4th of July Brew Day

Since we moved into the house, I have not found the time to brew. A few weeks ago Darcy said she'd really like some Hefeweizen ready after the baby comes. After a little procrastinating, I finally ordered all of the supplies I needed from my favorite homebrew supply shop Brewmasters Warehouse. The ingredients then sat around for another few weeks. I had July 4th off, so Darcy suggested we use the day to brew. 

I got home from work on the 3rd, and set out to pull the equipment that has been sitting for over a year from the shed and get it cleaned up. It was a fairly daunting task, but after about an hour of scrubbing everything down in the back yard, and 20 dead spiders later, I had everything ready. I also had a lot of help from the faithful brew dog. 

The Beer

The beer I'm brewing today is a Hefeweizen. Also known as Weizen or Weissbier. This is a German style wheat beer fermented with a specific strain of yeast that gives off bananna and clove flavors. Weizens are pale beers that are perfect for the summer heat. You can read more about this great style at the BJCP website, or the article I wrote for Dine and Cook. 

My recipe changes a bit every time. Here is what I brewed today. 

for 5.5 gallons (targeting 5 gallons final volume)

7lbs Weyermann Wheat Malt

4lbs Weyermann Pilsner malt

1 oz Hallertauer (3.8AA%) boil for 60 min

1 package Wyeast 3068 (no starter)

Brew Day

We woke up early in the morning to get everything ready. Brewing is actually very easy, especially if you have a system in place. The night before, I make all of my calculations on how much water I will need for each step. I measured and started heating the mash infusion water on the stove. We then ran the grains through a malt mill to crack them open properly for a good mash. 

My mill is a Barley Crusher, which I attach to a low speed cord drill. 

After we mill the malt and the mash water is heated, it is time to start the mash. Mashing is the process in which hot water is added to cracked malted grains. The hot water activates natural enzymes in the malted grain that will turn starch into sugar. 

My method is a single infusion mash with a pseudo decoction. I infuse the mash to 145°F for 30 minutes. I then decoct a portion of the mash, boil it, then return it to bring the tempeature of the next rest to 155°F for 45 minutes. Decoction mashing is a traditional German method in which parts of the mash are removed from the main mash, and boiled. Those boiled portions are then added back to the main mash to raise the temperature. Before the days of thermometers, this was a great way to ensure the mash went through all the proper temperature stages in order to fully convert all of the starch into sugar. I like to use a single decoction on this beer because removing and boiling part of the mash lends a depth of flavor. 

Here I am checking the mash temperature

Brew dog is already tired out. 

Next, I drain the mash tun, then send more water through the mash to rinse all of the sugars from the grains. It all goes into a large kettle (minus the grains of course) and boils for 90 minutes. After 30 minutes of boiling, I add in the hops. I like to use a cheesecloth sack for my hops because it makes the final transfer to the fermenter much easier. 

The final steps are to chill the wort (fancy term for the boiled sugar water) to 60°F as fast as possible. I rigged up a subermsible pump in an ice bath that recirculates water through coiled copper pipes to do this. The setup looks confusing, but it works. 

After chilling, Darcy helped me transfer the wort to a glass carboy. I then added oxygen to the wort to help the yeast develop. I then pitched the yeast, put in an air lock, and put it in a cool dark place.

Brew dog is taking a well deserved nap

After cleaning up, we joined some neighbors in the cul de sac for a cookout and fireworks. Happy 4th!