Bavarian Hefewizen recommendations?

[Bennypapa]

I'm looking at brewing a Bavarian Hefeweizen soon from an extract kit. Had my eye on the kit from NorthernBrewer. I'd like to hear your experiences with the various yeasts available.

Some you liked, some you didn't, I'm sure. Why?

I'm open to using liquids or dry yeast. Doesn't matter to me.

FWIW my favorite beers from this style at the moment are Tucher Helles and Fraziskaner.

Thanks, Ben

 

[mewithstewpid]

I wouldnt buy a kit, but rather just make your own.

6lb Wheat DME
your choice of hops, i like 1-2oz Hallertau
and my Favorite hef yeast is Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen

northern Brewer has them all

 

[boomtown25]

^ this +. If you are going to buy this kit from NB, click on the instruction/ingredients sheet and write it down. Then go and build your own kit, same place or other. You can probably make your purchase about $5.00 cheaper if not more.

Plus, one thing to note, a lot of the kits with extract tend to turn into the color of a Dunkelweizein instead of a Hefe, just to point it out.

 

[JoeDaddio]

I wouldnt buy a kit, but rather just make your own.

6lb Wheat DME
your choice of hops, i like 1-2oz Hallertau
and my Favorite hef yeast is Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen

northern Brewer has them all

Did something similar for my first, cept we used WLP300 and steeped 1lb of flaked wheat for 30 min.prior to adding DME.


joe

 

[Bennypapa]

I wouldnt buy a kit, but rather just make your own.

6lb Wheat DME
your choice of hops, i like 1-2oz Hallertau
and my Favorite hef yeast is Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen

northern Brewer has them all

What advantage does the DME have over the LME? I'm brand new to this so I know nothing about it.

 

[zyx345]

I wouldnt buy a kit, but rather just make your own.

6lb Wheat DME
your choice of hops, i like 1-2oz Hallertau
and my Favorite hef yeast is Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen

northern Brewer has them all

I just did this exact recipe but used 1oz of Hallertau @ 60 minutes and a late extract addition. Also added 4oz of maltodextrin.

 

[944play]

steeped 1lb of flaked wheat

For the record, flaked grains should not be steeped. They need to be converted by enzymes in a mash.

Unless you're after a starch haze or unfermentable carbohydrates to feed souring bugs or something....

 

[JoeDaddio]

For the record, flaked grains should not be steeped. They need to be converted by enzymes in a mash.

Unless you're after a starch haze or to feed souring bugs or something.

Hmmm... maybe I'm remembering something wrong... maybe I've got the twems wrong or something. Basically threw the grains in a bag and stuck it in two gallons of water (150 something, I believe) for half an hour. That's what the recipe called for, at least.

By the way, if that's you in the photo, you're pretty much a twin to one of my college buddies. It's kind of creepy


joe

 

[EROK]

Wyeast 3068 for sure.... drink it young....about 5-7 days to ferment then keg it.

1/2 Pilsner malt and 1/2 white wheat hallertau hops..... priceless.

My hefe's are usually done n 3-4 days. Banana and clove flavor will go away quite a bit over two or three weeks so keg asap (once it's done) and drink early.

 

[mewithstewpid]

What advantage does the DME have over the LME? I'm brand new to this so I know nothing about it.

I like to use DME for the looks. LME produces a darker beer, so if appearence is important DME is the way to go, although it is more expensive.

there is also a thing called LME twang that people have reported, a flavor associated with LME. To me it sort of tasted like iodine, so i started using DME and this off-flavor went away,

 

[ScootersAle]

I just made this kit and it turned out great. If you read the reviews on the kit you'll see some suggestions about putting in the LME late in the boil which should make it lighter in color. I followed the recommendations and it turned out a little on the dark side for a hefe, but it is still in color range for the style. It won't be one of the super light hefes, but it will still look like a hefe.

 

[pauljmccain]

Just hooked a keg of this kit up for carbing. Turned out OK, hoping it'll get a bit better once carbed up. Flavors seem slightly off after 4 weeks fermenting.

 

[WhiskeyR]

I used WLP300 on my first Hefeweizen and it came out fantastic. I just brewed another with WLP380, we'll see what happens. Hefe's seem to be quick and straight forward and are tasty young. I'm on such a wheat beer kick that I'm going to be totally spoiled going forward having to wait weeks on end for beer to finish...

 

[WhiskeyR]

Also from what I understand, the WLP300 strain produces the authentic Bavarian Hefeweizen taste.