Tips for improving a wheat beer

[Weizguy]

*crosses everything off of the 'to brew' list. Adds hefeweizen.*

That's a Boss move. Everyone take note of this turning point.

Weizenbier is the pinnacle of ale brewing, if done right, IMHO.

 

[thisispants]

So is cold crashing a hefeweizen a thing?

I usually do it with my IPA's and pale ales.

 

[Weizguy]

There is a recommended lagering/settling period, but I don't generally do it.
It probably helps with longer storage, in a commercial beer, where they then re-seed with lager yeast into the keg to maintain cloudiness.

Important weizen point: Any cloudiness should be due to yeast turbidity, and not starch/ wheat haze, so always remember to use brew-brite, koppafloc or whirfloc in the boil.

 

[Dan Pratt]

The best part of a hefe is grain to glass within 7days, pouring wonderful aromatic and pleasant mouthfeeling beer!

Ferments fast and is fresh from the keg!!

 

[Coodgee]

The best part of a hefe is grain to brain within 7days, pouring wonderful aromatic and pleasant mouthfeeling beer!

Ferments fast and is fresh from the keg!!

Fixed

 

[kaiserben]

Seeking some thoughts from weizen aficionados here;

More than a decade ago I used to brew nothing but K & K weizens. Did nearly 100 batches of it. Loved them. Took a long break from brewing and have come back and now doing all grain. But I've lost that love for weizens and haven't bothered to make one. Maybe I just got sick of them, but what are the chances it's because the commercial weizens we get here aren't fresh and don't taste like they should? (ie. so all I've had is stale weizens for the past 10 years and that's put me off them)

 

[Matplat]

The best part of a hefe is grain to glass within 7days, pouring wonderful aromatic and pleasant mouthfeeling beer!

Ferments fast and is fresh from the keg!!

Really that quick??? I pitched yeast last night into my weizen and was expecting at least 3 weeks, I knew the condition fast but i didn't think they fermented especially fast.....

While I'm at it, I used munich yeast and when I opened the pack it smelt somewhat bready/cheesy in a yeasty kind of way. Is that normal? the pack was still sealed firm and hard so I assumed all was good...

 

[yankinoz]

Seeking some thoughts from weizen aficionados here;

More than a decade ago I used to brew nothing but K & K weizens. Did nearly 100 batches of it. Loved them. Took a long break from brewing and have come back and now doing all grain. But I've lost that love for weizens and haven't bothered to make one. Maybe I just got sick of them, but what are the chances it's because the commercial weizens we get here aren't fresh and don't taste like they should? (ie. so all I've had is stale weizens for the past 10 years and that's put me off them)

How do they taste now?

Hefeweizens tend to lose the banana and bubble gum flavours on storage, keaving the clove intact and more noticeable. Some imports like Paulaner can be great, but left on the shelf long even the great ones end up tasting like chai. My own hefes have declined fast. Maybe you drank them up fast back in the day.

 

[danestead]

Really that quick??? I pitched yeast last night into my weizen and was expecting at least 3 weeks, I knew the condition fast but i didn't think they fermented especially fast.....

While I'm at it, I used munich yeast and when I opened the pack it smelt somewhat bready/cheesy in a yeasty kind of way. Is that normal? the pack was still sealed firm and hard so I assumed all was good...

Munich yeast? Is that a wheat or lager yeast?

The weinstephaner yeast ferments super quick, make sure you have a blow off tube!

 

[Matplat]

It is the Danstar dried wheat yeast. I am rolling the dice and going without a blow off tube, although I do have about 7-8L of headspace.

On the commercial front, I have had bottles of Schofferhofer from Dan murphys which have been deliciously bananaful....

 

[Jack of all biers]

It is the Danstar dried wheat yeast. I am rolling the dice and going without a blow off tube, although I do have about 7-8L of headspace.

On the commercial front, I have had bottles of Schofferhofer from Dan murphys which have been deliciously bananaful....

When I leave only 5L headspace, I always get airlock mess and sometimes 7-8L headspace will still make it out of the 30L fermenters. Blow off tube can't hurt if you're worried about a little leakage.

I think the most off putting thing about the commercial Hefeweizens is the price. At $6-$6.50 per 500ml bottle, no wonder Kaiserben went off them after buying them for 10 years at those prices . Seriously though, Hefeweizen should be drunk at its freshest, so more than 3 months is starting to get stale. Given it is really the simplest and quickest brew to make and always turns out right if you use the right yeast and stick to a recipe similar to the OP then all will be good.

All the advice provided re type of yeast and temps are good. I have also heard that by adding the yeast at lower quantities (ie as was suggested straight from the packet without a yeast starter) it adds more of the pronouned banna flavours that weizen lovers love. I wouldn't know as I have never made a yeast starter for a weizen so can't compare.

So is cold crashing a hefeweizen a thing?

I usually do it with my IPA's and pale ales.

Not necessary or recommended for a Hefeweizen. You don't want too much of the yeast to settle out, but you could give it a try on one batch to see what the difference would be. A Krystalweizen (ie clear/filtered weizen) couldn't hurt from a cold crash though I always tend to leave my Hefeweizen in the primary for 7-10 days for a mini-conditioning period before bulk priming straight from the primary. I always find this leaves enough yeast in the bottles for the Hefe effect (the same amount of yeast in the commercial bottles).

Edit - I almost forgot. You will need to up the carbonation in the beer compared to most. The Weizen carbonation range sits somewhat high being 6.5-8.8 g/L of CO2 (3.3-4.2 CO2 volume), though Wyeast state in their info that 2.7-3.2 CO2 volume (5.3-6.4 g/L CO2) is ideal. I bottle and find that adding 7 gm/L of dextrose produces good carbonation levels for the style.

 

[Mr. No-Tip]

Really that quick??? I pitched yeast last night into my weizen and was expecting at least 3 weeks, I knew the condition fast but i didn't think they fermented especially fast.....

While I'm at it, I used munich yeast and when I opened the pack it smelt somewhat bready/cheesy in a yeasty kind of way. Is that normal? the pack was still sealed firm and hard so I assumed all was good...

Don't judge your hef on that Munich yeast. I've found it really doesn't give a great hef character. Or maybe it just doesn't at the temps that other ones do. I posted a ind experiment on here (hefe three way) a while back that talks about the differences. I recommend liquids, but if you need to use dry, try WB06.

 

[rude]

Dunkelweizen :icon_drool2:

 

[Matplat]

Well this is what the FV looked like this morning.... top cropped the hell out of it and put the airlock back on! Smells of malty bananery deliciousness, can't freakin wait!

Dunno if I said this before but my grist was identical to the OP, although my hallertau only came in a 3%AA so I've only hit 10IBU. Mashed at 67 with 78 mashout, pitched and fermenting at 20-22ish

 

[Weizguy]

So is cold crashing a hefeweizen a thing?

Not necessary or recommended for a Hefeweizen. You don't want too much of the yeast to settle out, but you could give it a try on one batch to see what the difference would be. A Krystalweizen (ie clear/filtered weizen) couldn't hurt from a cold crash though I always tend to leave my Hefeweizen in the primary for 7-10 days for a mini-conditioning period before bulk priming straight from the primary. I always find this leaves enough yeast in the bottles for the Hefe effect (the same amount of yeast in the commercial bottles).

Edit - I almost forgot. You will need to up the carbonation in the beer compared to most. The Weizen carbonation range sits somewhat high being 6.5-8.8 g/L of CO2 (3.3-4.2 CO2 volume), though Wyeast state in their info that 2.7-3.2 CO2 volume (5.3-6.4 g/L CO2) is ideal. I bottle and find that adding 7 gm/L of dextrose produces good carbonation levels for the style.

Warner in his definitive book on the style, states that there should be a cold settling period after fermentation to allow the beer to clear. See below.

There is a recommended lagering/settling period, but I don't generally do it.
It probably helps with longer storage, in a commercial beer, where they then re-seed with lager yeast into the keg to maintain cloudiness.

Important weizen point: Any cloudiness should be due to yeast turbidity, and not starch/ wheat haze, so always remember to use brew-brite, koppafloc or whirfloc in the boil.

 

[Coodgee]

I'm doing a hefe and a dunkel this weekend. Picked up quite a few tips from this thread so thanks guys

for the Hefe - 47% wheat, 48% pils, 5% melanoiden.

for the Dunkel - 60% wheat, 30% munich, 5% caramunich III, 4% melanoiden, 70 grams carafa special II.

both to 10 IBU with hallertau Hersbrucker

3068 @ 17 degrees, pitched at proper pitching rate.

 

[Weizguy]

Sorry to rain upon your parade, but a hefeweizen should be a minimum of 50% wheat to be considered a (legal)German hefe.
Americans have no such strictures.

Good luck with your brews. I'm salivating here.

 

[Coodgee]

Sorry to rain upon your parade, but a hefeweizen should be a minimum of 50% wheat to be considered a (legal)German hefe.
Americans have no such strictures.

Good luck with your brews. I'm salivating here.

what can I say, I'm a law breaker

 

[Weizguy]

what can I say, I'm a law breaker

GO for it, you rebel!

 

[Batz]

Tips for improving a wheat beer

Pour it out.....pour yourself a Saison. :lol: :super: