Hefe extract...when to add to boil

I've read that some people add their extract later in the boil so the wort has a lighter color. Any suggestions on when to add the extract to my Hefe?

The AHS kit has the extract added then boiled for 60 min.

Put in a pound or so at first of boil to help the hops and the rest with 15 mins. left in boil.

You also have to change your hop additions unless you want it to come out twice as bitter as the recipe calls for, which I really doubt you'd be happy with in a hefe.

There is plenty of information on this technique which is referred to as "late extract addition", try searching.

It is easy to do and can have a positive effect on your beer, but you do need to pay attention to the changes in hop utilization if you're working from a recipe that doesn't call for late extract addition. If you're using brewing software and making your own recipes, it's no trouble at all.

Funkenjaeger said:

You also have to change your hop additions unless you want it to come out twice as bitter as the recipe calls for, which I really doubt you'd be happy with in a hefe.

There is plenty of information on this technique which is referred to as "late extract addition", try searching.

It is easy to do and can have a positive effect on your beer, but you do need to pay attention to the changes in hop utilization if you're working from a recipe that doesn't call for late extract addition. If you're using brewing software and making your own recipes, it's no trouble at all.

Click to expand...

I did some research.

The recipe calls for 7lb wheat extract and then boiling for 60 min while adding 3/4 oz hallertau at the start of the 60 min and 1/4 oz in the last 5 min for aroma.


I plan on adding around 3 lb LME at start and adding only about 1/2 oz. of the hallertau at start and using the same 1/4 oz for aroma in the last 5 min.

Does this sound like im moving in the right direction?

Important question: How much water are you boiling?

homebrewer_99 said:

Important question: How much water are you boiling?

Click to expand...

it calls for 2.5 gal

As I was reading most threads on this topic you were the person I wanted to contact.

I saw your recipe posted in a thread but it just said to add the hops and not how much...any suggestions?

How much water can you boil at a time? The bigger the boil, the lighter the color.

Of course, if you're boiling more water, you'll need to cool more wort...do you have a chiller?

Yuri_Rage said:

How much water can you boil at a time? The bigger the boil, the lighter the color.

Of course, if you're boiling more water, you'll need to cool more wort...do you have a chiller?

Click to expand...

no chiller at the moment, 2.5 gal is prob the most i can boil right now with the pot to leave enough room to protect against boil over easily.

edit: I do chill, just with a sink full of ice water

If you read Papazian's TCJOHB book there's a chart on Hop Utilization.

Try to maintain a 1:1 ratio of water to lbs of malt in the boil. In your case 2.5 gals:2.5 lbs of malt, then all your hops. HWs usually only use bottering hops.

After 45 mins you can remove the pot from the heat and stir in the rest of the malt. Boil another 15 mins or just let it sit (steep) and pasteurize.

If you are using LME there's not much you can do to control the overall color. I'd recommend switching to DME for that.

I'll have to check the recipe for the hops, but I usually only use 3%AA, but I also don't use 7 lbs of malt (5-6 lbs) so your beer will be stronger and should have more body than mine.

What's the AA% of your hops? If it's higher than 3% then divide the larger number into the smaller to get a weight to use. Example: a recipe calls for 3% and you have 4.5%. Divide 4.5 into 3 for .66 oz. Conversely, if a recipe asks for 4.8% and all you have are 3.4 divide the smaller into the larger...1.41 oz of the 3.4% hops to equal the 4.8%.

Good luck.

I just ran the numbers. .75 oz of Hallertau (4.0% AA) in a 2.5 gallon boil topped up to 5 gallons nets you 6.6 IBUs if you add the extract at the beginning of the boil.

Adding 3 lbs of extract at the beginning with the remainder at the end results in 11.0 IBUs.

6.6 IBUs is barely enough in any beer (and doesn't meet the style guidelines of 8.0-15.0 in a German Weisen). I'd recommend doing a late extract addition and using the entire .75 oz of hops.

Also, you might consider skipping the flavor addition. Flavor hops aren't generally used in Weiss beers. However, if you want to keep the flavor hops, don't correct them for a late extract beer - the change in utilization will be negligible when adding them with less than 10 minutes to go in the boil.

thanks for the tips and info everyone.

I went with a 2.5 gal/2.5 lb LME for 45 min with the 3/4 oz. hallertau

Took off the heat and added about 3.5 lb of LME instead of the full 4.5 left and tossed the 1/4 oz hops for the last 5 min.

Also, basically hit the goal OG of 1.050 which landed at 1.048



I set it up with a blow off tube, with about 4 inches of cleaning solution in the bucket.

Sounds great. It should be bottled before I come back from my Korean trip...good luck

Home Brewski said:

I set it up with a blow off tube, with about 4 inches of cleaning solution in the bucket.

Click to expand...

Did you get much blowoff?

You said you got the kit from Austin Homebrew? Did you get the Gold Seal?

I'm boiling my Gold Seal German Hefe tomorrow & was just curious b/c I'm trying not to make it too bitter.

Thanks in advance.

redneckbeagle said:

Did you get much blowoff?

Click to expand...

not much at all...its a 6.5 gallon bucket and it was fine. It was fermenting at lower temps and stayed in the 70 range for the first week.

Kernsie said:

You said you got the kit from Austin Homebrew? Did you get the Gold Seal?

I'm boiling my Gold Seal German Hefe tomorrow & was just curious b/c I'm trying not to make it too bitter.

Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

and this is the exact kit I used

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_452_42_163&products_id=318

with the WLP300 yeast.

Yuri_Rage said:

I just ran the numbers. .75 oz of Hallertau (4.0% AA) in a 2.5 gallon boil topped up to 5 gallons nets you 6.6 IBUs if you add the extract at the beginning of the boil.

Adding 3 lbs of extract at the beginning with the remainder at the end results in 11.0 IBUs.

Click to expand...

I'm confused... the late addition netted MORE IBUs? Wouldn't more malt = more hops utilization?

I'm confused... the late addition netted MORE IBUs? Wouldn't more malt = more hops utilization?

Click to expand...

There are a few threads discussing this.
Higher gravity in the boil leads to less efficient hop utilization. Think of it like this: water is a solvent that extracts oils from the hops. If the water is "busy" solvating malt, there is less of it to extract the oils from the hops.

Fenster said:

There are a few threads discussing this.
Higher gravity in the boil leads to less efficient hop utilization. Think of it like this: water is a solvent that extracts oils from the hops. If the water is "busy" solvating malt, there is less of it to extract the oils from the hops.

Click to expand...

Well I learned a new word today.

Actually, the way you worded it makes it very easy to visualize.

Figure Ill throw in an update.

Its been in the primary for 2 weeks and I took a reading just now and its down to 1.012 which is right on the button.

Took a sip of the test sample and all I can say is the taste is right on. No off flavors and a great smell. Off to bottle and have a nice supply for the family to enjoy for xmas eve.