My 1st All Grain Hefeweizen

So this is my 1st attempt at all grain, hope all goes well. It smells delicious. I also put Vodka in the airlock to up the ABV

Mash

5 Lbs Pilsner malt
2.5 Lbs Wheat malt
2.5 Lbs Flaked Wheat
1 Package of Bitter Orange peel

Hops
0.75 Oz Hallertau (45 Min)
0.25 Oz Hallertau (15 Min)


1st put into carboy



8 Hours Later! Fermenting away!

what temp you fermenting at?

Looks good

Just curious.....Why are you going to transfer?

fermenting at 75. I've done secondary's with both my batches that ive done. I also only use glass carboys, no plastic buckets.

Leave it in the primary. There is no need to transfer a Hefe to a secondary. In fact the vast majority of the time there is no need to transfer. Read this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/secondary-not-john-palmer-jamil-zainasheff-weigh-176837/

a little lighter on wheat than suggested. 60-65 wheat/35-40 pilsner or pale is closer. nice hop choice. adding the orange is halfway turning it into a wit ( my favorite style... just some coriander needed ). still, a tasty beer coming up

Color me a newb...but how does putting vodka in the airlock up the ABV?

the liquid in the airlock sometimes backdraws into the fermenter, and you have to refill it

MyNameIsPaul said:

Color me a newb...but how does putting vodka in the airlock up the ABV?

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Total myth. Even if you took all of the vodka from the airlock and dumped it in the batch, it would probably only raise the abv by .00001

i've never used anything but water, anyway.... and never had contamination. maybe it's for barleywine, so it can age for years???!!!???

what yeast did you use?

white lab WLP300

+1 no secondary for a hefe.

I do 2 weeks in primary then prime and bottle.

Is there any problem with using a secondary with a hefeweizen? I plan to secondary mine this weekend so I can dryhop it.

Ludovico said:

Is there any problem with using a secondary with a hefeweizen? I plan to secondary mine this weekend so I can dryhop it.

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No problem really, you will just be clearing up a beer that is meant to have a "yeasty" haze to it, it just won't be as true to style. But if you are dry hoping it you are already going a little different so why not.

Dry hop in the primary maybe?

Ludovico said:

Is there any problem with using a secondary with a hefeweizen? I plan to secondary mine this weekend so I can dryhop it.

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I'm giddy as a school girl with the thought of a dry hopped hefeweizen. What are you tossing into it? I bet it's tasty.

SwampassJ said:

I'm giddy as a school girl with the thought of a dry hopped hefeweizen. What are you tossing into it? I bet it's tasty.

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Yeah, the idea sounded delicious in my head too

I had Hallertau additions at 60 min, 10 min, 5 min and 1 min (3oz total), and I am going to dryhop a 1/2oz each of Centennial and Hallertau. Taking a new school/American approach to a traditional Bavarian. OG was 1.072 so it'll be a little heftier too.

I'm worried that dryhopping on the trub will muddy the flavor of the noble hops. Will racking to a secondary clear up the cloudiness substantially?

Ludovico said:

I'm worried that dryhopping on the trub will muddy the flavor of the noble hops. Will racking to a secondary clear up the cloudiness substantially?

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Well racking onto a secondary is exactly what you do to clear up cloudiness, I have heard of people adding a little flour at bottling to give the beer a nice haze if it is something you are really wanting to keep, otherwise just be sure to give the yeast a good rousing when you go to pour (I roll the bottle on the counter a few times) and you should be fine (if you are bottle conditioning that is).

Ludovico said:

Is there any problem with using a secondary with a hefeweizen? I plan to secondary mine this weekend so I can dryhop it.

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Personally I would say do not secondary or dry hop your hefeweizen. You get your flavor and aroma from the hefeweizen yeast. WLP300 and WY3068 are truly delicious, but they flavors they churn out don't mesh well with hops.

I'm a hop head, but I personally don't like anything but bittering additions in my hefeweizens.

Ouroboros said:

I'm a hop head, but I personally don't like anything but bittering additions in my hefeweizens.

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Try a fresh bottle of Schneider Edel-Weisse. I don't think you'll be able to repeat that sentiment afterwards.

944play said:

Try a fresh bottle of Schneider Edel-Weisse. I don't think you'll be able to repeat that sentiment afterwards.

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Amazing beer. Also, Schneider/Brooklyn's Hopfenweisse is life changing.

Ludovico said:

Amazing beer. Also, Schneider/Brooklyn's Hopfenweisse is life changing.

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Whoa! Supper hoppy, hef? I am not sure that I would want all those hops, with the bubble gum banana yeast.

I am brewing this, in a few hours.

5 pounds two row
5 pounds white wheat
.75 oz amarillo at 60
.50 oz amarillo at 5
.50 oz amarillo at FO
1 oz amarillo dry hop
pacman yeast

Is OP shooting for american wheat, or heife?