Hefeweizen

[SteveL]

G'day all,

Am about to brew my first hefeweizen (from the recipe base: https://www.diybeer.com/au/recipe/hefeweizen.html)

Have researched the forums but hoping to clarify:

- Aim for 24 degrees fermentation temp?

- What would be the effect of using the full 1.5kg can of wheat malt - good or bad?

Any other advice would be, as usual, is greatly appreciated!

Cheers

 

[The Captain!!]

That actually looks like a really good recipe for homebrewers. 

Yeah temp at 24 will throw esters as should be present in a hef. It is pretty high though, others will be able to answer this more betterer!!! 

Do the recipe as described as from what I understand a coopers can of wheat is actually 50/50 wheat/pale. So your still getting your 50% wheat malt. 

Good luck with the brew

[Shamus O'Sean]

@SteveL Looks and sounds good.  On the Grain & Grape website they say fermentation temperature: "ideally 18-24°C, (for clove flavours it should be below 22°C and for banana flavours above 23°C)."  

I recently did a Saison around 21°C ambient temperature and it was quite mild.  Definitely has a clove aroma and taste.  I have another Saison in my fermenter that was done at 23°C temperature controlled.  Cannot wait to bottle and try that one to taste the difference.  Tasting the SG samples of this latest brew it is more complex.

If you like stronger flavours I would brew yours at the higher end.

I would use the whole 1.5kg Wheat Malt as per the recipe.  Using less would probably just reduce the ABV.

I might have to put the hefeweizen on my list.

[SteveL]

On 4/13/2019 at 12:21 PM, Shamus O'Sean said:

@SteveL Looks and sounds good.  On the Grain & Grape website they say fermentation temperature: "ideally 18-24°C, (for clove flavours it should be below 22°C and for banana flavours above 23°C)."  

I recently did a Saison around 21°C ambient temperature and it was quite mild.  Definitely has a clove aroma and taste.  I have another Saison in my fermenter that was done at 23°C temperature controlled.  Cannot wait to bottle and try that one to taste the difference.  Tasting the SG samples of this latest brew it is more complex.

If you like stronger flavours I would brew yours at the higher end.

I would use the whole 1.5kg Wheat Malt as per the recipe.  Using less would probably just reduce the ABV.

I might have to put the hefeweizen on my list.

Thanks! Reckon I'll take your advice and use the whole 1.5kg can...

Cheers

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

Agree with Shamus. The recipe I did a couple of times with the old wheat kit and a can of wheat malt. Works good. WB-06 ain't a bad yeast though good luck with trying to get banana flavours out of it. Never threw it in my experience.

[Beerlust]

Hi SteveL! Nice to see you're still around the place & still brewing. 

On 4/13/2019 at 10:25 AM, SteveL said:

- Aim for 24 degrees fermentation temp?

The recipe suggests 22°C will be enough & I tend to agree. I also agree with Greeny about the WB-06. It's a fairly neutral strain for a wheat beer yeast & numerous other brewers have had trouble trying to get the banana character from it. Also a little strange that the recipe recommends using both the WB-06 & the kit yeast on what is fairly low OG brew. 

On 4/13/2019 at 10:25 AM, SteveL said:

...What would be the effect of using the full 1.5kg can of wheat malt - good or bad?

Adding the additional 500gms of LME will shift the noticeable bitterness/malt balance of the final beer. The beer is bittered to 20 IBU, so additional malt will tend to sweeten the final flavour to some degree I would think. By how much & how noticeable, I can't really say.

Best of luck with the brew,

Lusty.

[SteveL]

1 hour ago, Beerlust said:

Hi SteveL! Nice to see you're still around the place & still brewing. 

The recipe suggests 22°C will be enough & I tend to agree. I also agree with Greeny about the WB-06. It's a fairly neutral strain for a wheat beer yeast & numerous other brewers have had trouble trying to get the banana character from it. Also a little strange that the recipe recommends using both the WB-06 & the kit yeast on what is fairly low OG brew. 

Adding the additional 500gms of LME will shift the noticeable bitterness/malt balance of the final beer. The beer is bittered to 20 IBU, so additional malt will tend to sweeten the final flavour to some degree I would think. By how much & how noticeable, I can't really say.

Best of luck with the brew,

Lusty.

Thanks for those awesome insights Lusty...much appreciated. Think I will now just follow the recipe as is (ie 1kh LME) and see how it goes.

And yes, still lurking around the site, have been following my tried and tested recipes for a few years but now deciding to branch out a bit and try some others for a bit of variety!

Thanks again,

Steve