Newb question about hefeweizens from primary to a clearing carboy

Do I really need to do this? I have read no BUT what about the trub. I have read that it will make the beer taste funky and that's why one should always do a clearing. Sorry if this is obvious for vets here but I'm a noob so be kind.

Cheers
KCBB

Hefes dont need a secondary. They are supposed to be cloudy. and If you just leave your primary where your going to rack from then you dont need to worry about trub when bottling. Just stay up from it an inch or two when racking.

The Hefeweizen should be cloudy, possibly with yeast goo floating in it, yum. Just avoid the trub when going to your bottling bucket. You could seconday, but they you'd end up with a kristalweizen, or clear wheat beer. IT would be good, but lose some of the hefe, yeast, character.

AndrwHock said:

The Hefeweizen should be cloudy, possibly with yeast goo floating in it, yum. Just avoid the trub when going to your bottling bucket. You could seconday, but they you'd end up with a kristalweizen, or clear wheat beer. IT would be good, but lose some of the hefe, yeast, character.

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I thought that Kristalweissbier (comercial versions) had no yeast in suspension.

KCBruinsBrew said:

Do I really need to do this? I have read no BUT what about the trub. I have read that it will make the beer taste funky and that's why one should always do a clearing. Sorry if this is obvious for vets here but I'm a noob so be kind.

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No!

[thwaps with rolled-up newspaper]

Bad n00b!



Seriously, you'd need to leave the beer on the trub for quite a long time indeed before any off flavors would be imparted. For a wheat beer that's supposed to be consumed fresh - like hefeweizen - three or four weeks in the primary is all the fermentation that's really necessary. When the vigorous primary ferment is finished, give it a week to rest and the flavors to meld, then package.

If you left the beer on the trub for six months, that'd be different!

Cheers,

Bob

Thanks all, I really appreciate it. I may then do back to backs, a IPA or amber and a Hef after the secondary.

For my own IPA's I only let them prmary for 10 days then bottle. If you are using a true hefe yeast you will find it hard to clarify though since they have a very low rate of flocculation

John_Peters said:

I thought that Kristalweissbier (comercial versions) had no yeast in suspension.

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Thats why its called kristalweissbier. It is a filtered wheat. Go buy a Paulaner Hefeweizen. There will be yeast sediment in the bottle.

I don't secondary my hefes. Primary for 10-14 days. If gravity readings are consistent, straight to the bottle. I wish I kegged. I could be drinking a hefe in 3 weeks.

When I want a Kristalweissbier - I have it primary for 2-3 weeks, then rack to secondary, 1 week at fermentation temp, then I crash cool it for another week. Rack to keg and it is pretty clear. 1 week, first draw has some yeast then it is nicely clear.

BobNQ3X said:

No!

[thwaps with rolled-up newspaper]

Bad n00b!



Seriously, you'd need to leave the beer on the trub for quite a long time indeed before any off flavors would be imparted. For a wheat beer that's supposed to be consumed fresh - like hefeweizen - three or four weeks in the primary is all the fermentation that's really necessary. When the vigorous primary ferment is finished, give it a week to rest and the flavors to meld, then package.

If you left the beer on the trub for six months, that'd be different!

Cheers,

Bob

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When I strained my wort into my primary my hops (pellets) really clogged the heck out of my strainer. So i stirred and stirred to get all the wort into the primary. I know it's supposed to be cloudy, but i think some of the particulate is actually hops. Right now the yeast is going too good to let it settle, but I was hoping that a rack into a secondary once it's done would allow more chance for it to settle, since I would be racking it a SECOND time to get into the keg. Hopefully leaving a yeast cake behind the first time, and whatever left over hop particles in the secondary. Next time i'll be running a big strainer on top of the funnel, and then the fine one in the spout of the funnel.

I just cracked open a few bottles of hefe that I made from extract and while it great it turned out clear. I mean this is the clearest beer I've made yet and totally unintentionally. it was only in the primary for about 7 or 8 days before I bottled and spent 3 weeks carbing/condition in the bottles and it just doesnt look like a hefe whatsoever. it tastes like one and they're going fast but for some reason just real clear. I'm chocking it up to being a pure extract . . . man I need to get this all grain thing going and soon.

GregR said:

I just cracked open a few bottles of hefe that I made from extract and while it great it turned out clear. I mean this is the clearest beer I've made yet and totally unintentionally. it was only in the primary for about 7 or 8 days before I bottled and spent 3 weeks carbing/condition in the bottles and it just doesnt look like a hefe whatsoever. it tastes like one and they're going fast but for some reason just real clear. I'm chocking it up to being a pure extract . . . man I need to get this all grain thing going and soon.

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Just swirl the bottle to break the yeast sediment off the bottom.

natelatte said:

When I strained my wort into my primary my hops (pellets) really clogged the heck out of my strainer. So i stirred and stirred to get all the wort into the primary. I know it's supposed to be cloudy, but i think some of the particulate is actually hops. Right now the yeast is going too good to let it settle, but I was hoping that a rack into a secondary once it's done would allow more chance for it to settle, since I would be racking it a SECOND time to get into the keg. Hopefully leaving a yeast cake behind the first time, and whatever left over hop particles in the secondary. Next time i'll be running a big strainer on top of the funnel, and then the fine one in the spout of the funnel.

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Hops and other trub getting into the primary isn't that big of a deal. In fact, most of it should have settled by now; it usually only takes a couple of days for the cold-break and hops materials to settle out. The process of fermentation won't keep it in suspension.

Next time, prevent strainer clogging by siphoning the wort into the fermenter. Sanitize a spoon - plastic or stainless - and, as the wort is chilling in the kettle, set up a whirlpool by giving the wort a good stir. Make sure you stir all in the same direction! Three or four stirs ought to set up enough movement. Once the movement dies down, you're safe to start siphoning. Keep the tip of the siphon near the wall of the kettle, as the whirlpool will have set up a nice pile of gunk near the center of the kettle floor. That's the stuff you're trying to avoid.

Cheers,

Bob

Thanks.. thats a great and logical idea. I was just thinking of pouring it for the sake of aerating it, but there are other ways.. Siphoning it with the wirlpool actually sounds easier.