Reduce head on a hefeweizen

[dude1]

I'm at the point where I generally master the amount of head of my beers.

Recently, I brewed a very classic hefeweizen (50/50 Pilsner and Wheat malt and just some Hallertauer at the beginning of the boil).

I ended up with a lot of head, which probably goes with the style.

I'm wondering which parameter I should play with to reduce the amount of head.

Could a 60/40 grain bill be a good call for example?

Thanks

 

[Jag75]

Yes I go 60% white wheat and 40% 2 row I'm my Hefe and it works really well.

 

[couchsending]

Embrace the head... the Germans do. It’s a German beer, it should have a thick head that lasts forever.

 

[daksin]

The part of "head" that most people don't think about is carbonation level. If you're going with the "traditional" carb level of 2.8+ volumes of CO2, the easiest way to back down on the amount of head (foam) you're getting is to reduce the carb level. Chances are you'll love it at 2.5 vol CO2 and not miss the extra fizziness.

 

[dude1]

The part of "head" that most people don't think about is carbonation level. If you're going with the "traditional" carb level of 2.8+ volumes of CO2, the easiest way to back down on the amount of head (foam) you're getting is to reduce the carb level. Chances are you'll love it at 2.5 vol CO2 and not miss the extra fizziness.

Totally.

I read my notes and I discover I went for 3 vol...

 

[Miraculix]

I'm at the point where I generally master the amount of head of my beers.

Recently, I brewed a very classic hefeweizen (50/50 Pilsner and Wheat malt and just some Hallertauer at the beginning of the boil).

I ended up with a lot of head, which probably goes with the style.

I'm wondering which parameter I should play with to reduce the amount of head.

Could a 60/40 grain bill be a good call for example?

Thanks

DAFUQ?!?!?!?!

Sorry, but my German brain just exploded.

Why on earth would somebody want to reduce the head on a Weissbier!?!

Are you insane!?

 

[dude1]

DAFUQ?!?!?!?!

Sorry, but my German brain just exploded.

Why on earth would somebody want to reduce the head on a Weissbier!?!

Are you insane!?

When you have to fill two pints and let it sit for 5 minutes, there's room for improvement...

 

[Miraculix]

When you have to fill two pints and let it sit for 5 minutes, there's room for improvement...

Yes, you clearly have to work on your pouring technique, but not on the beer (unless it is overcarbed, but Hefe is a style which has a high carbonation level anyway, so it is hard to overcarb).

Are you pouring from bottles or a keg?

You didn't use the w06, did you?

 

[Smellyglove]

When you have to fill two pints and let it sit for 5 minutes, there's room for improvement...

Improvement of the poring technique

Hold the glass (the proper type of glass) horizontally, pour slowly, when the beer reaches the edge of the glass you start tilting the glass so the beer is always as close to the edge while pouring. Then you swirl the bottle and dump it in the last part of the beer, just leave enough before you swirl to get the yeast in suspension, the way you dump in the rest define how much head over the glass you get.

 

[Miraculix]

Improvement of the poring technique

Hold the glass (the proper type of glass) horizontally, pour slowly, when the beer reaches the edge of the glass you start tilting the glass so the beer is always as close to the edge while pouring. Then you swirl the bottle and dump it in the last part of the beer, just leave enough before you swirl to get the yeast in suspension, the way you dump in the rest define how much head over the glass you get.

That's how it should be done. Also, pour slow enough so that there is a constant and steady stream coming out of the bottle, no "blup blup blup". And don't worry if it doesn't work first time or second time, many Germans actually also fail regularly in this discipline, it also took me some time to get used to it and still I mess it up sometimes.

 

[Smellyglove]

Indeed, I call that blup blup blup for knockback. If you get that you're pouring to fast. That's also a no-no for me when pouring generic craft/home brew with yeast sediments which shouldn't have yeast in the glass.

 

[dude1]

I'm pouring from bottles and yes, indeed, I used Safale WB-06 (no starter).

By the way, does anyone know what changes you can expect from pushing up either the Pilsner or the Wheat malt? For example, how would a 60% Pils and 40% Wheat beer differ from a 60% Wheat and 40% Pils?

Thanks

 

[Miraculix]

I'm pouring from bottles and yes, indeed, I used Safale WB-06 (no starter).

By the way, does anyone know what changes you can expect from pushing up either the Pilsner or the Wheat malt? For example, how would a 60% Pils and 40% Wheat beer differ from a 60% Wheat and 40% Pils?

Thanks

OK, there is your problem!

W06 is a Belgian diastetic strain, not German. This means that after bottling, it will continue to chew through the remaining sugar till almost nothing is left. Looks like it does this chewing of the remaining sugars slower than other diastatic yeasts, so it might not be that obvious first.

Next time use lallemand Munich classic, or a German liquid yeast strain and your won't have the problem with overcarbonation.

 

[dmtaylor]

I'm wondering which parameter I should play with to reduce the amount of head.

Volumes of CO2. And this:

W06 is a Belgian diastetic strain, not German. This means that after bottling, it will continue to chew through the remaining sugar till almost nothing is left. Looks like it does this chewing of the remaining sugars slower than other diastatic yeasts, so it might not be that obvious first. Next time use lallemand Munich classic, or a German liquid yeast strain and your won't have the problem with overcarbonation.