Extract Hefeweizen and Color

I made an all extract hefeweizen from True Brew a kit that included 6.6 lbs of canned LME and hops, but used Wyeast 3068. It tastes perfect, but the color is way off. Instead of light gold it is redish amber. For my next attempt, I am going to try DME to lighten the color a bit and I also might try to add some of the DME late in the boil to further lighten things. Specifically, I was going to use about 5.0 lbs DME, adding 2.5 lbs in my 2.5 gallon boil (5.0 gallon batch) with the remaining 2.5 lbs with 15 minutes left. I'm also going to steep a pound of grains, with 50% of it wheat malt and 50% of it Crystal 10L malt for some added flavors and body. Will this work for a lighter brew, and is there anything else that I can do to help with the color? And if I do the late addition, how much do I need to adjust the hops? I was going to use 1 oz of 3.10 hallertau hops and boil for 45 minutes for 14 IBU.

Late extract addition...and the pic is darker than it is in person 'cause of the flash.

1# in the boil, remaining added in the last 10 mins.

I just did a late extract addition hefe (still in the fermenter) and it was the lightest wort I've made so far. Pics to come this Sunday when I bottle it.

1# in the boil, remaining added in the last 10 mins.

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Hey brewtool, how did you alter your hop additions?

I had the same problem with my first hefe. It came out looking like a brown ale. Just start telling everyone it's a "wheat beer' and no one will bat an eye

Your strategy for lightening your beer sounds good.

Wheat malt needs to be mashed, steeping will add little to your beer.

GT

Fenster said:

Hey brewtool, how did you alter your hop additions?

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I didn't have to as I structured the recipe for the late addition. The recipe is on my home computer, PM me if you want it.

It's been mighty popular, there are only two 22s of this batch left as of today.

When I was full boiling extract all my beers came out that reddish amber color. The late addition extract will help things out, but if you want really light colored beer you're going to have to either partial mash or all grain.

WOuld it be OK to do 1 pound DME at the beginning and add 6 pounds of LME at the end? I ordered Wheat LME from Northern Brewer and it sounds like it's going to come in one big can/jar.

jmiracle said:

WOuld it be OK to do 1 pound DME at the beginning and add 6 pounds of LME at the end? I ordered Wheat LME from Northern Brewer and it sounds like it's going to come in one big can/jar.

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Yes it will be OK -- IF -- you cut your boiling water down to no more that 1.5 gals.

For a weizen you can also cut your hops down to 3-3.5% for 60 mins depending on if you like it sweet or a little bitter.

Boiling for 45 mins. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the LME and steep for 15 mins. Good to go.

I place 4 gals of filtered water in the freezer for 4-5 hours prior to brewing to be used for topping off to 5.25 gals. The temp drop to the 60s within seconds.

homebrewer_99 said:

Yes it will be OK -- IF -- you cut your boiling water down to no more that 1.5 gals.

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What would happen if more water was boiled (ie. 3 gal)?

Poppy360 said:

What would happen if more water was boiled (ie. 3 gal)?

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You'd have alot more bitterness.

According to a chart in Papa Z's book TCJOHB, 1 lb of DME boiled in 1 gal of water with 1 oz of hops yields an approximate gravity of 1.040 (1.045 according to BYO) which extracts the maximum bitterness from the hops: 30%.

Any change in gravity/water amount reduces the extraction capabilities of the wort.

Using this method I only use 3% AA for my HWs, which according to most calculations is way underhopped, but the results are great.

To put it into perspective, 1 lb of Hallertau hops at 6% AAs is enough to brew 32 batches of HW. :rockin:

YooperBrew said:

You'd have alot more bitterness.

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That's what I thought. That's why I've started doing late extract additions for my brews and am using less hops. But, for my recent hefe I only used 1# of DME in 3 gal of water/steeping liquor.

I calculated my IBU's on Beersmith by inputting 1# DME for a 60 min boil along with the hop additions.

homebrewer_99 said:

According to a chart in Papa Z's book TCJOHB, 1 lb of DME boiled in 1 gal of water with 1 oz of hops yields an approximate gravity of 1.040 (1.045 according to BYO) which extracts the maximum bitterness from the hops: 30%.

Any change in gravity/water amount reduces the extraction capabilities of the wort.

Using this method I only use 3% AA for my HWs, which according to most calculations is way underhopped, but the results are great.

To put it into perspective, 1 lb of Hallertau hops at 6% AAs is enough to brew 32 batches of HW. :rockin:

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I knew I shouldn't have lent my copy to my buddy.

Hmm, why is it that when I input my recipe into Beersmith, no matter what the ratio of DME to water, if I increase water and reduce SG of wort I increase its extraction capabilities?

Poppy360 said:

I knew I shouldn't have lent my copy to my buddy.

Hmm, why is it that when I input my recipe into Beersmith, no matter what the ratio of DME to water, if I increase water and reduce SG of wort I increase its extraction capabilities?

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Magic???

Seriously, I just think they're calculations, but that's not necessarily what's happening in the pot.

Try to recalculate:

1 lb in 3 gals water
1 lb in 5 gals

...then:

5 lbs in 1 gal
5 lbs in 3 gals.

The calculations should change.

homebrewer_99 said:

Magic???

Seriously, I just think they're calculations, but that's not necessarily what's happening in the pot.

Try to recalculate:

1 lb in 3 gals water
1 lb in 5 gals

...then:

5 lbs in 1 gal
5 lbs in 3 gals.

The calculations should change.

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I did and they do, but they should, right?

The results just reaffirm my previous statement that a 2:1, 3:1, 4:1, etc. ratio of water to DME has a better extraction capacity than a 1:1 ratio.

Strange. So I'm not sure where this leaves our discussion. I mean, TCJOHB says one thing but the software says another.