Easter Wheat Beer (Homemade)

Prepare the equipment: mash tun 12–20 l (or two 10 l pots), strainer, large cooking pot (min. 20 l), thermometer accurate to 1°C, kitchen scale, fermenter with airlock, bottling siphon, bottles, and capper. Make sure everything is clean and degreased — wash with hot water and detergent and rinse. Sterilize with a solution immediately before use.

Heat 12 liters of water in a pot to 50°C. Pour the wheat malt and pilsner malt into a large bowl and mix to loosen the grains. Gradually add the malt mixture to the water, stirring with a wooden spoon to avoid lumps. After adding, insert the thermometer into the mixture - the temperature should drop to 64°C. Maintain 64°C for 60 minutes - every 10 minutes, gently stir the mash, checking that the consistency resembles thick soup and there are no dry lumps at the bottom.

After 60 minutes, perform the iodine test: take 1 tablespoon of the mash and a drop of iodine — if the color does not change to dark/blue, the starch is processed. If the test indicates starch, extend the mashing by 10–15 minutes and repeat the test.

After mashing, filter the mash through a strainer or mash tun into another pot, pressing the grains with a spoon to extract as much wort as possible. Rinse the grains with 6–8 liters of water at a temperature of 75–78°C (known as sparging) and collect all the wort; the target should be about 18–20 liters of liquid in the brew kettle.

Bring the wort to a boil over high heat. Once it starts boiling vigorously, set the cooking time to 60 minutes. At the beginning of the cooking (after 60 minutes from boiling), add 20 g of hops — this adds bitterness. 10 minutes before the end of cooking, add the remaining 10 g of hops and, if using, the lemon zest (20 g) and coriander (5 g). Boil vigorously, skimming the protein foam from the surface with a spoon for the first 10 minutes to keep the wort clear.

After 60 minutes of boiling, quickly cool the wort to about 20–25°C. The fastest way to do this is by placing the pot in an ice water bath and stirring, or by using a plate or immersion chiller. The cooling time should be 15–30 minutes. After cooling, filter the wort into the fermenter, leaving the sediment at the bottom of the pot.

Pour the chilled wort into the fermenter, add water to reach 20 liters if necessary, and measure the initial gravity with a hydrometer (it should be around 1.046–1.054 depending on the extract obtained). Aerate the wort by vigorous stirring or pouring through a sanitized spoon to dissolve oxygen — this is important before pitching the yeast.

Activate the yeast: sprinkle the yeast dry into a small amount of lukewarm water (about 30–35°C) or directly into the wort if the manufacturer allows dry pitching. Mix gently. Close the fermenter with an airlock and set it at a temperature of 18–22°C. Active fermentation should start within 12–48 hours — you will see bubbles in the airlock and foam on the surface.

After 5–7 days, the vigorous fermentation will weaken. Check the density with a hydrometer; when the value is stable for 2 days and is at the expected FG (around 1.010–1.014), you can transfer the beer to a clean fermenter (racking with clarification) or prepare it for bottling after a total of 10–14 days. Racking helps achieve a clearer beer.

Dissolve 140 g of sugar in 400 ml of boiling water and let it cool to 20–30°C — this is the syrup for bottle conditioning. Pour it evenly into the fermenter with the beer (gently mix carefully, but not too vigorously, to avoid introducing oxygen). Fill the bottles with a siphon to about 2–3 cm below the neck and cap them. Leave the bottles at a temperature of 18–22°C for 10–14 days to achieve the proper CO2 saturation.

After 10–14 days of bottling, move the bottles to a cooler place (10–12°C) for another 1–2 weeks to improve clarity and flavor. Chill to 6–8°C before serving in mugs. When pouring, hold the bottle slightly tilted and leave the sediment at the bottom.