# Hefeweizen question



## SnailAle

So my hefeweizen has been in the fermenter for about 3 weeks. It took two for it to ferment out and clear as I kept it to about 15 degree to stop it blowing out the top. 

It's cleared up now on top but the airlock hasn't moved back to nuetral, I push the air out and a few hours later it'll all be up one side. I can't see or hear any fermentation and the sg is constant but that must mean gases are still being produced Yeah? 

Should I just consider it done or leave it for longer? Just not keen on any glass bottle fireworks!


----------



## Matplat

If SG is constant, and near enough to your expected FG, you're good to go.

Even after fermentation has finished, there will be a fair amount of CO2 in solution that is slowly released, making it seem like it is still fermenting (if you're looking at the airlock).

The airlock is not there to indicate the condition of fermentation, it is there to allow gas out, and prevent bugs entering. Trust your hydrometer to indicate the state of fermentation.


----------



## warra48

Once again, just repeating sound advice, only trust your hydrometer, or your adjusted refractometer, readings to confirm your fermentation is done.
I'd be very very surprised if yours isn't done after about 3 weeks, even at 15ºC.
If it isn't done, you have other problems to identify.


----------



## hoppy2B

Hi SnailAle,

Which strain of yeast did you use for your hefeweizen? I'd be interested to know what sort of flavour you get at 15 degrees. They say to ferment a little warmer than that for increased esters and a balanced flavour, but sometimes more esters are produced at lower temps, so I was wondering how it turned out. I am planning to do a hefeweizen in a couple of days.

Cheers.


----------



## labels

Three weeks is crazy long for this style. I brew a lot of Hefes and quite literally brew one weekend and drink the next. Hefes are better when super fresh and plenty cloudy.
To achieve this, step up your yeast so you have a big pitch (forget all that junk info about under pitching). Ferment around 18C. Fermentation should be all but over within 24 hours. To get a nice balance of phenolics and esters (cloves and bananas) don't oxygenate your starter or your wort, especially the wort.
You can use Wy 3068 or Mangrove Jacks M20, they are just about identical.


----------



## mattyh77

Got a question on this topic too. Are you supposed to cold crash these styles. I did for 3 days and kegged today. Seemed to be really clear. Just hoping I didn't stuff it. Tasted good though, some nice banana and clove flavours coming through.


----------



## labels

mattyh77 said:


> Got a question on this topic too. Are you supposed to cold crash these styles. I did for 3 days and kegged today. Seemed to be really clear. Just hoping I didn't stuff it. Tasted good though, some nice banana and clove flavours coming through.


I do cold crash but from 18C down to 8C only prior to kegging - no colder for this style. I do drink it quite cold though, probably around 3-4C


----------



## mattyh77

labels said:


> I do cold crash but from 18C down to 8C only prior to kegging - no colder for this style. I do drink it quite cold though, probably around 3-4C


I dropped it to 1.5 degrees.


----------



## Dan Pratt

3 weeks......wtf!!

7 days grain to glass, no shit.

mash low at 63c for 60mins. Carbonate high to 3.5volumes.

no protien rest, no whirlfoc, no chilling before keg transfer.

ferment at 21c direct pitch dry yeast into wort, the only beer to do that with cos its a sin. Lol but makes hefe throw those esters


----------



## rossbaker

The OP is bottling and I feel his anxiety re bottle bombs. As others have said, don't worry about your airlock bubbling, just use a gravity reading over three days. I would actually suggest ditching the airlock altogether and using glad wrap as this will remove the tendency to obsese over airlock activity and it also helps you to see what is happening in there. If you are still worried, try pet bottles.


----------



## contrarian

I’ve never had a hefe take more than 3-4 days to ferment our unless there was something wrong with the yeast. Perfect style for a keg filler!

Take a reading and if you’re worried let the temp rise up to about 20 degrees and it will finish off for sure.


----------



## Gregos

Have you guys got a good Hefe recipes?, I'm looking to make my first one ever.


----------



## Matplat

Recipe is simple:

50:50 wheat/pilsner or pale ale malt

OG 1045-50
10-15 IBU with hallertau all at 60 mins.

Yeast treatment as described by @labels above.


----------



## Gregos

Matplat said:


> Recipe is simple:
> 
> 50:50 wheat/pilsner or pale ale malt
> 
> OG 1045-50
> 10-15 IBU with hallertau all at 60 mins.
> 
> Yeast treatment as described by @labels above.


Thanks Matplat I'll give it a go this weekend, what is your preferred yeast?


----------



## SnailAle

Thanks for all the replies bit yeah as has been said my concern was around bottle bombs. 

I initially fermented it higher but it continually blew out the top of the airlock which is why I knocked it back. I'll bottle it on Saturday (in a wedding tomorrow!)

Thanks everyone.


----------



## Matplat

Gregos said:


> Thanks Matplat I'll give it a go this weekend, what is your preferred yeast?



Wyeast 3068, however I currently have a batch going at the moment with WLP300, first time I've used it so I'll have to let you know. However I'm sure someone else would have a comment.

On the advice of @MHB I also added 150g of dextrose, to assist in production of banana esters.


----------



## philistine

In my experience, hef yeast strains are pretty full-on and it's usually best to use a blowoff instead of an airlock - otherwise you end up with shit evrywhere [emoji851]


----------



## Weizguy

Gregos said:


> Have you guys got a good Hefe recipes?, I'm looking to make my first one ever.


Minimum 60% wheat for a true Weizen character. Pad out the rest with Pils (or Pils/Vienna or Pils/Munich). Maybe some light CaraMunich for complexity/sweetness. Maybe some added dextrose if you'd like more banana character in the second batch, but try you first batch without dextrose to see if it may be required.
Schneider-Weisse style recipe here, fwiw.
Weizguy out


----------



## Gloveski

anyone done a hefeweizen under pressure ?


----------



## labels

Yep, my recipe is simple. 55% malted wheat, 45% barley of which most is pils malt but around 5% very light crystal which adds a bit more body which I prefer. Wheat malt makes a thin bodied beer so some crystal compensates. For Yeast I have been using Mangrove Jacks M20 (stepped up) which gives identical results to 3068


----------



## hoppy2B

labels said:


> Yep, my recipe is simple. 55% malted wheat, 45% barley of which most is pils malt but around 5% very light crystal which adds a bit more body which I prefer. Wheat malt makes a thin bodied beer so some crystal compensates. For Yeast I have been using Mangrove Jacks M20 (stepped up) which gives identical results to 3068



Most online brewer having been posting that M20 is a good substitute for Wy3638. Brewers on German forums seem to think Lallemand's 
Munich Classic is the best dry option for a 3068 type profile.


----------



## rude

labels said:


> Yep, my recipe is simple. 55% malted wheat, 45% barley of which most is pils malt but around 5% very light crystal which adds a bit more body which I prefer. Wheat malt makes a thin bodied beer so some crystal compensates. For Yeast I have been using Mangrove Jacks M20 (stepped up) which gives identical results to 3068


Sounds good Labels will have to give the M20 a go if this weather ever heats up
How do you go with youre water profile mate if you dont mind me asking & do you use 2 packets of the M20 for 23 L


----------



## labels

hoppy2B said:


> Most online brewer having been posting that M20 is a good substitute for Wy3638. Brewers on German forums seem to think Lallemand's
> Munich Classic is the best dry option for a 3068 type profile.


Sorry haven't been reading the other forums.
A couple of brews back, I did get caught and done one 50L batch of wheat beer but only had enough yeast for one fermenter. A quick trip down to LHBS and they had no M20 yeast so I direct pitched a pack of Wy 3068 in one fermenter and the M20 in the other.Cut a long story short, at the end of the day there was no differernce in flavour profiles from either fermenter - both identical beers with the same esters and phenolics. As a BJCP judge with reasonable experience, I thought I would pick up a difference but I couldn't pick any at all.


----------



## labels

rude said:


> Sounds good Labels will have to give the M20 a go if this weather ever heats up
> How do you go with youre water profile mate if you dont mind me asking & do you use 2 packets of the M20 for 23 L



Water profile is normal tap water - Adelaide tap water in my case which has been filtered (sediment plus solid carbon block). I don't use two packs of yeast, if you re-read my post I did say I step it up. A 2L starter on a stir plate or equivalent is ideal


----------



## rude

Thanks for feed back & I did miss the step up bit
So do you rehydrate or just sprinkle onto the 2 L stir plate starter
Most people or I might have it wrong rehydrate & pitch direct but not too sure about M20 yeast as 
my experience with dry yeast is Nottingham,US05 ,WB06 & S-O4 in the early days with kits
I've gone down the R/O water route so will have to look up hefeweizen water profiles no probs
From reading youre posts you come across as an experienced brewer so that is the reason for my questions to you
Cheers Rude


----------



## Lyrebird_Cycles

labels said:


> Sorry haven't been reading the other forums.
> A couple of brews back, I did get caught and done one 50L batch of wheat beer but only had enough yeast for one fermenter. A quick trip down to LHBS and they had no M20 yeast so I direct pitched a pack of Wy 3068 in one fermenter and the M20 in the other.Cut a long story short, at the end of the day there was no differernce in flavour profiles from either fermenter - both identical beers with the same esters and phenolics. As a BJCP judge with reasonable experience, I thought I would pick up a difference but I couldn't pick any at all.



I'm pretty sure they are both Weihenstephan W 68 in which case they are genetically identical. More info here. 

It's years since I used it but back when I used to make a couple of million litres a year we fermented it quite warm: 22.5 degrees from memory.


----------



## captain crumpet

About to put down my first hefe. I have a sack of castle Munich wheat 25, will that be good to use or should I be using raw wheat?


----------



## manticle

Hefe wants malted wheat


----------

