Watermelon Weakness – Watermelon Wheat Beer


beer-label-watermelon-weakness-3inchStill inspired by Wailua Wheat from Kona Brewing Company, I decided to make another fruit wheat beer for easy summer drinking in the park or at the beach. This time I used watermelon extract to see if I would even like the combo before trying to get all crazy with using the real fruit. Initially I added 1oz of extract to 5 gallons and it was way overboard for about a week before it mellowed out to just a hint of watermelon on the nose and the aftertaste. It’s exactly what I was going for. Not sure if this one will come around again. We’ll see if anyone else likes it.

An American wheat beer with lots of banana flavor from the yeast, and just a dose of watermelon extract to create a fruity marriage you won’t want to divorce. A lot of guys won’t drink this because it sounds girly. My advice to those guys is to try it in the right setting: no one else watching you on a hot summer day. You’ll be taken back to your childhood when you used to combine the right Runts flavors. Only this time, you’re not a kid, and you can have as much as you want. No one’s watching, remember?

Brew Date: May 12, 2013
Kegged On: May 26, 2013
O.G.: 1.043
F.G.: 1.006
ABV: 4.9%

Recipe Details

Batch Size Boil Time IBU SRM Est. OG Est. FG ABV
5 gal 60 min 11.957367 3.306002 1.052 1.014 5.075848

Fermentables

Name Amount %
German Wheat Malt 6 lbs 57.14
US 2-Row Malt 4 lbs 38.1
US Carapils Malt 8 oz 4.76

Hops

Name Amount Time Use Form Alpha %
US Liberty 0.9 oz 60 min Boil Pellet 3.9

Miscs

Name Amount Time Use Type
Irish Moss 0.07 oz 15 min Boil Other

Yeast

Name Lab Attenuation Temperature
White Labs WLP320-American Hefeweizen Ale 73% 32°F – 32°F

Mash

Step Temperature Time
Rest at 154.4°F 60 min

Fermentation

Step Time Temperature
Aging 0 days 32°F

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