• Welcome to the new forum! We upgraded our forum software with a host of new boards, capabilities and features. It is also more secure.
    Jump in and join the conversation! You can learn more about the upgrade and new features here.

Grapefruit Wheat, aka Gwapefreat

cmbrougham

Grandmaster Brewer
Joined
Sep 30, 2003
Messages
348
Reaction score
0
Location
Northern Michigan
I'm not a big fruited beer fan, but I had a grapefruit IPA (actually made with grapefruits, not just grapefruity hops) and I thought it was very good. I love grapefruit, and so I'm trying my hand at a grapefruit-infused wheat beer.

Recipe: Gwapefreat
Style: American Wheat or Rye Beer
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.08 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.08 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.25 gal 
Bottling Volume: 5.25 gal
Estimated OG: 1.055 SG
Estimated Color: 5.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 25.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 89.1 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                  Name                                    Type          #        %/IBU       
5 lbs                Pale Malt (2 Row) US (1.8 SRM)          Grain        1        51.3 %       
3 lbs                Wheat - White Malt (Briess) (2.3 SRM)    Grain        2        30.8 %       
12.0 oz              Caramel Vienne 20L (Briess) (20.0 SRM)  Grain        3        7.7 %       
12.0 oz              Munich 10L (Briess) (10.0 SRM)          Grain        4        7.7 %       
4.0 oz                Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM)                  Grain        5        2.6 %       
0.50 oz              Columbus (Tomahawk) [15.50 %] - Boil 15. Hop          6        12.9 IBUs   
0.25 oz              Columbus (Tomahawk) [15.50 %] - Boil 10. Hop          7        4.7 IBUs     
0.25 oz              Columbus (Tomahawk) [15.50 %] - Boil 5.0 Hop          8        2.6 IBUs     
16.00 oz              Grapefruit (Boil 5.0 mins)              Other        9        -           
1.00 oz              Cascade [5.50 %] - Steep/Whirlpool  20.0 Hop          10      5.1 IBUs     
1.00 oz              Grapefruit Peel (Boil 0.0 mins)          Spice        11      -           
1.0 pkg              SafAle American  (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)  Yeast        12      -           
1.00 oz              Cascade [5.50 %] - Dry Hop 4.0 Days      Hop          13      0.0 IBUs     


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Light Body
Total Grain Weight: 9 lbs 12.0 oz
----------------------------
Name              Description                            Step Temperat Step Time   
Mash In          Add 12.19 qt of water at 169.1 F        148.0 F      75 min       
Mash Out          Add 7.80 qt of water at 206.4 F        168.0 F      10 min       

Sparge: Fly sparge with 3.36 gal water at 168.0 F


If the grapefruit character isn't quite enough, I'll dry hop with a little extra grapefruit peel to kick up the aroma. I'm using ruby red grapefruits, and I'm hopefully that a bit of the color makes it into the beer, and I want it to remain a bit hazy--in other words, to look like grapefruit juice.

Mmmmmm... is this what they meant by "grapefruit diet?"

 
I just got results for a grapefruit mead.  The judge comment was 'surely this didn't come out the way you expected".  I assume he didn't enjoy the blend!

There is a small brewer started up locally.  He's done pretty well with his grapefruit IPA.  Its really good!

https://www.facebook.com/orchidislandbrewing
 
I made a dry stout once that I soured a little bit with lactic acid just before bottling.  I did it to taste and I liked it.  Two of the judges liked it enough to score it around 30.  The other judge scored it at 18 and said "I wouldn't drink this" and "sour" wasn't "too style" for a dry stout.  Sour actually "IS" too style for a dry stout!

The "I wouldnt drink this" comment was tactlessly poor communication on his part.  The "Sour isn't too style" was poor knowledge of the style on his part. 

Is the beer great?  No, because "I wouldn't make this beer again"! anyhow.  But, I expect competency, not tactless incompetency.
 
I can easily get citrus here before its irradiated, etc.  It makes a fresh difference with meads since I'm using the juice.  I see you are using the peel, so not sure if there is much difference there.  But if you need some send me a pm and I'll hook you up.
 
Pretty successful brew session, I must say--feel like I'm finally dialing in my system, which laid dormant for many years, to the point that I forgot about its "particulars." In any event, the finished wort tasted like Squirt! If you're familiar with that flavor, then I'd consider this grapefruit infusion a success. I'm hoping that character remains in the finished beer. I think I will want a touch more grapefruit aroma, so I will definitely be dry hopping with either Cascade or Amarillo, and possible some more grapefruit zest. I'll make that determination at racking time.

I think this would be a delicious summer beer, with the unfortunate fact that grapefruit will be out of season then, and I think this is one that will be best drunk young. I'm going to think about freezing some whole grapefruits (or maybe process them as I did for the wort first). I already have planned a blackened version of this, using cold-extracted roasted malts, that I'm calling "Gwapefreak."

Ain't homebrewing a blast?  8)
 
Back
Top