Weissbier Bee Cave Brewery Bavarian Hefeweizen

[brewinchef_fairfax]

Tested mine after 5 days and it had dropped from 1.051 to 1.021 - so I will check again in another 5 days and see. The sulfur is gone. Sample tasted like mostly dry, flat beer - as one would expect. Fermentation is anything but vigorous.

 

[rcp197]

I just brewed my first batch last night and came home after work today to a furious sulfur smell!!! Glad others were having this issue when I jumped to the end of the thread! Stinking up my whole basement right now.

 

[mbaker33]

I have made this batch 4-5 times and never had this sulfer smell that everyone seems to be talking about. I wonder if wyeast is having trouble with this strain of yeast.

 

[oasisbliss]

Good lord I just kegged mine after 12 days in ferm. It tastes like sulfury ass. I sure hope it clears.
I followed the recipe to a "t" and even had it in my ferm chamber at 68-70........

so I guess we will see

 

[FuzzeWuzze]

Good lord I just kegged mine after 12 days in ferm. It tastes like sulfury ass. I sure hope it clears.
I followed the recipe to a "t" and even had it in my ferm chamber at 68-70........

so I guess we will see

It will, but it will take several weeks.

 

[oasisbliss]

It will, but it will take several weeks.

FW

Thanks for the vote of confidence. It now has a sulfury sourish taste....

you have given me hope that is good

 

[rcp197]

I emailed wyeast a couple of days ago about the problem. Haven't heard anything back from them though.

 

[oasisbliss]

I emailed wyeast a couple of days ago about the problem. Haven't heard anything back from them though.

Great Idea ! please keep us posted.

 

[oasisbliss]

This is what I was able to get for this recipe :

Weyermann Pale Wheat Malt
Weyermann Pilsner Malt

want to make sure these are the correct ones

thanks !

 

[rcp197]

Yea, those are both fine

 

[oasisbliss]

thank you RCP

 

[Loodachris]

Good lord I just kegged mine after 12 days in ferm. It tastes like sulfury ass. I sure hope it clears.
I followed the recipe to a "t" and even had it in my ferm chamber at 68-70........

so I guess we will see

Same exact problem I had and after a month in the keg I dumped the beer! Don't know what I did wrong but even the color was way off from a Paulaner or Franziskaner. Also with the recipe there is no way that I can think of that will get the color closer to a German hefeweizen any ideas?

 

[rcp197]

Same exact problem I had and after a month in the keg I dumped the beer! Don't know what I did wrong but even the color was way off from a Paulaner or Franziskaner. Also with the recipe there is no way that I can think of that will get the color closer to a German hefeweizen any ideas?

I really think this is a yeast issue versus a grain or recipe issue. My starter seemed a little darker than normal and the smell hit as soon as fermentation started. I tasted my hydro sample before pitching and it tasted fine. I've also read from someone else on here that the taste doesn't seem to dissipate when kegged.

 

[JSGT09]

I wonder if you guys aren't fermenting too warm. I know the original recipe says to ferment at 68 but everywhere else I've read about brewing with Hefe yeast says to brew much cooler than that, around 62 degrees. I know a warmer fermentation just usually means more banana flavors but maybe with this recipe for some reason a warmer fermentation is producing more off flavors than normal.

I just kegged my second batch of this beer last weekend and it came out great. I fermented at 63-64 degrees and got no off flavors, used the Wyeast strain. My first batch I followed exactly the same as this one, and got the same result. I didn't go through all the posts about people having issues but temperature control is critical (ie. fermentation chamber) with this yeast.

 

[oasisbliss]

Interesting.....JSGT09 did you get some good banana overtones at 63-64?

thanks

 

[Loodachris]

Worth a try to ferment cooler. I am looking into a mini fridge or wine cooler to turn into a fermentation chamber before I try this for a third time. I have used both the white labs and wyeast with same bad results. As fas as color goes the Clone Brews book I have says to add 4oz of dark Munich for a Paulaner style clone but pretty much the same wheat and pilsner amount so I'll try that and see how the color turns out.

 

[JSGT09]

Interesting.....JSGT09 did you get some good banana overtones at 63-64?

thanks

I did get some banana, but in my opinion it is a much more balanced flavor when brewing at 63-64 vs. a higher temperature which is a little too much banana, again in my opinion.

Look into getting a used (or even new) chest freezer to use as a fermentation chamber. That is what I've been using and aside from having to lift a heavy fermenting bucket into it, it's been great. It's a must for finicky beers like this that need a specific temperature. A fridge would work too, but I like the option to cold crash my non-wheat beers to near freezing before kegging.

 

[oasisbliss]

Thanks JS,,,is yours close to franiskaner?

 

[JSGT09]

Yeah I would say it's close to Franziskaner or Weihenstephaner but not exact.

For whatever reason I've been getting a little more of a bite in the back end of this beer and it's not as clean of a taste as my first one. It's almost got a mild astringent aftertaste but I've never had trouble with my water PH or the long mash time that this beer calls for. I think when I brew this again I'll go back to WL300 since I used Wyeast 3068 in this most recent batch...I think the WL300 ferments cleaner.

 

[oasisbliss]

sounds good will try the same. thanks

 

[doortees]

Hello first post.

I'm new at all grain. Brewing a wheat beer using torrified wheat. I'm wondering if I will get any enzyme conversion from the wheat starch. I'm looking to get abv 5.5 -6. Unsure about how much if any the wheat will contribute.
I plan to use some 2row and Belgian pilsner for the base malt. Not sure how much of those to use though.
Any insights will be greatly appreciated.

 

[SFGiantsFan925]

Hello first post.

I'm new at all grain. Brewing a wheat beer using torrified wheat. I'm wondering if I will get any enzyme conversion from the wheat starch. I'm looking to get abv 5.5 -6. Unsure about how much if any the wheat will contribute.
I plan to use some 2row and Belgian pilsner for the base malt. Not sure how much of those to use though.
Any insights will be greatly appreciated.

If i were you, try and find an online recipe calculator. It will give you all the amounts. If you cant find one, I can enter it to Beersmith for you. As the recipe sits, its around 5.5%. Not sure why you would use 2 Row and Belg Pilsner malts, with the wheat. If you want to use both, use majority Bel Pilsner and the rest 2Row, with more Wheat. So as the recipe is on the first page, your recipe should be something like:

7 lbs. Wheat
4 lbs. (2-Row (US) + Belgian Pils (2-Row))
Rice hulls
Hops schedule as written

Hope that makes sense. That give you 5.6% in a 5.5 gallon batch, 5.1% in a 6 gallon batch. (according to BeerSmith)

 

[mgortel]

For whatever reason I've been getting a little more of a bite in the back end of this beer and it's not as clean of a taste as my first one. It's almost got a mild astringent aftertaste but I've never had trouble with my water PH or the long mash time that this beer calls for. I think when I brew this again I'll go back to WL300 since I used Wyeast 3068 in this most recent batch...I think the WL300 ferments cleaner.

Exactly describes how mine turned out....first time brewing it for me.....I used 3068.....but my fermentation temp got up around 69F......Jamil's book says the key to a good Hefeweizen is to ferment at 62-63F....so I may try this again and keep same yeast...but lower the ferm temp to 62F.....and see if that was the issue.

 

[doortees]

Thanks for the info. I originally planned to use more wheat but was unsure if I could get the gravity up with the torrified wheat. I was only using the 2 row to increase the fermentables.

Thanks again I have a lot to learn.

One thing I know though. It stinks to make a beer that doesn't taste good, but it is a tragedy to have it not taste good and not have enough abv

 

[Leadpencil]

This was my second all grain brew. I didn't get the Sulphur smell like the others have posted.
It's been in the keg for a little over a week. I had a pint last night, it was a bit cloudy but had a good flavor. I am hoping that by next weekend it will be ready to serve.

 

[SFGiantsFan925]

Just checked gravity. It has settled at 1.012. Not bad I guess, as I hit a little high at 1.056 for my OG. Makes it around 5.5%. Perfect for a Hefe. The sample has NO sulphur smell and tastes great. Going to keg it tonight and carb it up. Should be tasty!!! Thanks again for the recipe. Might have to brew it again and just pitch it to the cake or wash some yeast and get it going again.

 

[Loodachris]

What temp did you ferment at and do you have chamber to hold the temps?

 

[SFGiantsFan925]

What temp did you ferment at and do you have chamber to hold the temps?

I dont have a ferm chamber. It ranged anywhere from 64-68 according to the fermometer on the side of my carboy. It was just in my second bedroom. Couldnt control it very well. Should turn out even better if you can control temps. Just racked it to the keg and tasted another sample. Good clove flavor, with little banana flavor. Should be carbed up for Super Bowl!!

GO NINERS!!!

 

[Loodachris]

I'll be brewing this again next weekend but this time I will be making a starter plus I picked up a 5.0 CF chest freezer and I am currently working on a temp controller so hopefully this will do the trick. If all works out this will be on tap at all times.

 

[jordanfrenzy]

Quick question... for some reason I ordered 2 oz of Hallertau instead of 1 oz. I don't have any way to vacuum seal and I'm not sure I'll be brewing anything that calls for Hallertau soon enough to keep them fresh. Anyone have opinions on how dry hopping with the extra 1 oz will turn out? I looked at bumping up the 45 and 15 min additions with it but I'm afraid I'll bitter way out of style.

Also, this may have been answered already in the thread but are you doing a 90 or 60 min boil? I'm guessing 90 since there is pilsner malt involved.