When and how shoul I bottle Hefe Wheat beer

I'm just about to brew up some wheat beer.
I usually make cask conditioned English ale. I've made a barrel of wheat beer successfully, tasted great but missed the fizz and the full flavour of yeasty sediment normal associated with beers such as Erdinger.
I need to know a basic method for bottling. The recipe details I have don't describe how long to ferment, whether I should condition before bottling or how I bottle.
What gravity should I transfer from the fermented if my original gravity is 1052?
What sort of vessel should I use to condition before bottling bin or pressure barrel?
When is the right time for Bottling?
Should I prime the beer before bottling with some saved wort and add a little yeast etc. or is there an easier technique for my first effort?
Many thanks for any help
Hamstead Hombrewer.

There's no special techniques required, pretty much the same as fermenting and bottling any other beer.

I tend to use a little more DME (spray malt) than average to get the higher carbonation levels, but that's my preference. There is no need to add more yeast, there's tons available in the beer.

Any of the standard reference books will give you a full rundown on how to bottle homebrew.

I would figure on 2 weeks in the primary, straight into bottles with 3/4cup corn sugar. Boil a cup of water and dissolve the corn sugar, then pour that mixture into your bottling bucket before adding the beer. No need to secondary this beer!

3/4-cup plus 1tbsp will give you a "little" more carbonation.

3/4 c corn sugar or 1.25 c DME is the usual doasage. I up that in the winter months to get more carbonation.

You could do a primary for 3 days and a secondary for 4 then bottle.

I don't adhere to any of those prescriptions myself because I usually stir up the yeast from the bottom to get it cloudy again.

yeh... its gonna be cloudy one way or another so why even bother taking it off the cake.

I have a batch I am drinking now. I did exactly as sirsloop described - two weeks, and right to bottle. It has been in the bottles about three weeks now and it is plenty ready, very carbonated, decent head retention and no longer "green" tasting - decently clear too, for a wheat beer. My only regret is that I used 12 ounce bottles. Something about a hefe says 16 to 20 ounce bottles is the way to go.

so if i understand what i am reading here, hefeweizen's do not require a conditioning/clearing stage in a secondary...

i am planning on doing this kit from AHBS next...
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=318


do you guys just recommend primary time only, then bottling?

Correct. It is not necessary, and some believe it a waste of time, to do a secondary.

As long as the brew is within the limits for the FG then you're good to go...bottle that is.

homebrewer_99 said:

Correct. It is not necessary, and some believe it a waste of time, to do a secondary.

As long as the brew is within the limits for the FG then you're good to go...bottle that is.

Click to expand...

so this applies to hefe's only, correct?

all other beer's benefit from the conditioning of the secondary, correct?

BrewProject said:

so this applies to hefe's only, correct? all other beer's benefit from the conditioning of the secondary, correct?

Click to expand...

Correct.

Secondaries are great for allowing your brew time to clear and mellow (some).

Some hefe weizens can benefit from a secondary if it smells high in sulphur. You need to let that age out of the brew.

homebrewer_99 said:

Correct.

Secondaries are great for allowing your brew time to clear and mellow (some).

Some hefe weizens can benefit from a secondary if it smells high in sulphur. You need to let that age out of the brew.

Click to expand...

cool, thanks.

when i brew my hefe, i guess a good smell and taste is in order for determining if i need a secondary...

BrewProject said:

so this applies to hefe's only, correct?

all other beer's benefit from the conditioning of the secondary, correct?

Click to expand...

Well now this is a whole different question. I use a secondary often but not all the time. My "house brew" (a Califormia style red ale is probably the best description) also goes two weeks primary and right to bottle, and it suits me just fine. Other steps, when I have experimented with them, have not increased my enjoyment of this beer.

SteveM said:

Well now this is a whole different question. I use a secondary often but not all the time. My "house brew" (a Califormia style red ale is probably the best description) also goes two weeks primary and right to bottle, and it suits me just fine. Other steps, when I have experimented with them, have not increased my enjoyment of this beer.

Click to expand...

so it sounds like a trial and error thing...,

but it also sounds like most beers do better with a secondary.

thanks for the input

SteveM said:

I have a batch I am drinking now. I did exactly as sirsloop described - two weeks, and right to bottle. It has been in the bottles about three weeks now and it is plenty ready, very carbonated, decent head retention and no longer "green" tasting - decently clear too, for a wheat beer. My only regret is that I used 12 ounce bottles. Something about a hefe says 16 to 20 ounce bottles is the way to go.

Click to expand...

What I would like to try and achieve is the right amount of yeast sediment in the bottle which, as with Erdinger HeffeWiezen gives the beer its full flavour. I observe alot of sediment in my ferminter when making English Ale. I don't know if some of this should be in the mix for bottling (mmmm)?

Hamstead Brewer said:

What I would like to try and achieve is the right amount of yeast sediment in the bottle which, as with Erdinger HeffeWiezen gives the beer its full flavour. I observe alot of sediment in my ferminter when making English Ale. I don't know if some of this should be in the mix for bottling (mmmm)?

Click to expand...

Wheat beers are very slow to clear. You'll find that they'll be plenty of yeast for both carbonation and the cloudy effect if you follow standard beer making and bottling procedures. It ain't rocket science like some would make out.