.0 days) Flavor 12 - -
0.50 oz Coriander Seed (Primary 7.0 days) Spice 13 - -

Mash Profile

Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Saccharification Add 31.01 qt of water at 156.1 F 150.0 F 45 min
Heat Heat to 156.0 F over 10 min 156.0 F 20 min


If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort

Recipe Notes
Water profile:
Ca=68,Mg=8,Na=21,SO4=51,Cl=89,HCO3=104
Lactic acid addition brings estimated pH from 5.8 to 5.3
Boil wort adding hops and yeast nutrient as specified. Add honey after the boil.
Cool to as close to 60 degrees as possible to pitch.
Ferment under 65 for a couple of days, then let heat up to about 70.
Add orange zest a couple days into fermentation.
Total fermenation time 2 weeks.
Keg and force carbonate. Drink when ready

Brewing Record

Brew Date:   Strike Temp:  
Mash Temps:  
Pre-boil OG   (1.044 SG)   Pre-boil Vol   (6.48 gal)
Actual Mash Efficiency   Pitch Temp    
Fermentation            
Day 1: 
Day ... 
Day ... 

Click here to see previous recipes

Brewing Notes
4/24/2025 The wife (aka the SheppyBrew Beer Model) says she would like to "help" brew this. So, I guess we'll brew it.