Help with hefe

Gonna brew a Bavarian hefe and I'm not sure how to do it the directions say a multi infusion or single infusion doesn't matter but the multi I guess you keep adding water for the different stages. Seeing how I only have a 5 gallon mash tun I don't see how it's possible. So is the single infusion still a good way to doi it?

 

What is the grain bill, and the temps and times, both single and multi?

 

5.5 lbs weyermann pale wheat malt

4 lbs German pilsner malt
1oz German tettnang(60 mins) this is hops
Yeast liquid 3068 weihenstephan

Mash traditional multi step
Protein rest 122 F for 20 mins
Beta sacch rest 149 F for 30 mins
Alpha sacch rest 158 F for 30 mins
Mashout 170 F for 10 mins

Single infusion
Sacch rest 152 F for 60
Mash out 170 F for 10

 

Ok so how much water do I need per pond of grain cause I boil my water first the put it in the tun then the grains so how do I raise the temp to the 152F with out putting to much water? My mash tone is a 5 gallon plastic water jug.

 

Sorry I guess the question is how do I do all of what I wrote that's all the directions say so it comes down to I don't know what the heck I'm doing lol this will be my second all grain but my first one I used beer smith and it gave a dummy proof step by step instruction ie. poor 152 F water into mash ton mix grains let sit for 60 mins then next it said sparg at what ever temp I can't remember. These instructions don't put it like that.

 

You really can't do a mash in a water jug.... you need an cooler or kettle with a wide open top to do a mash in...how did you plan on stirring it, draining the wort off or even adding the grain into that type of jug?
A simple coleman cooler would work do a search on "mash tun" in the equipment forum to see some examples....good luck and it's so much sweeter when it's your own brew no matter what!

 

Since grain is room temperature, you need to heat your strike water to a higher temperature than the 152 degree mash temperature target.

For my system, I do 1 quart of water per pound of grain. With those ratios of water to grain, I heat the strike water to 16 degrees above the target temperature, or 168 degrees.

When I add the room temperature grain, it absorbs some of the excess heat and the mash temp settles in very close to 152 degrees.

It the temp is too high, stir in a little cool water. If its too low, stir in a little 180 degree water and recheck the temp.

With experience, you will be able to hit the target temperature.
Even if you are a couple of degrees high or low, your mash will convert and you WILL make make sweet wort.

 

Thanks processhead. And that's what I have is a water cooler, I worded that wrong sorry.

 

To answer your question about mash schedule, the single will definitely work since all grains are malted. The step mash would add some depth to flavors and clearer beer with better head retention. Step mashes like that usually require more specialized equipment like a herms system.

 

Ok so I should just do the single Infusion thanks for the mash out part I saw on YouTube a guy scooped out some of his grain and wort and put it on his burner in the brew kettle to bring the temp up to the 170 F that it needs to be for the mash out is that ok to do?

 

That's a decocotion mash. I am assuming you are batch sparging? Take a look at this page.
http://hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/

I biab, so step mashes are pretty simple, you just turn the heat up. I would suggest you do single infusion with Denny's process.

flips

 

If you're really bent on doing a decoction mash I would suggest the BIAB method. Especially using pils malt and wheat it would definitely benefit from a short protein rest. Using a 5-gallon cooler(I do too) you could also mash in really thick at protein rest mash temps for the specified time and then add hotter water for sacc. rest to reach target temps, but that's a lil' trickier. Honestly a single-infusion mash would suffice since hefeweizens are traditionally cloudy anyways clarity doesn't matter much. Also shoot for your sacc. rest at about 150 rather than 152 or higher, hefeweizen benefits from finishing fairly dry.