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**sidepart** · 06-05-2012, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Climber

One other hop related thing to think about. The hops have an impact on biological growth in your beer. If you don't reach the desired level of alpha acid you are inviting bacterial growth. I had the unevyable experience earlier this year when I reused some yeast from a barrel project in which we used a very low hop rate to invite bug growth. The rye beer that was not part of the barrel project, but used the same yeast was completely diacetyl. I would use computer program to be sure your hop rate/time of boil produces more than 10 IBU.

I calculated somewhere around 15 which is on the high side for the style of beer I'm going for. Is that still inviting infection? I guess do weizens in general have higher infection issues? I feel like I'm usually pretty careful with my sanitation. I really try to act like I'm performing veterinary surgery. Scrub in, gloves, hairnet, apron, don't touch ANYTHING that hasn't been sanitized. Onestep the equipment involved, heat dry in dishwasher. I use an immersion chiller to get things cooled quickly and into the bucket as fast as possible. My only concerns are dust in the air entering the wort, but I try to keep a lid on my pot where possible during the cooling process.

**TopherM** · 06-05-2012, 03:54 PM

Quote:

I'm picturing Walter at the bowling alley.

LOL.....This beer is definitely "over the line."

The OP wants it to be an 8 really bad.....but I'm going to have to mark it a zero, Dude. There ARE rules.

**sidepart** · 06-05-2012, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TopherM

LOL.....This beer is definitely "over the line."

The OP wants it to be an 8 really bad.....but I'm going to have to mark it a zero, Dude. There ARE rules.

I just hope the beer turns out to be an 8 and not a 0.

**GilaMinumBeer** · 06-05-2012, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TopherM

Hefewiezen is a traditional name of a wheat beer with a pretty strict, defined recipe. You pretty much HAVE to have 50% Wheat malt and 50% Pilsner malt, then one Hallertau hops (for traditional Bavarian) or other noble hop addition (for non-traditional) and a Hefeweizen yeast that gives off the signature phenolic character (clove/bananna). Otherwise, it's just not a Hefewiezen.

German purity laws state "at least 50%" to be considered as a wheat. Thus implies a minimum. Nothing says that a german wheat MUST have 50% wheat, 50% Pils. Only that at least 50% is required to get the weisen name. The rest usually being pils, munich, or vienna and likely for lautering purposes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by teucer

The Briess wheat extract is made from a blend of wheat and barley malts, not just wheat, so you're looking at something around one part wheat to three parts barley.

Data sheets for Briess Bavarian Wheat LME, the only one listed in their products that I found, state 65% Malted Wheat and 35% Malted Barley.

http://www.brewingwithbriess.com/Assets/PDFs/Briess_PISB_CBWBavarianWheatLME.pdf

teucer · 06-05-2012, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GilaMinumBeer

Data sheets for Briess Bavarian Wheat LME, the only one listed in their products that I found, state 65% Malted Wheat and 35% Malted Barley.

Ah, yup. I'd thought I remembered it being something like 60/40 but didn't look it up.

Personally, I think straight Briess wheat extract and Hallertau or Tettnang hops make for an awesome Hefe. I also think the smoked hops will give an interesting twist on the style, just not one that's actually the same thing.

**GilaMinumBeer** · 06-05-2012, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teucer

Ah, yup. I'd thought I remembered it being something like 60/40 but didn't look it up.

Personally, I think straight Briess wheat extract and Hallertau or Tettnang hops make for an awesome Hefe. I also think the smoked hops will give an interesting twist on the style, just not one that's actually the same thing.

My only issue is that so many people pidgeon hole everything based on BJCP, as if THEY created the styles themselves. When, in fact, a German would look at the beer, see that it is cloudy, ask if is a wheat (in which this does contain at least 50% wheat) and call it a Hefeweisen, take a drink and ask if it was brewed on a fruit farm under a pine tree.

The name means wheat with yeast. The BJCP bastardizes it into something more narrow.

teucer · 06-05-2012, 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GilaMinumBeer

My only issue is that so many people pidgeon hole everything based on BJCP, as if THEY created the styles themselves. When, in fact, a German would look at the beer, see that it is cloudy, ask if is a wheat (in which this does contain at least 50% wheat) and call it a Hefeweisen, take a drink and ask if it was brewed on a fruit farm under a pine tree.

Yeah. It's a Hefeweizen, just not a traditional one *at all,* and given that there's nothing particularly German about it stylistically I think "wheat beer" would be a more accurate description in terms of setting drinkers' expectations.

Quote:

The name means wheat with yeast. The BJCP bastardizes it into something more narrow.

I am not, in general, a fan of BJCP style guidelines, but they do a pretty good job for many (but not all!) styles of describing what is most typical of the tradition they are based on.

**GilaMinumBeer** · 06-05-2012, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by teucer

Yeah. It's a Hefeweizen, just not a traditional one *at all,* and given that there's nothing particularly German about it stylistically I think "wheat beer" would be a more accurate description in terms of setting drinkers' expectations.

Ahhh, but the OP did say "most unconventional Hefewiesen" ...

**terrapinj** · 06-05-2012, 06:10 PM

why not try a more neutral yeast strain? you've got so much going on with the hops and smoke not sure you'd want the estery flavors from a traditional german wheat strain.

simcoe and citra can work great with wheat - i brewed a citra wheat pale ale that was really tasty

also with all the wheat you prob don't need the carapils in there but they won't really harm anything either

teucer · 06-05-2012, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GilaMinumBeer

Ahhh, but the OP did say "most unconventional Hefewiesen" ...

Yup. I can't disagree with that description, even though I personally wouldn't confuse the issue with the H-word.