Cloudy with a chance of rye
This seemed like a style with a choice to make; I expect the rye and non-rye interpretations of the style could be distinctly different. We chose the rye version. Ours used 3# of wheat malt and 2.5# of rye malt for style characteristics and just under 5# of American two row to fill out the grain bill. Hopping was mild: 1 oz of Willamette at 60 minutes and 0.3 oz each of Willamette and Centennial at flame out. The recipe called for a surprisingly standard mash schedule without a protein rest or any modifications to deal with the large quantities of non-barley malt. A 1.044 OG was under target but acceptable. WLP’s American Hefe (#320) was the yeast of choice.
The color is a nice cloudy yellow and the aroma is very mild. I can smell more grain than spicy or yeasty notes. The flavors don’t quite match the nose. The yeast comes through almost completely as banana; I don’t get any clove spice at all. The rye is definitely present but not in a way that I typically think of it. The word I keep coming back to is rounder in comparison to the sharp, spicy flavor in the typical rye IPA. I think it’s the combination of rye and large amounts of wheat. Hops contribute little to nothing. If I was doing this one again I’d want more classic, citrusy American hops. German wheat beers beat the pants off this in yeast flavors; I’d prefer a differently flavorful American version instead of just a milder version.