Wheat beer - Hefeweiss Style

[chrisf1]

Wheat Beer - Hefeweiss Style

 

You will Need:

1.7kg can Thomas Coopers Wheat Beer

1.5kg can Coopers wheat Malt Extract

500g Light Dry Malt

300g Dextrose

 

Method:

Place the Light Dry Malt in a sanitised, well drained fermenter. Add 2 litres of hot water and immediately pick the fermenter up and swirl the contents until dissolved (about 15 secs) - this avoids lumps.

Add the balance of ingredients and dissolve.

Add cool water to the 23 litre mark and stir vigorously.

Sprinkle yeast and seal.

 

Taste Test:

This pale, spicy fruity refreshing wheat beer is served unfiltered to maximize the flavour profile.

Lightly hopped in order promote its soft bread flavour, which is lifted from the malted wheat and the sweet bubblegum flavour yeast notes make this beer like a refreshing days drink. Hints of clove, vanilla and banana can be picked up by the astute drinker.

 

Enjoy

[Bear1525228171]

Hi Chris,

 

Nice looking recipe. I'm interested in doing something similar. What is the best temperature to maintain this brew at and does anyone have any suggestions on yeast alternatives for that true Hefe taste?

 

Prost!

[PB2]

G'day Chris,

is this a recipe you sourced from somewhere else - I ask because it looks like the finished beer would be waaay to sweet for style. Also, to get clove, banana, bubblgum characters - a specialty "Wheat Beer" yeast would be needed.

[Len]

Hi Chris,

 

Nice looking recipe. I'm interested in doing something similar. What is the best temperature to maintain this brew at and does anyone have any suggestions on yeast alternatives for that true Hefe taste?

 

Prost!

I've used Safbrew WB06 before - put out great banana/clovey flavours like a wheat beer should be.. from memory i fermented it at 22C as i heard the wheat yeasts put out a few more esters at that temp.

 

Apart from the yeast flavour the beer was disgusting though, dont ever buy this kit - black rock whispering wheat 1.7kg, 1kg wheat malt, safbrew wb06

guy at the shop reckoned it would be "pretty close to hoegaarden" yeah right!

 

 

[Kearnage]

I unfortunately have that same 'Hoegaarden' clone in the tub at the moment. I was pretty impressed when I brought the Black Rock 'Whispering Wheat' home to find out it contained exactly 0% wheat and the WB 06 yeast was (just) out of date...

Curse that brew store chain that refuse to carry Coopers stuff, and that I'm too lazy to drive for an hour to go somewhere else.

 

[Muddy Waters]

I've used the "Whispering Wheat" kit before to make a Hoegaarden themed beer and it turned out great.

[Kearnage]

Good to know, it's fermenting nicely in my new brew fridge with self wired, electrician approved (It works, it's earthed AND it's double insulated, get outta here) temp controller, so I guess I'll know in a few weeks.

I'm still puzzled that the 'Whispering Wheat' has no wheat, maybe it's a Kiwi joke I don't understand [sideways]

Thanks Muddy.

 

[Muddy Waters]

I was a bit surprised that there would be no wheat in their wheat kit. I found the extract from someone from Blackrock here: Black Rock Whispering Wheat

 

"Dear Martin,

Thank you so much for pointing out this gross mistake in our labelling. We will rectify this immediately.

I can assure you there is wheat malt in the recipe, in fact it is over 50% so should be right at the front on the list of ingredients.

Kind regards,

Kirsten."

 

It is on the internet so it must be true [biggrin]

 

All the best with you brewing fridge mate [cool]

[Kearnage]

That is mightily amusing! I guess 'immediately' is open to interpretation, or I have an old kit with old yeast [crying]

[Muddy Waters]

I was going to say something about them being on New Zealand time when I recalled the recipe I noticed on the side of the box of Coopers LDM that I bought today - It was the "Burly Bavarian" one with the now defunct Coopers Bavarian Lager kit - That's a flash from the past [biggrin]

 

I guess SA and NZ time are similar [lol]

[Kearnage]

Funny you should mention that - I noticed the Bavarian recipe on the 2 I bought on special this week. I checked the other two in my cupboard, same thing.

Perhaps Coopers did a clean out of their basement?

[Len]

I unfortunately have that same 'Hoegaarden' clone in the tub at the moment. I was pretty impressed when I brought the Black Rock 'Whispering Wheat' home to find out it contained exactly 0% wheat and the WB 06 yeast was (just) out of date...

Curse that brew store chain that refuse to carry Coopers stuff, and that I'm too lazy to drive for an hour to go somewhere else.

oh well good luck hopefully yours turns out way better than mine [biggrin]

i didn't add the corriander or orange peel, just bought the whispering wheat(?!) can,wheat malt and yeast so maybe the extra additions make it taste a lot better

[Kearnage]

Wheat beers generally call for higher carbonation. This is my first, so I'm wondering if I should use 3 carbonation drops per 740 ml PET bottle, or stick with the usual 2?

[PB2]

Is there a "packed on" date or batch code on the LDM box, Muddy?

3 carbo drops is a priming rate of 12g/litre - I wouldn't go any higher than 10g/litre. But try it for yourself and see what you think. PETs can be de-gassed easily if they are too fizzy.[biggrin]

[Muddy Waters]

Hi Paul - I have about 10 boxes all with the Burly Bavarian recipe so I just picked up the first one from the couple that I bought the other day. It's batch code is 2520100428.

 

Cheers [biggrin]

[Kearnage]

Well, after 3 weeks in bottles, I tried my 'Hoegaarden' clone using the Black Rock 'Whispering Wheat' kit. It's bloody horrible. Fermented fine, FG was good, nice golden colour, well carbonated, but it smells and tastes like boiled coriander and orange peel, nothing else. They are overwhlming. I followed the instructions with the amount of coriander added, but did add an extra spoon of orange peel. I've recently had a Hoegaarden, and it is nice and subtle, not sledgehammer like this.

Is the overwhelming fruit and spice and nothing else taste likely to fade with time, or do I have myself my first undrinkable brew?

 

Dan

 

[PB2]

Aromatics tend to soften with time in the bottle, as does bitterness. So it might come to you over the weeks or months.

 

On the flip side, this is something brewers forget when they enter a beer into a competition - it was great when they drank it but some time later, when judged, it has lost the lifted aromas. [crying]

[Idicus]

Well, after 3 weeks in bottles, I tried my 'Hoegaarden' clone using the Black Rock 'Whispering Wheat' kit. It's bloody horrible. Fermented fine, FG was good, nice golden colour, well carbonated, but it smells and tastes like boiled coriander and orange peel, nothing else. They are overwhlming. I followed the instructions with the amount of coriander added, but did add an extra spoon of orange peel. I've recently had a Hoegaarden, and it is nice and subtle, not sledgehammer like this.

Is the overwhelming fruit and spice and nothing else taste likely to fade with time, or do I have myself my first undrinkable brew?

 

Dan

 

Hey Dan,

Made the same recipe, but using coopers wheat kit instead, it's the only beer I've made that I found leaving to air helped. Crack one open, leave the lid off for 5 minutes, pour and see if it helps. Curious to know if it does, couldn't believe it when it worked for me.

 

Cheers,

Phil.

[Kearnage]

Thanks for the tip!

 

After the first glass I put it back in the fridge and tried a few hours later, it was slightly better but not much. I had put the lid back on though. I'll try 'breathing' it next time.

 

(Or make the Coopers wheat kit with proper yeast and no fruit and spices!)

[Idicus]

Anytime, hope it helps, I seem to recall mine being more coriander than orange, became very well balanced It was the third brew I ever made!!!