Perfect my German Weissbier

[ScrewedBrew]

I'm trying to make a better Wiessbier. I have done 3 batches now, trying to tweak it to perfection.

I think I have it pretty close. For a 3.5 G batch:
5 lb White Wheat
1.75 Munich 10L
.25 lb Caramunich II
Wyeast 3068
Mash schedule:
Ferulic rest @ 120F - 30 min
Maltose rest @ 145F - 35 min
Dextrination rest 160F - 45 min
Mash 168F - 20 min
Batch sparge - 168F 20 min

Pitched yeast at 58F, ambient temp was 65F, wort got to 70F.

OG = 1.053
FG = 1.009

Overall flavor is good, however it is too heavy/syrupy.
This beer does not pour a head, and no lacing.

Any suggestions to fix, or make this better?

What causes a beer to pour a head with good retention?

 

[pentirei]

Hops, for a start. What kind/how much are you using?

I've also read that Carapils/Cara-Pils/dextrine-style malts, up to 5%, help with head retention.

 

[jmcquesten]

I'm trying to make a better Wiessbier. I have done 3 batches now, trying to tweak it to perfection.

I think I have it pretty close. For a 3.5 G batch:
5 lb White Wheat
1.75 Munich 10L
.25 lb Caramunich II
Wyeast 3068
Mash schedule:
Ferulic rest @ 120F - 30 min
Maltose rest @ 145F - 35 min
Dextrination rest 160F - 45 min
Mash 168F - 20 min
Batch sparge - 168F 20 min

Pitched yeast at 58F, ambient temp was 65F, wort got to 70F.

OG = 1.053
FG = 1.009

Overall flavor is good, however it is too heavy/syrupy.
This beer does not pour a head, and no lacing.

Any suggestions to fix, or make this better?

What causes a beer to pour a head with good retention?

Try a single or double decoction mash. It's really the right way to make a German weizen.

 

[ScrewedBrew]

My first batch was a double decoction, I thought it tasted burnt, maybe I'll try single. Hops are Hallertau. I left out the pilsner on this batch to keep the boil time at 60 to keep the color light. I use 3% carapils in my Pale ale, it pours a really nice head. I never knew why.

 

[BigEd]

I'm trying to make a better Wiessbier.

Overall flavor is good, however it is too heavy/syrupy.

You have 28% crystal malt. I'd say that's a major contributor to the heavy/syrupy character. And where's the pilsner malt? A German Weissbier is usually 60% German wheat malt and 40% German pilsner malt. Reformulating the recipe with the right blend of the correct ingredients should get you a lot closer to the traditional style. With 60% wheat malt you won't need any specialty malts for head improvement.

 

[jmcquesten]

You have 28% crystal malt. I'd say that's a major contributor to the heavy/syrupy character. And where's the pilsner malt? A German Weissbier is usually 60% German wheat malt and 40% German pilsner malt. Reformulating the recipe with the right blend of the correct ingredients should get you a lot closer to the traditional style. With 60% wheat malt you won't need any specialty malts for head improvement.

Is 0.25 lb. really 28% of a 7 lb grain bill? Or are you counting munich as crystal malt? Not sure where you're getting that 28% from?

 

[BigEd]

You have 28% crystal malt. I'd say that's a major contributor to the heavy/syrupy character. And where's the pilsner malt? A German Weissbier is usually 60% German wheat malt and 40% German pilsner malt. Reformulating the recipe with the right blend of the correct ingredients should get you a lot closer to the traditional style. With 60% wheat malt you won't need any specialty malts for head improvement.

Sorry, I saw CaraMunicih instead of Munich the first time I looked. However, I would still go with the roughly 60/40 blend of wheat malt and pilsner malt. It's the classic combo that has worked for many years for this beer.

 

[ScrewedBrew]

My first two attempts had 30% and 40% pilsner. Brewkaiser said this on his recipe: "A nice alternative to this grist is replacing the 22% Pilsner and 5% Cara Munich with 27% Vienna or light Munich malt." Hence the reason I changed. I'll go back to pils and try single decoction.