I have the following ingredients for a Maple Wheat beer. I was wondering which and how many grains I should add. Or just leave as is? Ingredients: 6 lbs malt/wheat extract 1 qt. VT grade A maple syrup .5 oz Nothern Brewers hops 60m = 9.8 IBU 1oz H'Taur hops 40m = 4.0 IBU Wyeast 1056 chico, SN, Amer ale yeast
Look clean with a nice head. Feel smooth with a dryness on the end. And taste like maple bacon cheerios!
I think you'll be fine, man. I don't have a ton of experience with wheat extract, but it seems like it would be just fine in these amounts. I'd start with this one and if you feel it's missing something adjust you're recipe when you know how it turns out. It would also depend on when you plan to add your syrup. I assume in the last 10 minutes or so?
Well, it's not going to taste like maple bacon cheerios, but if what you want is a light colored, light bodied beer with a dry finish then you don't need, and in fact shouldn't add any grains.
Just saying if he plans to add it at the beginning of the boil a good bit will just boil off and it'll turn out different than if he added it at the end.
Maple syrup doesn't boil off, it's made by boiling the crap out of maple sap for hours, it doesn't contain volatile flavor/aroma compound that boil off the way hops or honey do.
Huh, ain't that some shit, I figured it would. Since it's all sugary goodness, does it lend itself to scorching in that case or so long as its not cold (thus easy to mix) when added its no problem?
I just thought the recipe seemed "off" without any malts. I've only brewed once so my knowledge is razor thin. I appreciate the knowledge and advice.
IMO maple syrup won't give you much maple flavor as the flavor compounds minus the sugar lend a sort of thin wine-like flavor to beers I've tried it in. If you want maple flavor you can google fenugreek seeds. Where are you planning on getting the bacon flavor from?
I'd agree with Randal that you should save your maple syrup for pancakes. You can do what you like with it. Ultimately the syrup will probably dry the beer out. With an extract beer this might give you the dry finish youare looking for, and it might do something funky to your beer. It's been a minutes since I played with malt extract. You should double check your IBUs and see if you get around 20 to 25. I wouldn't go much higher if you use the maple syrup.
I have made one wheat beer with only wheat extract and elderberries and it came out quite good. The wheat extract had plenty of body and I was happy with the beer without using specialty grains. Yours will likely be lighter and drier though due to the extra sugars from the syrup.
