Hefeweizen Mash Schedule

Hey everyone.
So I'm scheming up a recipe for a Hefeweizen.

I'm doing a 50:50 ratio of German Wheat Malt to 2-row German Pils.
I intend on using White Lab WLP300 yeast.
No rices hulls based on my mash schedule (see below).

From all sorts of reading I've done here's my proposed mash schedule:

Acid: 120degF @ 10 minutes (0.50 grist/water ratio)
Maltose: 145degF @ 30 minutes (1.25)
Intermediate: 150degF @ 15 minutes (1.5)
Dextrinization: 158degF @ 60 minutes (2)
Mash-Out: 168degF @ 5 minutes (2.8)

I need some opinions. I implemented an acid rest into the Hochkurz Infusion Mashing Technique...this make sense? Thanks!

I don't think you'll be able to stir the mash at .5 qt/lb. Decoction might be more appropriate.

I'm only at like 7+ gallons in the mashtun. I suppose I can raise the ratios a little bit. Maybe 0.75 or 1?

120 is too high for a acid rest. It's a protein rest.

Your acid rest would be around 89 and then a protein rest would be around 120.

Personally I would do a triple decoction mash like:

45 at 89
60 at 120
30 at 146
30 at 158
10 at 168

with decoctions at each interval to raise the temp.

90 min boil at least. lot of pils.

I've read in a few places that a 60 minutes boil will suffice. Why 90 minutes?

Okay. I think I'm going to go with...
Temperature / (time)

120 (20)
145 (30)
150 (10)
158 (50)
168 (10)

Bam! I think that's quite promising. I'm also going to up the ratio of grist:water a little bit so I end up with, roughly, 9 gallons in my tun.

Slightly OT, but try replacing a pound or two of that 2-row with Munich Light.

Since adding that to my recipe, my Hefe is SOOOOO much better.



Back OT, if I feel like going to the trouble, I do a single step mash. I start at 120*F for about 20 minutes, then bring the mash up to 150*F for the rest of the hour. Usually, I just mash at 150*F. Frankly, I can't tell the difference in the final beer.

My best hefeweizens are triple decocted with rests at 100, 122, 150 and 168. Single infusions were good but not as well balanced between banana and clove (or as malty.)

Cpt_Kirks said:

Slightly OT, but try replacing a pound or two of that 2-row with Munich Light.

Since adding that to my recipe, my Hefe is SOOOOO much better.



Back OT, if I feel like going to the trouble, I do a single step mash. I start at 120*F for about 20 minutes, then bring the mash up to 150*F for the rest of the hour. Usually, I just mash at 150*F. Frankly, I can't tell the difference in the final beer.

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Try one with a decoction and a nice long acid rest

I understand the whole caramalization/melanoidin addition when doing decoction. However, I don't think it's really going to make that much of a difference, if any. I don't see the point of doing this if I can reach all of these temperatures with a reasonable ratio of grist:water in my mash tun. I think I'm just going to stick with infusion-based techniques for 100, 122, 150 and 168.

cylered16 said:

I've read in a few places that a 60 minutes boil will suffice. Why 90 minutes?

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pilsner contains a lot of DMS precursors. 90 minute boil will ensure they are driven off.

see here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/pilsner-malt-dms-question-65678/#post675037

cylered16 said:

I understand the whole caramalization/melanoidin addition when doing decoction. However, I don't think it's really going to make that much of a difference, if any. I don't see the point of doing this if I can reach all of these temperatures with a reasonable ratio of grist:water in my mash tun. I think I'm just going to stick with infusion-based techniques for 100, 122, 150 and 168.

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I make dunkels, hefes, roggens, and crystals on a regular basis with single infusions with excellent results. By adding some Munich malt (~1 lb) for a five gallon batch, or .25 to .5 lb melanoidin malt, you can closely emulate what you get from doing a triple decoction. I really don't think doing a decoction is worth the extra time, unless you enjoy it of course. In my experience, the key to successfully making these styles is fermenting at 62f and using the proper amount of Weihenstephan yeast.

Oh! For a fermentation schedule I was thinking of starting at 60degF and letting that very slowly warm up to 70 over a two week period. I wanted to do this in order to, hopefully, get a balance of clove and banana.

JonK: What percentage of wheat malt do you use for your hefe's? If over 50%, the protein rest isn't needed? What's your grist ratio usually? Like 2-2.5?

cylered16 said:

Oh! For a fermentation schedule I was thinking of starting at 60degF and letting that very slowly warm up to 70 over a two week period. I wanted to do this in order to, hopefully, get a balance of clove and banana.

JonK: What percentage of wheat malt do you use for your hefe's? If over 50%, the protein rest isn't needed? What's your grist ratio usually? Like 2-2.5?

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You will get plenty of clove and banana at 62f. I used to do it warmer until I heard Jamil's recomendation to stay at 62f. i find it really works best at that temp, make sure you pitch enough yeast and aerate.

My usual recipe is:

4lbs pilsner (sometimes I use 2-row if I don't have time for the 90 minute boil, not too much difference)
6 lbs wheat
1 lb Munich

I use around 3.5 gallons strike water depending on the how the grain is crushed and whether I need to add water to adjust temperature.