Whirlfloc Tablets In Hefe Weizen?

[jpiwek]

Hi Guys,

Im just getting ready to brew a Hefe Weizen (Paulaner clone) tommorow and was wondering if I should use Whirlfloc Tablets?

Because Hefe's are naturally cloudy should I not put one in?

Thanks.

 

[geoffi]

It's a good question. I always pour mine Bavarian style, leaving a little in the bottle and giving it a swish to mix in the yeast, then adding it to the glass.

Cloudy is good! Why would you bother with WF? I say don't.

 

[Adamt]

Hefe's are naturally (i.e. without adding whirlfloc) cloudy; and you want it naturally cloudy


(In other words, no.)

 

[homekegger1]

Having done some reading up on Hefe's lately, I would have to agree, NO. You want your hefe cloudy. In one article I read on brewing a hefe, it said that you needed a double batch of yeast. One for brewing with, the other for carbonating. Instead of using sugar, or CO2, was very interesting. This method is called "Speise" you take aside about 2 ltr's of wort from the original wort, set aside till you need to bottle or keg. Then you add second yeast to this this wort and add to keg. Add rest of wort and bottle or keg. "Once mixed with Speise, let the beer condition for about a week at a cozy room temp. (21 deg. C) This will produce the hefe's spritzy Carbonation" (BYO Mag, July -Aug 06) Hope this helps.

Cheers

HK

 

[MHB]

Hefeweizen is naturally cloudy, true, is it a protein or a yeast haze?

If you are looking for protein haze then by all means omit the Whirflock, if you want the traditional yeast cloudiness, then you will be using the right type of yeast.

I fail to see the connection and would definitely use a kettle fining, especially in a high wheat grist, where the levels of hot break can be large enough to increase trub losses significantly.

MHB

 

[simpletotoro]

hi
i've just done one of these ...with the new (?) yeast thats available...i used a whirlfloc tab and its still cloudy as ...i figured it was the yeast(?)...not to hijack the thread but whats peoples thoughts on cc this type of beer...i wasn't going to bother but am open to suggestions
cheers simpletotoro

 

[kook]

It's an interesting question which has come up a few times (searching will reveal it).

You don't want protein haze in a German hefeweizen, the cloudy appearance should come from the yeast and its inability to flocculate.

However, whirlfloc is against Reinheitsgebot anyway.

If I remember to, I use it in pretty much all beers with the exception of witbier, where you want protein haze from unmalted wheat.

 

[tangent]

i only use whirlfloc in lagers and things that i want to look polished. usually i forget anyway.

 

[Weizguy]

Warner's book on German Wheat beer confirms MHB's comment re the basis of the cloudiness.

The cloudiness in the beer should be yeast and not protein haze :excl:

My most recent wheat beer got the Whirfloc and I'm happy to say that the cloudiness now comes from the yeast and gives me the "breadiness" I expect in these beers. Maybe it's the W3868 yeast that I used for the first time, but I have never noticed the breadiness before. This is perhaps my best wheat beer ever, and I'll continue to use Whirfloc while it delivers that part of the flavour profile 4 me.

Seth (just back from 2 days at Murrays Brewing) :chug:

Dr Gonzo? your thoughts...

 

[Online Brewing Supplies]

Warner's book on German Wheat beer confirms MHB's comment re the basis of the cloudiness.

The cloudiness in the beer should be yeast and not protein haze :excl:

My most recent wheat beer got the Whirfloc and I'm happy to say that the cloudiness now comes from the yeast and gives me the "breadiness" I expect in these beers. Maybe it's the W3868 yeast that I used for the first time, but I have never noticed the breadiness before. This is perhaps my best wheat beer ever, and I'll continue to use Whirfloc while it delivers that part of the flavour profile 4 me.

Seth (just back from 2 days at Murrays Brewing) :chug:

Dr Gonzo? your thoughts...

A big yes from me.No protein haze just good yeast managment.So Yes use whirl floc.Its a regular practice for pubs to invert the keg (Heffes) over night this turn them back over in the morning to keep the natural yeast in suspension.

 

[Dr Gonzo]

I prefer to pour a nice clear wheat beer, then add the yeast and watch it fall through the beer. I find it mesmerising, like a lava lamp. I've never seen commercial German weizens with any protein haze.

I don't use any clarifying agents at any stage and still (usually) produce perfectly clear beer. An appropriate mash schedule, a vigorous boil for 30 min before adding hops, plenty of low alpha plugs which act as a filter bed for the hot break material when emptying the kettle and resting for 30 min after flameout all seem to do it for me. I stopped using whirlfloc about a year ago when after forgetting to add it a few times i noticed that my beers were still coming up clear anyway.

For brewers in the situation where it is only practical to do a single infusion wheat beer then a whirlfloc in the boil should go a long way towards making clearer beer, not that a bit of haze in your wheat beer is the end of the world.

My most recent wheat beer got the Whirfloc and I'm happy to say that the cloudiness now comes from the yeast and gives me the "breadiness" I expect in these beers. Maybe it's the W3868 yeast that I used for the first time, but I have never noticed the breadiness before. This is perhaps my best wheat beer ever, and I'll continue to use Whirfloc while it delivers that part of the flavour profile 4 me.

Did you have any vienna in there?

 

[Weizguy]

Thanks Dr Gonzo (Here's your share of the Sunshine acid. Eat it!).
As a matter of fact, it's a Schneider clone with 17% Vienna.
If you're saying that's where the breadiness comes from, I didn't notice it in a 30% Vienna (Vienna Weizen) that I made a while back...although my tastebuds may not have been up to it then, or the flava was masked by protein haze as I thought in my earlier post?

Either way, I reckon Whirfloc is the go if you suspect that protein haze gets through to your final beer.

Beerz
Seth out

 

[braufrau]

i only use whirlfloc in lagers and things that i want to look polished. usually i forget anyway.

but don't you filter and therefore its not as important to user whirlfloc?

 

[tangent]

that's true, i do filter some of my lagers
most of the time i forget to use the whirlfloc

 

[Cortez The Killer]

I put whirlfloc in a wheat beer i did

It came out really clear

No haziness at all

Cheers

 

[Steve]

I use it in all my brews except my recent first AG Hefeweizen. It just didnt seem to make sense to use it.
Cheers
Steve