Mango Hefeweizen
10 March 2012
Where did this amazing weather come from? Regardless, it’s great brewing weather. To take advantage of this, my girlfriend and I decided to brew at her place, using the turkey frier so that I didn’t have to stink up my apartment. (One man’s stink is another’s cologne…)
This beer is totally Kelsey’s idea. A fruited hefeweizen. I just helped with the recipe, setup, and process. We’re starting with a basic hefe recipe, and adding the fruit during secondary. One thing hefe’s are known for is the phenolic aroma which can vary from fruity, clovey or banana-y. We wanted to reduce the banana flavors (Isoamyl acetate), so I followed the advice of Dank Brewing Co, and chose a yeast that should eliminate most of those phenolic components. We went with Wyeast Belgian Yeast 3944, and fermentation will be kept at 68 or lower, if possible.
My only concern for this beer is regarding the addition of fruit. The inherent sugars in fruit should increase the %ABV, but this may be difficult to calculate. I’ve read you get 0.008-0.010 for every pound of fruit added, so I’ll try and monitor closely. If I keep it under 6%, this may end up being competed in my club’s summer BBQ.
The below recipe is another BIAB. I used extract as well, not realizing I’d have the propane burner which could boil the full volume. I’m still keen on BIAB since it saves the cost of a mash tun. With the propane set up, I can be fully AG.
Grains:
3.0 lb Rahr White Wheat Malt
3.5 lb Rahr Premium Pilsner Malt
3.15 Northern Brewer Wheat LME (@ 15 minutes)
Hops:
0.5 oz German Perle 9.3% alpha @ 60
1.0 oz German Hallertau 4.3% alpha @30
Yeast:
Wyeast Belgian Yeast 3944 – Smack pack, no starter
OG: 1.056
Mash 75 min @ 150 in 2.5 gallons of water
Sparge with 186 F for 30 min with 3.0 gallons of water
60 Minute boil
After cooling, it had a nice hazy blonde color, with some orange hues.
In Kelsey’s words “Smells like wet dog, and tastes like sugar with hops,” that’s wort.
Update – 30 March 2012
Bring on the Mangos!
Since fermentation was decidedly finished (1.012), and I needed the carboy for another brew, it was time to add the mangos. 6 mangos weighed in at slightly over 5.0 lbs before being peeled and sliced. I froze them overnight to break down the cell walls. To ensure pasturization, I set up a double boiler to thaw and then bring to 160 F for 10 minutes.
“You can’t-a have-a de Mango!” – Actually, in a month or so, you can.
This will also release some pectins, leading to a hazy beer, but it’s a hefe, so who cares. The last step was pureeing the mangos in a blender, bringing to room temp, and adding to the secondary fermenter. I racked the beer right on top of the mangos, and within a day, fermentation was active again, with a nice white foam nearly causing a blow off.
14 April 2012
Gravity was 1.010.
I’ve read that you gain about 0.008 for every pound of fruit added. (0.008*5 lb = 0.040). This would add an extra 3-4% ABV for the beer. Without any extra equipment, I can’t be sure, but I’m willing to say this beer is anywhere between 5-9% alcohol. My estimate is 7%.
The beer is hazy, due to the fruit pectins and Belgian yeast. While there is a citrusy/mango nose, the fruit flavor is not all that apparent. Regardless, it seems like a technically accurate hefe.
15 April 2012
Bottling day. Using 2/3 cup of corn sugar with 2 cups H20 mixture, bottling yielded 42 bottles. A few at the end were rather mango filled, so they are labelled MR (Meal replacement).
[UPDATE] 4 May 2012
Mango Hefe!
Last night we cracked open the first sample of the Mango Hefe. Color is spot on, hazy golden orange. Nose is slightly citrus, maybe a bit of clove. No banana. Flavor doesn’t speak much of the mango, but it tastes like a textbook hefe, rich in body, with a nice complexity from the yeast strain.
The lesson learned from this batch, next time I use fruit, put a screen in the bottom of the bottling bucket. There was quite a bit of Mango in each of the bottom of the bottles. Guess it won’t be competing. No bother, more for me!
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