Raspberry Wheat NHC 2004

Ted Grudzinski

American Wheat with Raspberries

for 5 U.S. gal (19 L)

Ingredients

            5.0       lb (2.27 kg) Schrier two row pale malt

            5.0       lb (2.27 kg) Weyermann wheat malt

            1.5       lb (0.68 kg) Briess Vienna malt

            5.0       lb (2.27 kg) fresh frozen raspberries, in secondary

            1.0       oz (28 g) Fuggle hops, 4.8% alpha acid (60 min)

            0.5       oz (14 g) Cascade hops, 7% alpha acid, (30 min)

            0.5       oz (14 g) Cascade hops, 7% alpha acid, (0 min)

                        White Labs WLP 011 European ale yeast

            5.0       oz (142 g) corn sugar to prime

                        Irish moss to clarify

Specifics

            •          Original specific gravity: 1.051

            •          Final specific gravity: 1.012

            •          Boiling time: 60 minutes

            •          Primary fermentation: 7 days at 68° F (20° C) in glass

            •          Secondary fermentation: 10 days at 68° F (20° C) in glass

            •          Tertiary fermentation: 14 days at 68° F (20° C) in glass

Directions

Mash grains at 152 F (67 C) for 60 minutes. Rack fermented beer onto raspberries in secondary. Note: This beer was made for Ted’s wife, to be served at her work’s Christmas party. Shortly after, she went on the Atkins diet and never tried it at the party, so Ted had enough left over to enter in the NHC. She has since sampled the gold medal winner for Category 21.

Judges’ Comments

“Very good beer. Raspberries would go better with a Bohemian Pils rather than North German Lager, which this matches.”

“A good, drinkable beer. I would like to have more malt and more raspberries show up. Not much wheat is perceptible. More malt sweetness would accentuate the raspberries better.”