Dry Hopping a Wheat?

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Warpig75

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8 days ago I made a blue star wheat beer clone (partial mash) and after a lot of reading on these forums I have a few questions:

1) I bought an extra ounce of cascade hops to dry hop my wheat beer but now im wondering: should I even dry hop it? Is a wheat beer a type of beer you actually dry hop?

2) Should I bother racking my wheat to a secondary? From what I've read you dont rack wheat beers to a secondary because they dont need to cleared.

3) How long should i let my wheat beer sit in the primary? I've read about the 1-2-3 tactic but many others have said they let their beer sit in the primary for weeks on end and then go straight to bottle/keg.

My plan was to rack to the secondary this weekend (only giving the primary a week), dry hop it for two weeks, and then bottle condition for 3. Now after all the reading I've done I dont know if Im coming or going. I know, I know, RDWHAHB but I guess Im just looking for some sound advice :)
 
It's not something that is usually hoppy.. I have tasted a dry hopped wheat and liked it. So i say go for it and tell us how it went..

I'm a hop head anyway. :mug:
 
issack said:
It's not something that is usually hoppy.. I have tasted a dry hopped wheat and liked it. So i say go for it and tell us how it went..

I'm a hop head anyway. :mug:
Click to expand...

i hear you there... thats why i wanted to dry hop it. I definitely like the hops.

Should I rack to the secondary to dry hop it or can i just toss them in the primary?

Im definitely trying to eliminate the little "yeast cakes" you get with bottled home brews so I wondering if getting it off the trub and into the secondary is going to help.
 
Were home brewers mother ****a! We dont need to follow no stinkin rules. Go for it! Its not something that is typically done but who gives a ****!?
I wouldnt bother to rack to secondary just to dry hop a wheat. But Im also lazy. Id just toss them rigt in the primary.
Racking that wheat to secondary is not going to eliminate the sediment but thats not at all bad in this case. Alot of people pour most of the beer then swirl the bottle to lift the sediment and pour it right in the glass. I forget what the term for that is called but wheat yeasts are meanto be really tasted.
 
Welcome to HBT from someone who visits West Hartford/Farmington pretty often.

In response:
1) It's your beer, so if you want to dry hop it, go right on ahead. Generally German wheat beers aren't dry hopped, so if you want to brew according to style, then don't. The reason I said 'generally' is that there is a relatively new beer on the market that is a dry hopped wheat. I tried it, it was interesting, however I don't know if I'd want two cases of it. Here's a link to a review of it: Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse

2) You're right - a secondary isn't necessary for a wheat.

3) I recently quit using secondaries. A longer primary is better for avoiding off-flavors (diacetyl, etc), plus the longer primary allows the beer to clear better. For your wheat, a week or so is probably good, a little longer is better. Your yeast may not settle out much anyway, so the extra time won't clear it up too much. Use a hydrometer though to ensure your fermentation is complete.

Good luck with your beer. I assume it's your first, and I recall fondly how good the first one tastes.
 
visit often all the way from MI? cool! Do you come here for business or the inlaws? Only two reasons I can think of ;)

thanks for the review link. It's actually my 4th batch but it might as well be my first - Im still getting the hang of the brew process.

Im gonna throw caution to the wind and just dry hop it anyways - If it comes out weird i can use it at late night/back up beer :)

so I should just give it another week in the primary and then bottle it?

after 2 weeks in the primary how long should I let it bottle condition?

BrianP said:
Welcome to HBT from someone who visits West Hartford/Farmington pretty often.

In response:
1) It's your beer, so if you want to dry hop it, go right on ahead. Generally German wheat beers aren't dry hopped, so if you want to brew according to style, then don't. The reason I said 'generally' is that there is a relatively new beer on the market that is a dry hopped wheat. I tried it, it was interesting, however I don't know if I'd want two cases of it. Here's a link to a review of it: Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse

2) You're right - a secondary isn't necessary for a wheat.

3) I recently quit using secondaries. A longer primary is better for avoiding off-flavors (diacetyl, etc), plus the longer primary allows the beer to clear better. For your wheat, a week or so is probably good, a little longer is better. Your yeast may not settle out much anyway, so the extra time won't clear it up too much. Use a hydrometer though to ensure your fermentation is complete.

Good luck with your beer. I assume it's your first, and I recall fondly how good the first one tastes.
Click to expand...
 
"Technically" it still falls in line with the Reinheitsgebot :D

Dude, you can do whatever you want in your homebrew regardless of what style guidelines say. That's why they're considered "guide lines"
 
Yeah, I visit for business.

Before you dry hop it, give that beer I linked a try. I thought it was pretty good, but not something I'd want every day. Style guidelines are just guidelines. This is America, right?
 

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