Hefe seems dark.

tomek322 · 06-12-2007, 08:13 PM

The sample I used to get my OG, was pretty dark. Just looking for some guidance on future brews.

I used 5# wheat extract and 3# extra light.

Boiled 3 gallons(split in two pots at 1.5 gallons each) with 2# for 45 minutes, got down to about a gallon in each pot. Added the remaining extract. Took 10 minutes to get back to boiling and then boiled it for 15 minutes.

Will it lighten up in the the primary?

I was planning on brewing three Hefe's on the same yeast. Is there a chance I can get the next one lighter? I was told on here, it's best to go lightest to darkest beer. I was going to do a dunkel weiss for my last brew.

homebrewer_99 · 06-12-2007, 08:33 PM

My recipe is so dang simple...

Boil 1.5 gals water, 1 lb XL DME and Hallertau hops (only 3% AA for a sweet German-style HW to 3.4 % AA for more bitterness) together for 45 mins. Then remove from heat.

Add 5# Wheat DME (1 lb at a time to dissolve easier) and let sit for 15 mins.

Sparge hops through a net, top off (I place 4 gals of water in the freezer for 4-5 hours prior to brewing) to 5.25 gals.

Temp is usually in the mid 60s to low 70s (depending on how close we are to the 4-5 hours in the freezer).

Ferment around 72F.

I forgot, I also steep 4 oz of pale malt/grain first (as part of the 1.5 gals boil pot)

It doesn't get any simpler than that.

Beerrific · 06-12-2007, 08:49 PM

I made a hefeweizen a while back that came out really dark.

It basically came down to the fact that I used old LME. After this batch, I learned that LME gets darker with time. DME will not do this.

Another thing that can cause a darker beer is carmelization of the wort. This can happen to a large extent when the boil is very concentrated or the extract sinks to the bottom.

Got Trub? · 06-13-2007, 03:50 AM

It will not lighten up in the primary. Malt extract will always be darker then what is possible with AG due to the processing inherent in making the concentrated or dehydrated extract. As noted above other factors include boiling a concentrated wort which creates melanoidins and aging of liquid extracts.