Apfel Weizen

[SaccharoVices]

Hello everybody, just joined, have read and lurked for a while- you all are my people for sure. Wanted to share a recipe that I just got into primary today-


1.5 # Briess Pilzen DME
1.0# Briess Bavarian Wheat DME
12 cans (12 fl. oz each) FCAJ (frozen concentrated apple juice, WM's GV brand, heck, it was less than a buck)
1 oz Hallertau Select (1.5% AA) 60 minutes
5 G water (Primo brand, in 5 gal returnable carboy)
Wyeast Weihenstephan 3068 in 1.2l starter (production date stamp of May 25, 2011! smacked it and it swelled tight in 30 minutes!)
OG 1.064

Weihenstephan Hefe Weissbeer is my favorite everyday beer, the yeast character is full of depth and it is so enjoyable. The esters seem to be a good match for apple cider, could possibly create a seamless blend of beer and hard cider. I didn't have the time or inclination to do an AG brew this weekend, do DME it is. Using FCAJ instead of fresh pressed cider anyways, so no big deal. Will break out the cider press this fall and do it for real if this recipe turns out to be good.
Boiled DME and hops in 2.5 gallons water, topped up the rest of the water after 60 minutes, brought up to a simmer, added the FCAJ (fully thawed), plopped in the immersion cooler, re-simmered for a few minutes to sanitize, then knocked out. Tasted the cooled wort, really nice- the Hallertau are a perfect match to the apple flavor. Super low AA didn't make much bitterness, very light but the hop flavor is there, kind of adds a green apple/grassy thing. Hope the gravity isn't too high for this yeast, the package says no more than 1.060 but the starter was so aggressive (consumed the starter and flocced in 12 hours) that I can't imagine it having a really hard time. Maybe only 1.0# Pilzen DME next time or only 11 cans FCAJ to hit 1.060 on the nose. Maybe it'll have a bit of residual sweetness because of the high OG. We'll See!

 

[Blanchy]

Dude! This sounds awesome, be sure to let us know how it turns out. What is the color like? Cider-like at all, or beer colored?

 

[SaccharoVices]

I kept the hydrometer sample in the tube to settle for a while and by eye it looks like straight, clear apple juice. The pilzen DME is so light that it looks white in powder form, so it couldn't contribute any color. I was happy to see that all of the particulates settled out to a nice compact cake on the bottom, leaving totally clear juice on top. was worried that the pectins might have been set from the heat, but that was not the case. Didn't use any pectic enzyme, but did use "Super Irish Moss" (carageenan), 1/2 tsp in last 15 minutes of the boil. Not sure if that stuff has any effect at all on pectins, but it sure dropped the proteins and hops. I can tell that the wheat DME will add a lot of head retention. Just checked the carboy, it is in the ferm fridge @64 deg F (with a 3 degree threshold , so it will get up to 67 before the compressor kicks in again) and the krausen is building. Total volume is just a hair under 5.5 gal in a 6.5 gal carboy, hopefully enough headspace- have heard that the 3068 can get quite rocky, maybe the low ferm temp will keep it at bay, but will check periodically to be sure it doesn't blowout the lock

 

[SaccharoVices]

FWIW- the 3068 yeast is psycho!- I checked the carboy before going to bed- had krausen but all was stable- well, at 7am went to the garage to check again and saw liquid on the floor coming from the fridge -UH OH looked inside and saw a splatter mess- my fault for not using a blow off from the get go (used a regular airlock) luckily, i had 30 minutes before having to go to work and cleaned it all up. Might only have lost .25 gallon, luckily. Since it was outgassing i wasn't too worried about any contaminants having entered. Grabbed a large tube, swabbed it with everclear to quickly sanitize and put the other end in a quart mason jar. It was fermenting so violently that it seemed to be boiling, even at 64F ! Can hardly imagine if it was in the seventies. Just got home and everything has settled down for the most part, cleand&sanitized the entire interior of the fridge with star san acid. Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew.

 

[Blanchy]

Haha holy crap! At least it was fairly contained inside the fridge though. I'll keep that in mind if I use that yeast in the future...

The Hallertau sound interesting too- maybe I'll try dry-hopping a batch of cider.

I wouldn't worry about the tube too much- I've had to use unsanitized emergency blow-offs before, and haven't had any problems yet. I suspect that number/activity levels of the yeast at that point in the fermentation pretty much shut down anything else.

 

[SaccharoVices]

Took a gravity reading today (15 days in), is at 1.024 or 1.025, bubbles were tenacious on the hydrometer. @ 7 days gravity was 1.038. Tasted the sample, coming along nicely- is fermenting cleanly, some nice ripe banana on the nose, no clove or phenols. Can't wait for it to finish up and be in the keg. This yeast has very nice character but requires a bit of patience, should be worth it. Sitting in the ferm fridge @68F, bubbling along consistently, about very 5 seconds. If it finishes @ 1.014 i will be happy. Will post pics soon.

 

[gstrawn]

FWIW- the 3068 yeast is psycho!- I checked the carboy before going to bed- had krausen but all was stable- well, at 7am went to the garage to check again and saw liquid on the floor coming from the fridge -UH OH looked inside and saw a splatter mess- my fault for not using a blow off from the get go (used a regular airlock) luckily, i had 30 minutes before having to go to work and cleaned it all up. Might only have lost .25 gallon, luckily. Since it was outgassing i wasn't too worried about any contaminants having entered. Grabbed a large tube, swabbed it with everclear to quickly sanitize and put the other end in a quart mason jar. It was fermenting so violently that it seemed to be boiling, even at 64F ! Can hardly imagine if it was in the seventies. Just got home and everything has settled down for the most part, cleand&sanitized the entire interior of the fridge with star san acid. Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew.

I was once brewing an imperial porter in a closet and had a similar issue. Only the entire closet was covered with kraussen. All four walls and the ceiling. It was the low point of my homebrew career

 

[SaccharoVices]

Just got back in town, checked gravity, sitting at 1.007- tasted. nice and crisp, some good acidity but still good body, slight residual sweetness- overall tasty, think I will go ahead and crash it

 

[SaccharoVices]

Kegged the ApfelWeizen after 3 weeks of cold conditioning in secondary @ 36F.

Really clear, nice light gold color. The nose is fruity, some nice subdued Weihenstephan character- really good flavor! good, crisp acidity and finish.

Final gravity is 1.005

Force carbed, will let it sit for a few months until we party this fall. hopefully i can keep away from it until then. i have found that the key to ignoring a conditioning keg is to be occupied by several other kegs