Long Fermentation For Wheat?

[Belgrave Brewer]

I am new to home brewing and am currently fermenting my second brew. I decided to do a Wheat Beer as it is one of my favourites. It has been fermenting for 15 days now and looks like it may need a few more days. I used the ESB Bavarian Wheat kit (with Wheat/Ale Yeast k-97 4266 11.5g included in kit) and 500 grams of Light Liquid Malt Extract and no dextrose. OG 1049, yesterday and todays gravity reading is 1010, and I'm still getting bubbles through the airlock. The yeast was pitched at 25 degrees and the temperature has been between 20 and 22 throughout the fermentation process. The beer looks, smells and tastes fantastic, so I don't think anything has gone wrong. Is 15-17 days for the fermentation process normal under these conditions? It took a day for the yeast to grab hold, which I am assuming may be the case when not using dextrose, and the pace of air escaping from the airlock has been much slower than my first brew. My first brew was the Coopers Sparkling Ale kit and 1kg of Dextrose as I wanted a simple to follow recipe the first time around. The fermentation process was 11 days to get the gravity from 1041 to 1006. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

[razz]

G'day BB. If you are getting constant hyro samples then it will be finished, I'd say by the gravity you gave that it has. Also the samples will start to clear when the beer is finished. Don't go by the airlock activity, just stick to the hydro readings.

 

[Belgrave Brewer]

Thanks Razz!!! I'll bottle today. :super:

 

[Foz]

Yeah just bottle that batch! I've got a chronic Ginger Beer that's been fermenting for 6 days (OG 1060 FG 1006) but am outta bottles to put it all in! Wish i could be bottling today!

 

[BruceL]

Do wheat beers normally ferment slower?

I am currently doing my first wheat beer and it is seems to be taking longer than my non-wheat brews Ive made using the same yeast.

Bruce

 

[Stuster]

I've always found wheat beer ferments to be quite quick. It really depends on other factors I think. What yeast are you using? What temperature are you fermenting at? I'm finding that fermentation is sloooowing down at this time of year as the yeast are working at the bottom of their range and so take that bit longer to be done. I'm in no rush though.

 

[Kai]

The yeast you are using is important. A true wheat yeast, like 3068, ferments quite rapidly and can deliver you grain to brain in less than a fortnight even if you bottle.

 

[Mr Bond]

And as per This Thread,not all us of think that k97 is a wheat yeast.
Invest in a wyeast weizen strain for that authentic wheat flava.You will taste the difference :excl:

 

[AndrewQLD]

I agree with Kai and Stuster, all of my wheats have fermented very quickly usually within 5 days. If your using the same yeast as you do for your normal brews then you are missing out on the true wheat beer flavours and aromas. get a wheat strain from Whitelabes or Wyeast and you will be amazed at the difference in flavour.

Cheers
Andrew

 

[Belgrave Brewer]

Thanks to everyone for your help and feedback. I'll try Wyeast the next time I do a Wheat Beer.

I was a little nervous about bottling with an FG of 1010, but it has been almost a week and no bottles have burst. So, I think all will be fine. It had not cleared up when I bottled but I was not expecting it to be very clear as it is a Wheat Beer after all.

It tasted great before bottling and am looking forward to cracking the first one.

Cheers,

Belgrave Brewer :beer: