vanilla weizen

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kevy_kev

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can somebody help me put this receipe together. I wanted to do a vanilla weizen like the one on homebrew heaven. My wife went to the Local HBS and they put some ingredients together, but I dont know how much of each and the one online doesnt say either. Think this matches closely to the one online?
I have:

3 lbs Muntons Wheat DME
1 lb 10L Crystal
2 oz Hersbrucker Hops, pellets.
1 oz Irish Moss
vanilla beans
liquid wyeast #3068

I only have a 2 gallon pot and a 1 gallon pot. should I use both to make 3 gallons? And if so then how does everything get split up?
Taking all that into account, the main questions are:
how much grain to steep?
How much hops to use for each (bitter, flavor, finishing)

thanks
 
I was in Williamstown last week. I have relatives on Tuckahoe Rd. My sister died in Tom's River.

We're originally from Camden (1950-60s Camden that is...)

Here's a really simple HW recipe:

ALL TOO SIMPLE WHEAT BEER

Extract German Wheat /Weizen Beer

Make a yeast starter 24 hours before brewing/pitching.

6.5 lbs Wheat DME (brand name of your choice)
1 oz. Hallertau hops - bittering - 3.5 - 4.5 % AA range works well
(If you use whole hops be sure to add 10% more)
0.5 oz Hallertauer hops - aroma/finishing (same)
Weizen / Bavarian Wheat yeast of your choice
1 tsp Irish moss (very optional as most weizens are supposed to be cloudy)

Add malt and bittering hops to the pot. Boil for 45 mins.

Add Irish Moss (if used) and aroma hops and boil for 15 min.

Remove from heat. Sparge wort from hops.

Ferment at/around 70 degrees for 1-2 weeks.
(Temp range really depends on the yeast used and the flavor you are aiming for. Read up on yeasts temps and capabilities)

Prime with 1.25 cups of DME.

As you will notice, you don't use 1 oz of Irish Moss. 1 tsp at the most and with HWs it's optional because it's supposed to be cloudy.

I've read some people will just use 1 large vanilla bean (cut up) in the boil. 2 if they are small.
 
so no grains? Also I was a little concerned about only getting 3 lbs of DME but figured HW are supposed to be lighter on alcohol. Your recipe says use six. Wonder if I need more! I got the ingredients from the HBS on the black horse pike in Washington Twp. Tuckahoe Road is very close to me. I am on the other side of the black horse pike. We have only lived here for a year but like it a lot. 50s-60s Camden is a long way from where it is now, unfortunately. Before moving to Willaimstown I lived in Oaklyn, the next town to the east of camden and haved lived in Camden County all my life, except for the last year and a few years in philly while in college.
Small world....
 
kevy_kev said:
so no grains? Also I was a little concerned about only getting 3 lbs of DME but figured HW are supposed to be lighter on alcohol. Your recipe says use six. Wonder if I need more!

Well.... this probably brings up a question many are probably asking here... you got a 2 gal pot and a 1 gal pot. I've seen you've been brewing. How many galons do you brew? 6-7 lbs is good for a wheat... for 5 gallons, but using a 2 and 1 gal pot to brew a 5 gal batch has to be a lot of fun. I agree with Homebrewer_99, you certainly dont need Irish Moss for wheat. The only addition I would add to his tasty recipe is some Malto Dextrin cause I like a little more mouthfeel.... like 1/4 ish pound.
 
Beer Snob said:
The only addition I would add to his tasty recipe is some Malto Dextrin cause I like a little more mouthfeel.... like 1/4 ish pound.
I used to use it a long time ago, but I don't find it necessary (to use Malto Dextrin) when I brew HWs, only when I do a partial (use grains).

I found my beer was a bit "thick". Smaller chunks of floating yeast would be suspended in the beer and not move at all no matter how I twisted and turned the glass...very odd looking.
 
kevy_kev said:
...I lived in Oaklyn...Small world....
You think that's small, I used to live in Oaklyn also. Right on Rt 30 across the street from the supermarket (there's a bar on the other end of the block that my dad used to drink in all the time) and next to Dunkin' Dognuts. Prior to that we live in Woodlyn. I graduated 8th grade there and went on to Collingswood HS until moving to Oaklyn then they made me change schools. We moved to Atlantic City in '69. I went into the Army in '72.
 
Baron von BeeGee said:
I would think all the extra protein in a Hefeweizen would contribute some mouthfeel...at least I never thought of Hefe's as thin.
You are correct and I agree, I never said HW was thin. I am only saying using MD in HW seems a bit overkill. IMO, HWs have more than enough body. Using MD is not necessary.:D
 
I'll have something to compare it to rather quickly. The AG wheat I attempted has no MD in it. It will be interesting to see the difference right at the same time.
 
This is getting weird. the bar next to Dunkin Donuts used to be called Mardi Gras and is now closed. I lived on W. Holly, 3 houses in from the WHP. The street where the ritz theatre is. I work at the AC airport.

now back to beer.
I actually have only boiled 2 gallons. Then I would top off with water to get 5 gallons. I know not the best, but I would take the small boil volume into account when adding hops and speciality grains. There was a post a few weeks ago about boil volume and a guy said he splits it up into 2 pots since he doesnt have a 5 gallon pot. Sound like a good idea and figured I would try it.
I have never used Irish Moss before and dont mind a cloudy beer so I may leave it out and try it on another non-HW batch to see how it clears.
So still no answer on using the 10L Crystal grains. And it sounds like I should go back for more wheat DME.
 
kevy_kev said:
This is getting weird. the bar next to Dunkin Donuts used to be called Mardi Gras and is now closed. I lived on W. Holly, 3 houses in from the WHP. The street where the ritz theatre is. I work at the AC airport.

now back to beer.
I actually have only boiled 2 gallons. Then I would top off with water to get 5 gallons. I know not the best, but I would take the small boil volume into account when adding hops and speciality grains. There was a post a few weeks ago about boil volume and a guy said he splits it up into 2 pots since he doesnt have a 5 gallon pot. Sound like a good idea and figured I would try it.
I have never used Irish Moss before and dont mind a cloudy beer so I may leave it out and try it on another non-HW batch to see how it clears.
So still no answer on using the 10L Crystal grains. And it sounds like I should go back for more wheat DME.
I'd forget the grains for now and up your DME to 6 lbs TOPS.:D
 
Well I found this at Stout Billy's site. He even mentions that he would lower the 80L crystal malt.... since you got 10L... The crystal is going to give the wheat a bit of a sweet taste.

http://www.stoutbillys.com/stout/recipens/(Flat)/91B6F6A3.htm


Drew's Brew Wheat
Ingredients:
  • 2, 4 lb cans Alexanders 60% wheat 40% barley unhopped extract
    1 lb 80L crystal malt, crushed
    2 oz 5.3 alpha Styrian Golding hop plugs
    2 oz 6.1 alpha Cascade whole hops
    Wyeast #3056 Bavarian Weissen yeast
Procedure:
  • 3 days before brewing, pop the Wyeast package. 2 days before brewing, pitch Wyeast package contents into a starter made from 2 cups water, 1 cup light dry malt extract, and 1 Tettnanger pellet. I use this type of starter on all my batches and pitch *after* high krausen.
    BrewDay: 1) "Teabag" the Crystal malt, and add to 3 gallons cold water. 2) Bring almost to a boil and remove the "teabag". 3) Add malt extract and bring to a boil. 4) Add Styrian Goldings hops and boil for one hour. 5) Add Cascade hops, return to boil and remove from heat. 6) Steep 15 minutes. 7) Chill with immersion chiller to 80F. 8) pour into clean fermenter and top up to 5.5 gallons total volume with cold water. 9) shake up starter, pitch and vigorously stir wort. 10) Ferment ~3 days at ~68F. 11) Rack to secondary. 12) bottle when clear (~1 week) with 1.25 cups light dry malt extract. F.G.: 1.010 Primary Ferment: 4 days Secondary Ferment: 7 days azian, except that I added some acidopholis capsules to the souring mash. I believe that most of the souring was due to the bacteria in the capsules. en cold storage for another week or two.
Specifics:
  • OG: 1040
    FG: 1009
Comments:
  • I've gotten a number of complements on my extract wheat beer, and a request for the recipe, so I thought I'd post it here.
    This is about he simplest recipe I've ever made, and it tastes great. Clean and refreshing, and a little on the light bodied side. I might lower the lovibond rating of the crystal malt to get a color that more matches the flavor. I'll be attempting to recreate this with all grain this weekend.
 
kevy_kev said:
so if I dont use the grains how would you compare the taste (with/without).

I am trying to copy the vanilla weizen receipe on http://www.homebrewheaven.com/vanilla-weizen.htm

I think it would have been easier to jsut get the kit online, but my wife was trying to do something good for me, and she doesnt even drink beer, so I MUST make this work :)
OK, I went and looked at the kit link. Since it is a kit you are copying then it's alright to use all of its ingredients.:D
 
well I am open for suggestions. I am far from an expert so I usually dont stray far from the kits. If somebody has any suggestions for me that is a HW and has a vanilla taste, Im all ears. I would like to use the ingredients I have, or at least a subset, since my wife has already bought them. Usually the HBS makes a receipe for you when he gives you all the ingredients, but this time he didnt and I guess I am a little concerned with the 3 lbs of DME and the 10L and how he expected to use them and at what amounts. The receipe has the grains, but 3lbs of Wheat DME seems like so little. Guess the answer I am looking for is go back to the HBS and see if he remembers my wife and what he was trying to put together, and unfortunately I am not too confident on that being successful.

thanks for all the help so far.
 
sorry to beat a dead horse but I was busy this weekend and didnt get a chance to brew so I am having way too much time to think about this. I was playing around on recipator this morning and put all my info in.
Came back with this:

OG: 1.047
Alcohol: 4.8 v/v
Color: 4 SRM
Bitterness: 12 IBU

Boil Volume: 2 gallons
Final Volume: 5 gallons

Grains:
1 LB 10L

Boil:
6 LB Wheat DME

Bitterness:
Hersbrucker
60 Minutes : 1.05 OZ
15 Minutes : .42 OZ
Aroma: .25 OZ

A very small amount of Irish Moss and the vanilla beans will also be added at their respective times.
Anybody have thoughts/Suggestions. Should this make a good vanilla weizen? Note that this recipe does mean I will go get 3 more lbs of wheat DME.
 
you know I, just now, read your signature. Have you done 4 Hefes already this year!?! Guess I should go back and read your replies a little better, you may know what your talking about :D

so move that .25 OZ of hops to the start of the boil but still keep the 15? Or leave how it is and have left overs. Also it said use a whole LB of 10L, sounds like a lot after youve said to not use it at all......
 
you don't need that crystal at all...irish moss is also not necessary.
6lbs of wheat DME, enough hersbrucker to get the IBUs to ~10-15 will make an excellent basic wheat beer. i'd just add the vanilla on top of this recipe...
also, yeast selection is very important...which one are you planning on using?
edit: i see you mentioned 3068 in teh first post.....that'll do. :D
 
Perhaps we are going about this the wrong way. Why do we believe you dont need the crystal? Well, crystal is pretty sweet. If you take a look at some recipes with crystal in it you'll see perhaps something like 1/4 lb..... 1/2 lb.... generally thats enough to impart the sweetness you want from crystal. However, wheats... well they are generally not sweet... more tart... so putting cyrstal in there might detract from the taste that your looking for in a wheat.


Ok... what about the irish moss....? Why are we saying better to just leave it out......? This is the blurb of the yeast you are using from Wyeast...

3068 Weihenstephan Weizen Yeast.
Probable origin: Weihenstephan, Germany
Beer Styles: German Hefeweissen, Crystal weisse, Dunkel weisse, Weisenbock
Commercial examples may include: Ayinger Weissebeer, Tabernash Wheat, Sandwald, Erdinger Weisse, Schneider Weisse
Unique properties: Classic German wheat beer yeast, used by more German Brewers than any other strain in the production of Wheat beer. Properties dominated by banana ester production, phenols and clove like characteristics. Extremely attenuative yeast, which produces a tart thirst quenching finish. Extremely low floccing yeast remains in suspension readily with proteinacous wheat malt. Sometimes used in conjunction with lager yeast and kerausened to finish the beer and improve the overall dryness. High CO2 levels, typically at 2.7 - 3.2 volumes is desirable for best presentation. True top cropping yeast requires full headspace of 33%. Ester formation is significantly affected by aeration and pitching rates. Crystal weisse production typically requires DE filtration, may prove too difficult for Pad filtration only. Flocculation - low; apparent attenuation 73-77%. (64-75° F, 18-24° C)

Take a look in the Unique Properties paragraph... about five lines in, it says that the yeast remains in suspention. Irish moss is an additive you use to clear beers. Obviously you dont want to put in an additive to clear the beer... the yeast is going to remain in suspention anyways right :)
 
...I think I'm missing something (like, your point) with the description and the use of Irish Moss...?:confused: Who's saying to use it? I'm not.:confused:

With HWs you don't NEED to use Irish Moss because you want the yeast in suspension, unless it's for a Kristall. This is why some people don't do a secondary with HWs.

I do a secondary because I know that it gives the beer a bit more maturation and time to drop into the FG range.

True, most of the yeast will fall out in the bottle, but when you pour your beer you save some of it to mix in with the yeast on the bottom of the bottle then resuspend it.:D
 
homebrewer_99 said:
...I think I'm missing something (like, your point) with the description and the use of Irish Moss...?:confused: Who's saying to use it? I'm not.:confused:

(clearing throat loudly).... my friend.... read the paragraph again.... I am agreeing with you...... :D Just thought he'd like a little more info on the yeast :D
 
i believe the snob's intention was to tell kevy kev what we're thinking rather than tell him what to do....
 
Kev: It seems that my post (a couple back) was preempted somehow...

What I wanted to say was:

Here's the simplist recipe I can come up with:

I put 4 gals of PUR filtered tap water in milk jugs and place them in the freezer for 4 hours prior to brewing.

Heat up 1.5-2 gals of water. Just prior to boiling (small bubbles in the pot) add 1 lb of Wheat DME and stir in to dissolve. Bring to a boil.

Add hops. What's the AA% of your hops? Between 3.5 and 4.5? Are your hops pellets or whole? For pellets use 1.25 oz., for whole use 1.5 oz. Aroma and finishing hops are not necessary for HWs.

Boil for 45 mins. Remove from heat.

Add remaining Wheat DME - A POUND AT A TIME. Stir in and dissolve, add another lb, stir in and dissolve, repeat for the remaining malt. Once all malt is dissolved return the pot to the flame.

You will get another hot break so make sure you pot does not boil over. Just slide the pot halfway off the flame and it'll calm down. Slide it back to get the boil back up until you get the break. Then you can leave it on for the remining time.

At boil, set timer for 15 mins to boil then remove from heat.

Sparge hops through a funnel. I use a nylon net that fits on my buckets. I hold them in place with clip-style cloths pins. I used to use small clamps. They keep the net from falling into the bucket from the weight of the hops and water.

Sparge (rinse) hops in net with 2 gals of iced water. Since I didn't use grains I will squeeze the net a bit to get out some of the malt and water.

Top off to 5.25-5.5 gals and stir to mix the hot and cold water. Place cover on bucket. Don't attach it, just lay it there so nothing falls into the bucket.

Take a temp and hydrometer reading.

Usually my temp is in the 70s, sometimes the 60s. Then you';re ready to pitch your starter...did you make one yet? :confused:

Use a good Weizen yeast

Your calculations (below) and my comments:

OG: 1.047 (yours will be slightly higher - 1.048-52)
Alcohol: 4.8 v/v
Color: 4 SRM
Bitterness: 12 IBU (probably closer to 10-11, depending on the AA%)

TAKE GOOD NOTES

Later...:D
 
Lou said:
i believe the snob's intention was to tell kevy kev what we're thinking rather than tell him what to do....

Well I hope that's how he interpreted it. He sounds like a real creative guy... all excited about all these different ingrediants, like everyone gets you know (certainly I fall into this category). There had seemed to be a repitition of replies and it suddenly occured to me that he obviously did not have enough information for himself to see why people were suggesting what they were suggesting :)
 
Beer Snob said:
(clearing throat loudly).... my friend.... read the paragraph again.... I am agreeing with you...... :D Just thought he'd like a little more info on the yeast :D
BS...and Lou, my deepest apologies, mea culpa, mea culpa...:drunk:

The next round's on me. Of course, it'll have to be some of that German-style Hefe Weizen. BS, what was it you called it, a watered down ... :D
 
Beer Snob said:
Well I hope that's how he interpreted it. He sounds like a real creative guy... all excited about all these different ingrediants, like everyone gets you know (certainly I fall into this category). There had seemed to be a repitition of replies and it suddenly occured to me that he obviously did not have enough information for himself to see why people were suggesting what they were suggesting :)
The SAD thing is that I was in his town a couple of weeks ago visiting my aunt and uncle in NJ. I'm originally from NJ, just about the same area too. I had to go out there because my sister died and we had to make arrangements, etc. (No sad comments about my sister. They are unnecessary.)
 
the reason I keep bringing it up is because I dont think there has been repititon in the post yet. Everyone says dont use the irish moss and the crystal and then I repeat that I am trying to replicate a vanilla weizen from homebrew heaven and they say use it since that kit does. I guess I am going to have to call HomeBrew Heaven and see if they will give me their measurements for how much of each ingredient.

Of course it is an experiment and the worse thing that is going to happen is I am going to get 5 gallons of beer.


gonna go relax and have a homebrew :D
 
kevy_kev said:
the reason I keep bringing it up is because I dont think there has been repititon in the post yet. Everyone says dont use the irish moss and the crystal and then I repeat that I am trying to replicate a vanilla weizen from homebrew heaven and they say use it since that kit does. I guess I am going to have to call HomeBrew Heaven and see if they will give me their measurements for how much of each ingredient.

Of course it is an experiment and the worse thing that is going to happen is I am going to get 5 gallons of beer.


gonna go relax and have a homebrew :D
Back up a bit. I gave you the recipe and measurements a couple of posts back.:D As for the vanilla, put it in when you think is right )or based upon someone else's recommendation).:D
 
kevy_kev said:
Of course it is an experiment and the worse thing that is going to happen is I am going to get 5 gallons of beer.

And whats even worst is its going to be GREAT beer... terrible.. just terrible...
 
Beer Snob said:
And whats even worst is its going to be GREAT beer... terrible.. just terrible...

and after all that is what we are all here for, to give each other suggestions/guidance and make some GREAT beer.

I think I am going to wing the 10L and see what happens. I would like to keep close to the kit. If no one else likes it I will have no problem drinking it all. :drunk:

Thanks all for advice.

Homebrewer next time your in the area you let me know. Ive got a strawberry pale ale that is really coming around as it conditions longer. :mug:
 
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