What happens during bottle ageing? Hefe

I have brewed my first batch in many years, a nice simple Wheat beer.

2 weeks in the primary, and a week in the bottles.

I cracked one open last night to sample, and had a few questions...

It had a good head, decent carbonation, and a yummy flavor, though a bit sweeter than I expected. Almost a honey flavor at the end, though there was no honey in the recipe.

6.6# Wheat extract (liquid)
1oz Perle (bittering) - 60 minute boil.
1/2oz @ 50 min hallertaur (flavor/bitter)
1/2oz @ 59 min hallertaur (aroma)
Safbrew T-58 yeast pitched @ 78F into a 6gal glass carboy.

OG 1.044
FG 1.011

Primed w/ 5oz corn sugar in 16oz H2O.

What can I expect from further aging in the bottles? Will it carbonate more? Will the sweetness mellow out? What's the normal "changes" as it sits in the bottles?

From my understanding, certain flavors will "mellow" out during bottle conditioning while others may begin to become more prevalent. I'm fairly certain that the sweetness of your brew should mellow out and blend together with the other flavors over time. I think the carbonation should be complete after 1-2 weeks.

Hefe's tend to lose their "Hefe-ness" (the phenolics associated with a Hefeweizen yeast) with time and most people drink them relatively "young", probably not much past 6 months optimally speaking. OTOH, I've got some that I just found (I hid them from myself) which are older than that and taste fine to me.

I think the sweetness you're tasting may be attributed to the very low hop levels of Hefeweizens (typically ~10-16 IBU) as compared to most American craft brews.

I agree that you underhopped somehow.

Unfortunately, the sweetness will NOT subside, but bitterness does...

Making a Hefe Weizen requires use of a German "Hefe" (yeast). IMO, if you use anything other than a German Hefe Weizen or Belgium Wit yeast then you just made wheat beer. The flavors are totally different.

Your last 2 additions of hops did absolutely nothing for the bitterness and were totally unnecessary.

It's also still pretty green as well. My cherry wheat really peaked at about 2 months.

Then give it time and hope for the best...I'm certain we'll all be in line with a glass in hand...

It's certainly drinkable. I've Relaxed, not worried, and had a home brew! As this is my first batch in a VERY long while (10+ years), It was more curiosity than anything else.

I'll give it another week and try some more, but either way, it's already tastey!

I see the point on it being a "wheat beer" rather than a hefe, but either way, it's a good first batch.

homebrewer_99 - Why do you say the last two hop additions were unnecessary? Did they really add nothing? I understand the boil time wasn't enough to get lots of bittering out of the hops, but are you saying they added no flavor/aroma?

Should I have left them in the wort when transfered to the carboy? I strained the wort through a sanitized wire strainer, would I have gotten more aroma/flavor/bitter by leaving them in, and allowing them to sink with the rest of the trub?

Thanks all,

-Butler

homebrewer_99 said:

I agree that you underhopped somehow.

Unfortunately, the sweetness will NOT subside, but bitterness does...

Making a Hefe Weizen requires use of a German "Hefe" (yeast). IMO, if you use anything other than a German Hefe Weizen or Belgium Wit yeast then you just made wheat beer. The flavors are totally different.

Your last 2 additions of hops did absolutely nothing for the bitterness and were totally unnecessary.

Click to expand...

Uhhhh.....Sweetness can subside. I do not know if his will, but I have had brews that were a little sweet when they were green and the sweetness faded as they aged. Maybe the sweetness really did not fade...it just got covered up by other flavors. But the perceived sweetness can fade.

butler1850 said:

...I see the point on it being a "wheat beer" rather than a hefe, but either way, it's a good first batch.

homebrewer_99 - Why do you say the last two hop additions were unnecessary? Did they really add nothing? I understand the boil time wasn't enough to get lots of bittering out of the hops, but are you saying they added no flavor/aroma?...

Click to expand...

Sorry I was obtuse, and thanks for allowing me to clear up my comments. What I was saying is that if you were brewing a German-style Hefe Weizen...they don't use flavoring/aroma hops, just bittering hops. Any addition would have been a waste of hops. I like to stay in the style.

If you were making an American Wheat then by all means hop away... It is YOUR brew afterall.

dougjones31 said:

Uhhhh.....Sweetness can subside. I do not know if his will, but I have had brews that were a little sweet when they were green and the sweetness faded as they aged. Maybe the sweetness really did not fade...it just got covered up by other flavors. But the perceived sweetness can fade.

Click to expand...

I've always experienced that any overly sweetness turns cidery...

My experiences differ. Never had anything turn cidery.

dougjones31 said:

My experiences differ. Never had anything turn cidery.

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Cidery flavor is mostly caused when using too much corn sugar. I don't.

If you keg a beer with a gravity that is a little high, you have unfermented sugar in the beer which will make it sweet. As it ages this sugar gets consumed. It may overcarb the beer if it is bottled.

I never use corn sugar either.

homebrewer_99 said:

If you were making an American Wheat then by all means hop away... It is YOUR brew afterall.

Click to expand...

Ok, now this makes sense.... it's not hugely hoppy, but it's mighty tastey!

dougjones31 said:

If you keg a beer with a gravity that is a little high, you have unfermented sugar in the beer which will make it sweet. As it ages this sugar gets consumed. It may overcarb the beer if it is bottled.

I never use corn sugar either.

Click to expand...

I only used the corn sugar to bottle, 5oz in 5gal...

I doubt it'll overcarb, there was only a little bit of carbonation in the beer when sampled after 7 days in bottle. Enough for me, but more wouldn't be a bad thing.

Most beers will get an improved head over time. Smaller bubbles, more head possibly with "peaks," and better retention. In a few weeks I bet this happens to yours.

The sweetness is probably priming sugar that the yeast haven't gotten around to eating yet. Most of my beers have tasted sweet at the 1 week mark. It's usually mostly gone around 2 weeks, and completely around 3.

Jar,

I was just down at the LHBS getting supplies for the next batch (Ipswich Ale clone), and talked to the guy that runs the place about this exact issue. (It was a recipe of his that I used) His first question was "How was the carbonation?"

My reply of "Not bad, but I'm sure it'll get more bubbles." Triggered his response of "It's probably still some of the priming sugar. As more carbonation is formed, carbonic acid is formed, which will also help moderate some of the sweetness."

Makes sense to me.