Optimal time to drink a hefe??

Hey guys, Im planning on brewing my first hefe for a party in 2 months. I know that this style does not age well and is best drunken young, but when will it be in its prime???

I was planning on something like 2 week primary, 1 week in the keg at room temp, then 1 week force carbing in the kegerator.

Does this sound about right???

I would say 5-8 weeks is perfect for most.

:EDIT: from brew day. Sorry.

bgough said:

Optimal time to drink a hefe??

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Right now!

jacksonbrown said:

Right now!

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Thank you for your insight...

Mine taste pretty good after two weeks in primary and a week in the bottle.

same goes for wit/wheat??

Conroe said:

Mine taste pretty good after two weeks in primary and a week in the bottle.

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1 week in the bottle? Holy smokes...

On another note, while I agree with "usually young", I have a German Hefe in bottles that tastes better now than it ever has, and it's going on 6 months...

Breakfast?

jacksonbrown said:

Right now!

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bgough said:

Hey guys, Im planning on brewing my first hefe for a party in 2 months. I know that this style does not age well and is best drunken young, but when will it be in its prime???

I was planning on something like 2 week primary, 1 week in the keg at room temp, then 1 week force carbing in the kegerator.

Does this sound about right???

Click to expand...

Depends on the yeast.......if you're using an American style hefe yeast, then it should age a bit longer, if you are using a dry yeast, IMHO, it will be better after a bit more aging. If you are using a german hefe yeast, like the WL German Hefeweizen yeast, then your schedule above should be good. Though, I would recommend skipping the keg, or at least bottling 1/2 the batch so you can taste the difference. Bottled hefe, IMNSHO, is far superior to kegged. Kegging just doesn't lend itself to the "mit hefe" traditional way of drinking it.

Also, temp control during fermentation and aging is far more important than length of aging. Keep it in the low side for an ale.

I usually start drinking my hefe at about 7 to 10 days in the bottle........that reproduces most closely the hefe's I drank in GE.

I have gone as quick as 2 weeks from brew day to belly with excellent results......

HOP-HEAD said:

1 week in the bottle? Holy smokes...

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I test one or two before that and at four days the ones I've brewed always had good carbonation. I like fairly high carbonation with a Hefe and after a week it is always great. If it was brewed without any mistakes it doesn't seem to get much better with age (I've had them around for months to taste.) But remember I live in a desert. After fermentation dies down I move the fermenter to a place at 70-80F and bottle condition at the same temps. If you keep your stuff at 65 or lower for the whole time it would take longer. I can't trust anyone tooting the three week mantra because they probably never even tried it any other way.

Brew now, bottle in 3 weeks and in two months it will be perfect.

3-4 weeks grain to glass is perfect for a bottle conditioned Wit IMO. The Wit I bottled last Saturday was carbed when I checked today, I'll be sampling the first one Saturday. Brew day breakfast is now a Wit and a donut. Tradition!

I made a roggen rgart I kegged after 8 days. It took 2 weeks for it to taste right.