Any tips on my first Hefe?

With the great success of my first batch ever which was a West Coast Pale Ale, Im planning on making a Hefe next.

First off, are there any different techniques needed when making this type of beer opposed to making a general ale?

Second I plan on buying a carboy for my secondary this week as well. Will a Hefe excel when doing the usual 1 week primary, 2 week secondary, 3 week bottle (all depending on the gravity of course)? or are there other techniques such as keeping in a primary and skipping a secondary etc.

Basically throw all your knowledge of making a superb Hefe at me...thanks.

No need for a secondary with a Hefe.

Leave it in primary for 10-14 days (your hydrometer will tell you when it's done) then bottle/keg.

Only thing you get without one racking is a lot more trub in your bottles (assuming you don't filter)

-RS

i just bottled my first hefe...recipe compliments of input from Oflannigain and Tenchiro, 9 days from brew to bottle. probably gonna crack one this weekend and see how it is.

it was very very simple and cheap to do, and its got that great infamous banana nose to it.

Are you doing this AG or extract?

I've used the Safale Wheat Beer yeast and it was great. It's worth giving it a try. Don't go overboard on hops. I recommend Hallertau, Saaz or Cascade. Good luck.

thanks for the ideas, this is only my second brew so Im going extract from AHS..here is the breakdown.

AHS Bavarian Hefeweizen

This authentic German-style wheat beer is light colored and fruity with clove-like spicy notes. If you ferment at a warmer temperature, more banana flavor will occur. If you ferment at a lower temperature, more clove flavor will occur. You can balance the flavor if you ferment between 70-74 F degrees. This recipe features Carapils grain, Hallertau hops, and 7 lbs. liquid malt extract. O.G. = 1.048. Approximately 5% ABV.

using the Wyeast 3068

Blowoff tube! Hefe yeast is extremely violent.

Personally, I wasn't happy with a 74 degree fermentation last time I used 3068, I think it would have come out better in the 68-70 range, which I'll try next time.

-D

i liked my hefe better when i used Weyerman pilsener instead of GW 2 row.

I used WLP320 in my first hefe and it turned out fantastic. Lower clove and banana taste, just like blue moon.

Kubed said:

I used WLP320 in my first hefe and it turned out fantastic. Lower clove and banana taste, just like blue moon.

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ya...i heard WLP300 is good for a more banana taste. I also live in MA so getting it at temps around 68 in the basement shouldn't be a problem.

and a blowoff tube is duly noted

Home Brewski said:

ya...i heard WLP300 is good for a more banana taste. I also live in MA so getting it at temps around 68 in the basement shouldn't be a problem.

and a blowoff tube is duly noted

Click to expand...

If you want to maximize the banana aroma, DON'T make a starter. Just pitch the yeast from the vial. Note, hefeweizens are the only style I occasionally pitch without the starter. If I want more clove aroma, the starter is employed...