Yeast type for wheat beer?

I am about to make my first wheat beer! Then it dawned on me... What yeast do I use ???? lager, ale or is there a wheat specific yeast.

P.S. Im hoping to make a Hoegarrden copy. Any advice would be welcome.

Blaine said:

I am about to make my first wheat beer! Then it dawned on me... What yeast do I use ???? lager, ale or is there a wheat specific yeast.

P.S. Im hoping to make a Hoegarrden copy. Any advice would be welcome.

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Wyeast 3944 is supposedly the actual Hoegaarden strain. White Labs equivalent is WLP400.

Don't forget the orange peel and coriander- that's what gives H/G (or any Wit beer) it's special taste

Mikey said:

Don't forget the orange peel and coriander- that's what gives H/G (or any Wit beer) it's special taste

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Thanks for the tip. I assume you mean freshly zested orange peel but what do I do with the corriander. I mean do you chop it finely or mash it with a mortor and pestal. Do I need to steep it like grains and hops. I dont imagine I can add it whole to the fermenter.

The orange peel is from curacao bitter oranges, the coriander is crushed and both are added similar to hops during the boil.

I've actually found that the combination of these spices and using a large portion of malted wheat in the mash makes a bigger difference in making a Hoegarden clone than the yeast does- in a pinch I've used good old dried Nottingham and couldn't tell the difference!

You might want to look up Wit beer recipes to get the quantities and timing just right. Here's one from a local brewer :

http://brewery.org/gambmug/recs/262.shtml

I have a extract recipes if you want

I am about to make a Weissbier, trying to preserve the simplicity of the German Purity Act, but adding a lb of honey for fun and some more alcohol content. Should I try putting more than just 6 lbs of Wheat Malt Extract thats 65 wheat and 35% barley? I can't think of anything else, but what extract recipes do you have Spoonta?

I would say look at all of the wheat yeast profiles and try to determine your individual taste and determine which one you are looking to taste. American Wheats are clean tasting, german wheats have clove/banana tastes etc... check out White Labs and WYeast's websites and see which profile you want to make.

Ya, it all comes down to whether you want to use dry yeast or liquid yeast. In terms of dry yeast there aren't very many strains available for wheat yeast. In terms of liquid, though, there is plenty of variety. I would suggest using a liquid yeast, even though it costs more, and, as suggested earlier, the White Labs P400 is pretty close as well as a bavarian yeast.

I have your exact beer in my secondary right now. My recipe follows:


4gal boil volume/5gal final in primary

2lbs wheat DME
4lbs coopers wheat/barley blended (60/40) LME
1oz tettnanger (60 min)
1oz Saaz (5 min)
1oz bitter orange peel (5min)
1oz crushed coriander (5min)
Whitelabs belgian wit liquid yeast

When I transferred to secondary I tasted it and it was really close to the Hoegaarden flavor. I can't wait for this one to condition. It's going to be tasty.

Blaine said:

but what do I do with the corriander. I mean do you chop it finely or mash it with a mortor and pestal.

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Just as a side question Blaine when you say 'Coriander' and mention finely chopping it do you mean the green leafy herb?

I used this recipe for hoegaarden black rock whispering wheat 1kg dry malt wheat 15g coriander seeds (crushed) 2Tble of orange peel (remove pith & use zest only), Safale K-97 yeast. Final Volume 21L

Bring 2L of water to the boil, add malt, coriander & orange peel, reduce heat & simmer for 15 mins. Rest for 15 mins then strain. Continue brewing as normal. I made this awhile back very nice

I've used White Labs WLP380 Hefeweizen IV with success.

Caplan said:

Just as a side question Blaine when you say 'Coriander' and mention finely chopping it do you mean the green leafy herb?

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Coriander is the ground seed of the plant...the leafs and stems are called cilantro, over here in the colonies anyway.

El Pistolero said:

Coriander is the ground seed of the plant...the leafs and stems are called cilantro, over here in the colonies anyway.

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Exactly! I noticed Blaine was in Australia and i think they (Like the UK) call the Leafy bits Coriander too. The 'finely chopped' thing just slightly worried me - 'Crushing' seems more appropriate for the seeds we mean here.
I didn't want Blaine making a 'Green' beer!

I'm from Australia, and I would have put in leafy stuff when you said "coriander"...


If not using a wheat-specific yeast, should you use a lager yeast and correspondingly cold fermentation, or is an ale yeast fine?
(Sorry to semi-hijack the thread...)

go the lager yeast

Spoonta,
Last year you posted that you had used the Safale K-97 yeast. I’m interested on what you think of it now. Do you still use it? Over a week ago I used the Safale K-97 yeast for my Hefeweizen. My fermentation is looking great, yet I was wonder how this yeast worked for your beer when you finally drank it.

Paul

Hefe Weizens are ales. Get the exact yeast for your brew or else you won't like the results.