Taste of my Beve Hefe.

I just kegged my beve hefe, this Saturday will mark 1 month from pitch. It isn't the best tasting Hefe, but it is not the worst. I can't detect off flavors, to me it just taste a little watery or absent of flavors.

Is this a result of it still being green, or did I possibly add to much top off water? (boiled 2.75g, added 3g to fermenter)

None the less, a fairly succesful first brew. Definitely drinkable, just curious if there was something I could improve in my technique or if it is a function of time.

hard to tell for sure without knowing some of your variables (recipe, yeast, fermenter temp).

I boil 3gal of water with 6lb of DME, with 1oz of belgian hops, then top my fermenter to 5gal even, and toss in White labs hefe yeast, and let her go at 72degrees.

14-16 days to bottle, 2-3 weeks before culling one as a sample.

Is it carbonated yet? Uncarbonated beer, especially lighter colored ones always taste a bit watery to me. It shouldn't be green, my I started drinking my hefe a 4 weeks (2 in primary + 2 in bottles).

Are you sure it tastes watery or does it maybe just feel watery? Carbonation adds substantial heft to the mouthfeel of the beer. Especially with hefes, there is a huge difference between uncarbonated and carbonated because the style calls for so much carbonation.

If it is in fact the taste, then it might have to do with using a partial boil, but probably only if you were using grains. If this is an extract recipe, then it's probably not because of the partial boil, because there will be no break material to kill your hop strength.

What were your original and final gravities?

I wouldn't worry about it being green. Hefeweizen is a style that's usually drunk young.

Ingredients
6.6 ibs Wheat Malt Extract
2 oz Liberty Hops
11.5 g Safbrew WB-06 Yeast (1 pack)


Target OG 1.045 - 1.049 Alpha Acid 4.2%
Target FG 1.008 - 1.012
Target IBU 5


Actual OG 1.045 Gallons Boiled 2.75
Actual FG 1.01 Gallons Added 3
Actual IBU 5 Total Gallons 5.75


ABV 4.87%

Wort Process
1. At 60 min added .75 oz hops
2. At 15 min added .25 oz hops
3. At 10 min added .50 oz hops
4. At 5 min added .50 oz hops
5. Cooled wort to 85F before putting in primary
6. Added top of water
7. Rehydrated yeast with cooled wort at 85F

Fermentation Process

Time of Kresent 8 hours
Fermentation Temp 65F
Racked to Secondary Yes
Length of Primary 3 weeks
Lenth of Secondary 3 days


Started 3/28/2009
Kegged 4/20/2009


Above is my brew log. I tried force carbing it, and I think I over did it. I've been getting about 3 inches of foam. So I would say it is definitely carbed. Also, as you can see I did move to a secondary only for three days to open up my carboy for another brew.

Using a liquid yeast instead of WB-06 will make a big difference. Myself and others have been disappointed with WB-06. I like to use Wyeast 3068 it's pretty balanced when fermented at cool temps.

How hard is it to do the starter kit, and what equipment do I need to start making a starter for the liquid yeast?

I have a second batch fermenting right now using US-05 dry yeast...Hope it turns out well.

daveooph131 said:

How hard is it to do the starter kit, and what equipment do I need to start making a starter for the liquid yeast?

I have a second batch fermenting right now using US-05 dry yeast...Hope it turns out well.

Click to expand...

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/how-make-yeast-starter-pictorial-76101/

US-05 is a really good dry yeast.

ok - it could be under carbed (maybe) not sure...I'm on my third glass, and the head is now about a nice 1 inch head compared to the majority of the glass being foam earlier. The third glass doesn't taste extremeley carbonated to me, but there is some carb, and it is still watery.