Hefe Weizen

[browndog]

Thanks! But I don't think there's anywhere in my city (Gold Coast) that sells any of these beers :angry:

Nick,
I can't say I know the Gold Coast well at all, but on a recent day trip with the family I walked past a German Club/Restaurant near Cavill Ave. It was about 50m up a street on the western side of the Gold Coast HWY a block or two north of Cavill Ave. I so wanted to drop in and try a few beers but had to walk straight past.

cheers

Browndog

 

[Zwickel]

So what do people think of the 30C rule I heard about once. Pitch at 12C then let it rise to 18C for the duration of ferment (12+18=30). Or 11C and 19C. I think I heard about it on the Jamill Hefe show.

there is no rule for all yeast strains. Each yeast strain has its own behavior. There are yeast strains, especially for Weizen, they stop activity immediately at temps below 19C.
So you could forget about pitching at low temp.

If youre going to buy a yeast strain, you should follow the recommendations of the producer.


:icon_cheers:

 

[hughyg]

My hefe is fermenting fine at 18 as I post this. Made a 3 litre starter, started in a few hours and is attenuating nicely. I might let it heat up towards the end of ferment though.

 

[Zwickel]

My hefe is fermenting fine at 18 as I post this. Made a 3 litre starter started is a few hours and is attenuating nicely. I might let it heat up towards the end of ferment though.

yeah and my hefe is fermenting well at around 6 to 8C, but the beer that comes out is not a Weizen then.

What I wanna say is: your goal is not only to get the wort fermented, you also want to give your beer a certain profile. In case youd like to produce a nice Hefeweizen, youd need a certain yeast strain that ferments at a certain temp, otherweise your beer will not become a Hefeweizen.
Especially in Weizens should be a composition of ester and aromes that gives the beer its unique flavour.

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

yeah and my hefe is fermenting well at around 6 to 8C, but the beer that comes out is not a Weizen then.

What I wanna say is: your goal is not only to get the wort fermented, you also want to give your beer a certain profile. In case youd like to produce a nice Hefeweizen, youd need a certain yeast strain that ferments at a certain temp, otherweise your beer will not become a Hefeweizen.
Especially in Weizens should be a composition of ester and aromes that gives the beer its unique flavour.

I do my hefe at the lower than recommended temps and find them very nice.Even at the lower recommend end temps they crawl out of the fermenter.Zwickel is right you dont want to go for the higher temps, you will still get the weizen profile that you want.
GB

 

[hughyg]

so should i be fermenting a bit warmer than 18-19C. I was just going on the advice from the Jamil show on fermenting hefes

 

[Zwickel]

I do my hefe at the lower than recommended temps and find them very nice.Even at the lower recommend end temps they crawl out of the fermenter.Zwickel is right you dont want to go for the higher temps, you will still get the weizen profile that you want.
GB

Nev, as you wrote: "they crawl out of the fermenter", that means you have pitched a sufficient amount of yeast and that will certainly rise the temp inside the fermenter.
Other hand, if you are satisfied with the beer, dont go changing anything. Youve luckily found a yeast strain that behaves as you like, but you cant be sure all yeast strains behave the same way.

:icon_cheers:

 

[rude]

accordingly to the manufacturer 18 - 24c so Ive just brewed mine at the lower end

 

[rude]

By the way zwickle is that baby in the womb sucking on a Hefe Weizen

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

so should i be fermenting a bit warmer than 18-19C. I was just going on the advice from the Jamil show on fermenting hefes

The yeast that I use (w3638) typically will work at much lower than recommend temps.You will find that you dont get a lot of 4vg (clove) at these temps, which I find can spoil a nice weizen if fermented at the higher temps.Once the yeast kicks in drop the temp quickly as it gets going really fast and produces a lot of exothermic heat.
GB

 

[hughyg]

damn I always though clove was cooler and banana was warmer. oh well i'll se how it turns out

 

[HoppingMad]

damn I always though clove was cooler and banana was warmer. oh well i'll se how it turns out

I thought the same? Higher temps for more banana? With the Wyeast 3068 the beers I've tried that were brewed at 24 degrees seem way more bananaery than mine that was brewed at 20-22? Like a banana smoothie. Had heard to back it off that 19 degrees is better if you're wanting a more neutral flavour that's not as big? Haven't tried myself though.

Hopper.

 

[Nick JD]

Nick,
I can't say I know the Gold Coast well at all, but on a recent day trip with the family I walked past a German Club/Restaurant near Cavill Ave. It was about 50m up a street on the western side of the Gold Coast HWY a block or two north of Cavill Ave. I so wanted to drop in and try a few beers but had to walk straight past.

cheers

Browndog

Thanks, will check it out. Never thought about restaurants...

EDIT: they have Schneider! But can I convince them to sell me one unopened???

 

[browndog]

Thanks, will check it out. Never thought about restaurants...

EDIT: they have Schneider! But can I convince them to sell me one unopened???

Good luck!

 

[mintsauce]

Thanks, will check it out. Never thought about restaurants...

EDIT: they have Schneider! But can I convince them to sell me one unopened???

I can imagine you sitting there, decanting the beer off (Yelling - "Don't Shake it too much" at the bar staff) then pulling out your spray bottle of Starsan and proceeding to sanitize a container while you're drinking the beer just so you can carry away the yeast

 

[Nick JD]

I can imagine you sitting there, decanting the beer off (Yelling - "Don't Shake it too much" at the bar staff) then pulling out your spray bottle of Starsan and proceeding to sanitize a container while you're drinking the beer just so you can carry away the yeast

:lol:

I might just skulk around the back rifling through their bottle bins .... Mmmmm, sanitary.

 

[driveitlikeustoleit]

According to Jamil (Brewing classic Styles) 17 degrees is the shiznit for banana flavour.
Check the section on German wheat beers

The man knows his shit.

In fact i'm enjoying a pint right now :icon_cheers:

 

[hughman666]

accordingly to the manufacturer 18 - 24c so Ive just brewed mine at the lower end

yep youll get more cloves at the lower end, bananas at the upper end.

either way i dont rack this beer, just straight from primary into the keg/bottle. if bottling though, keep it for 2-3 weeks before consuming but finish it within 6 weeks or it will start to lose its fresh "hefe hit"!

its such an easy style to make with such great reward.... :icon_cheers:

 

[warra48]

Bottled my latest hefeweizen this morning.
Here's a picture of the fermenter in the fridge, along with the blowoff bottle. Fermented at 17.5C.
The kraeusen climbed all the way to the top of the fermenter and out through the blowoff tube.
The yeast in the blowoff tube looks to be enough to pitch on its own in a new batch, but as I can't be sure of the sanitary state of the blowoff bottle, I disposed of it.
I did harvest yeast from the slurry for pitching into a dunkelweizen brewed this afternoon, and which is chilling down to pitching temperature at present.

 

[rude]

Bottled my Hefe today 1013-1012 tasted good went for 2.7 parts co2 carb level

It fermented for 12 days, krausen went, could have bottled earlier but too busy.

Xmas wheat you bloody beauty hop it pours with a nice lasting fluffy head.