First Hefeweizen...Feedback

This is my first Hefeweizen. Brewing this for our annual week at our family camp. Love Hefe's but am certainly no expert in the style. My plan is an easy drinking, thirst quenching hefe with some subtle honey mixed in with the banana/clove undertones that should develop from the strain of yeast.

I know the crystal is prob unnecessary but it does add a bit of color I am looking for. Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

In regards to the honey, I know actual honey wont add honey taste as it will ferment out. That's why I am adding the Honey malt. But the question is when to add the honey...beginning boil, flameout, primary? I am leaning 1/2 at flameout, 1/2 in primary...

Type: All Grain
Date: 3/30/2010
Batch Size: 10.50 gal
Brewer: William & Joseph
Boil Size: 13.12 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: W&J's Extreme Cooler/Keggle
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
10.00 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 43.48 %
8.00 lb Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 34.78 %
1.50 lb Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 6.52 %
1.00 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 4.35 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 2.17 %
1.25 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] (60 min) Hops 8.5 IBU
1.25 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] (20 min) Hops 5.2 IBU
2.00 lb Honey (1.0 SRM) Sugar 8.70 %
2 Pkgs Weihenstephan Weizen (Wyeast Labs #3068) Yeast-Wheat



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.058 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.055 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.014 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.015 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.80 %
Bitterness: 13.7 IBU Calories: 246 cal/pint
Est Color: 6.9 SRM Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Light Body Total Grain Weight: 21.00 lb
Sparge Water: 5.88 gal Grain Temperature: 72.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 72.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Single Infusion, Light Body Step Time Name Description Step Temp
75 min Mash In Add 26.25 qt of water at 161.4 F 150.0 F
10 min Mash Out Add 16.80 qt of water at 200.2 F 168.0 F



Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).

I made an American honey wheat where I used Honey Malt and Orange Blossom honey. Not sure how much honey flavor the Honey Malt added but the 1# of honey I added left behind a nice subtle orange flavor.

I added the honey to mine around the 5th day of fermentation. Just remember that when you add honey it will fully ferment which will result in a dryer beer.

That's going to be substantially sweeter and maltier than a bavarian hefeweizen, if that is what you are going for.

Fermentation temperature is everything with that yeast. I've had good results at 62 and also pitching at 58 and rising to 65. If you ferment warm it's too much banana IMO. The temperatures I mentioned above give a good balance of banana and clove with neither at obnoxious levels.

Remilard, what would you suggest to alter to bring it more in line with a Bav. Hefe?

Drop all the specialties and go with 50/50 wheat/2row is generally accepted as a traditional hefe grain bill IIRC. Also, I believe you only want a bittering addition for the hopping schedule.

I actually brewed up a batch of hefe yesterday that went like this:
10# 2-row
9.25# white wheat (all I had)
18IBU hops @ 60

I came up way over volume and way under gravity (1.038 @ 12 gallons) but it'll still be beer!

remilard said:

That's going to be substantially sweeter and maltier than a bavarian hefeweizen, if that is what you are going for.

Fermentation temperature is everything with that yeast. I've had good results at 62 and also pitching at 58 and rising to 65. If you ferment warm it's too much banana IMO. The temperatures I mentioned above give a good balance of banana and clove with neither at obnoxious levels.

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Agree 100%

williamgardner said:

Remilard, what would you suggest to alter to bring it more in line with a Bav. Hefe?

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Use Wheat, Pils, a little Munich (1.5 to 2lbs in 10 gallons) maybe a dash of Carafa II or III for color
Decoction mash
Hop once at 60 minutes
Make a starter

Thanks for all the suggestions....Another question...how would you describe the style in my recipe? How do you think it would turn out?

I"m going to suggest the beecave brewery hefe recipe on this site. I made it and its by far my best beer to date. I used a mix of red and white wheat. I did end up with a much higher efficiency than on any other brew i've done, and overshot the alcohol by a bit, but its still excellent.
I fermented at 67 and had a predominance of banana esters, which is the wife's preference.
I'm not sure i'd use 2x yeast, just make a starter from 1 pack.
Many claim that stressing the yeast is part of what develops some of those flavors we all like in a hefe.
Warning - use a blowoff tube, and expect the fermentation to raise the temp several degrees, its vigorous. I actually blew the foil off my stirplate on this one. Next time I will use a 1L starter instead of a 2L

williamgardner said:

Thanks for all the suggestions....Another question...how would you describe the style in my recipe? How do you think it would turn out?

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Honey Hefeweizen, maybe (a made up style). I think the main issue is all those other flavors will be competing with the Hefe yeast (even more so if you ferment at high temps). If I were to make that recipe, I'd use a more neutral American wheat yeast.