My wife has requested that my next batch be a Hefe. I've been wanting to give partial mash a go, but since Hefes are generally a base grain and some hops, is it a worth while PM? Will I be able to taste any difference from my normal extract Hefe? Or, should I just brew an extract version and hold off on my first PM until I can use some worth while grains?
PM Hefe Worth While?
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ifishsum
Well-Known Member
Why not? Use 50/50 wheat malt/base malt and any other specialty grains the recipe may call for and make up the rest with wheat extract. The PM process is the same whatever you're brewing...and all beers can benefit from it.
The PM Paulaner Hefe-Weizen clone I made a couple of months ago (and now drinking.) is awesome and has gotten the most compliments of any of my beers. It is out of the BYO magazine, clone addition.... Give it a go....you'll both be happy with the results...
Cpt_Kirks
Well-Known Member
Do you have the recipe?
I have seen several Paulaner Hefe clone recipes and they vary by a bit.
I am brewing one up next. It's going to be more of a "MG" (Mostly Grain), with just a pound of light DME and a pound of wheat DME, the rest grain. I have to remember to pick up some more Hallertau, all I have left is an oz of 3%, that might not be enough.
1.5 lbs DME (wheat)
3.75 lbs Weyermann Bavarian Hefeweizen LME (wheat)
2 lbs wheat malt
1 lbs Pilsner malt
1.2 oz Hallertau hops -- 60 min. (I used liberty...came out fine)
WLP 380
I guess it was more of an extract with steeping grains, as opposed to a PM now that I look back at it.... But it still turned out pretty damn good.
Steep grains at 158 for 45 minutes in 4.5 quarts of water than rinse with 1.5 quarts.
3.75 lbs Weyermann Bavarian Hefeweizen LME (wheat)
2 lbs wheat malt
1 lbs Pilsner malt
1.2 oz Hallertau hops -- 60 min. (I used liberty...came out fine)
WLP 380
I guess it was more of an extract with steeping grains, as opposed to a PM now that I look back at it.... But it still turned out pretty damn good.
Steep grains at 158 for 45 minutes in 4.5 quarts of water than rinse with 1.5 quarts.
p4ck37p1mp
Well-Known Member
I'd add a bit of flaked wheat also, helps with head retention, body and the haze that is hard to do with extract.
Cpt_Kirks
Well-Known Member
Shawn Hargreaves
Well-Known Member
I think it would be worthwhile. Doing your own mash can give you fresher flavors regardless of how simple the grain bill is. In fact I think it probably makes more of a difference for simpler beers where all the flavor comes from the base malt!
My only word of caution would be that wheat can be be seriously sticky. If you try this, be sure to include a pound or so of rice hulls to help with the runoff. Or you might want to try an all-barley recipe as your first mash, so you can get used to the process before tackling such an awkward grain as wheat.
That said, my first PM was a Wit that included both wheat and oats
Yeah, it got stuck. But I worked it out in the end and the beer was great!
My only word of caution would be that wheat can be be seriously sticky. If you try this, be sure to include a pound or so of rice hulls to help with the runoff. Or you might want to try an all-barley recipe as your first mash, so you can get used to the process before tackling such an awkward grain as wheat.
That said, my first PM was a Wit that included both wheat and oats
Yeah, it got stuck. But I worked it out in the end and the beer was great!
HoppyDaze
Well-Known Member
I brewed the same or similar recipe. Primary for 28 days, then to bottles. I tasted after one week in bottles and boy was it funky. Tasted really fruity and weird. How long did your beers bottle condition?
The Hallertau is 4.77 AAU (1.2 oz of 4% Alpha Acids). I didn't bottle but chose to keg. I wasn't sure how wise this was because the day after I kegged it there was a thread started on here about how you shouldn't keg a Hefe. Well...it came out just fine and tasty. Head retention was no problem, and beer has stayed pretty cloudy and hasn't cleared a whole bunch from the sediment being sucked out first. I'd let anything you bottle condition go at least 3 weeks....(even with a Hefe), 4-5 weeks is even better.....
I think it would be worthwhile. Doing your own mash can give you fresher flavors regardless of how simple the grain bill is. In fact I think it probably makes more of a difference for simpler beers where all the flavor comes from the base malt!
My only word of caution would be that wheat can be be seriously sticky. If you try this, be sure to include a pound or so of rice hulls to help with the runoff. Or you might want to try an all-barley recipe as your first mash, so you can get used to the process before tackling such an awkward grain as wheat.
That said, my first PM was a Wit that included both wheat and oats
That's a good point. What if I used Wheat DME and just mashed two row? It might throw the wheat/barley ratio off a bit, but still might taste good.
RayInUT
Well-Known Member
What is the recipe?
