Weissbier Bee Cave Brewery Bavarian Hefeweizen

[Malty_Dog]

Is it absolutely necessary to make a starter for this. I've never made one before and don't have any of the equipment and I'd like to make this hefe on Sunday.

Not sure what others think, so take this FWIW. This yeast is an aggressive fermenter. I'm thinking a single smack pack into a 1.052 beer is not going to be a problem. The other reason I say this is that folks (apparently) intentionally underpitch this into Hefs in order to bring out more banana esters. Here's a quote from Wyeast's website:

"The classic and most popular German wheat beer strain used worldwide. This yeast strain produces a beautiful and delicate balance of banana esters and clove phenolics. The balance can be manipulated towards ester production through increasing the fermentation temperature, increasing the wort density, and decreasing the pitch rate. Over pitching can result in a near complete loss of banana character. Decreasing the ester level will allow a higher clove character to be perceived. Sulfur is commonly produced, but will dissipate with conditioning. This strain is very powdery and will remain in suspension for an extended amount of time following attenuation."

https://www.wyeastlab.com/com_b_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=135

Just my opinion. Usually I'm a big fan of starters and have never been concerned about overpitching. I may try this again with just a smack-pack for comparison's sake.

 

[mbaker33]

Is it absolutely necessary to make a starter for this. I've never made one before and don't have any of the equipment and I'd like to make this hefe on Sunday.

By no means am I an expert, but this is my experience with starter vs no starter.

I almost always make a starter for all beers, but especially this beer since as was pointed out, under pitching leads to banana/clove flavors. Only once that I remember did I pitch directly from the pack and it was banana overload (at least for me), and many people I served to referred to it as "banana bread" beer.

I haven't made this beer since then (almost 2 years) because I've been brewing for friends almost non stop, or it's been out of season for a hefe, but it's still by far my favorite beer. I will forever use a yeast starter, especially with this beer. There may have been other circumstances (basement was a bit cold during the ferment in question) that lead to "banana bread" beer, but I will always use a yeast starter going forward.

Just my .02 on this beer and yest starters.

 

[mbaker33]

Any opinions on whether I would be wasting my time going through a decoction with this?

*Edit - meh, I'll forget about it for now and stick with the recipe as is, which is certainly proven (and easier)

I almost ALWAYS do a decoction with this beer. I think it helps bring out a hint of caramel like sweetness that I enjoy, and absolutely bumps efficiency.

It definitely makes for a long day, but most German styles get a decoction on brew day.

 

[Malty_Dog]

That's great feedback mbaker33. Next time will be a decoction for sure.

 

[Malty_Dog]

Day 6, took out of swamp cooler, bringing up to ambient (68-ish). Hoping to bottle no later than day 12.

 

[Goolsbymd]

Sitting in ferm chamber to lower temp before pitching yeast. 1.048 OG. Will do two weeks at 63 then keg. Looks good so far.

 

[MrNic]

Got my starter going tonight. Gonna brew on Monday.

 

[MarsingRedneck]

After 11 days and using a starter for the 1st time I took a gravity check and it was down to 1.008 What I usually do and this time was no exception was taste the test beer and I noticed it had a strong yeast taste to it. I hope that goes away before bottling. My plan is 3 weeks primary 1 week secondary then bottle for 30 days.

 

[MrNic]

So I made the starter last night, and I'm brewing Monday. I was going to crash cool it and decant it before pitching, but I'm concerned that I'll be wasting a lot of yeast still in suspension. What do you guys think?

 

[brewista_may]

Is it absolutely necessary that we mash this at 90 minutes as opposed to the normal 60 minute mash time?

 

[Goolsbymd]

So I made the starter last night, and I'm brewing Monday. I was going to crash cool it and decant it before pitching, but I'm concerned that I'll be wasting a lot of yeast still in suspension. What do you guys think?

Don't pour it all out leave like 2" worth, just enough to swirl around and break up the yeast cake that has formed on bottom. You will lose some but not a lot.

Is it absolutely necessary that we mash this at 90 minutes as opposed to the normal 60 minute mash time?

No, brew it how you want. Use iodine if you want to check conversion.
...
kegged it yesterday currently at 38* with 30 psi for another 12 hours then will drop to 12 psi for a week and am planning on entering it in my clubs german wheat comp. Will keep you updated.

One 5 days in and it had dropped to 1.010 and held steady for 2 additional days. Total fermenting time of 1 week. Faster racking to keg than I like but crunched on time.

 

[MrNic]

This was my first all grain batch with my own equipment and by myself. Needless to say, I had some issues. Overall, it went good.

Strike water

Transferring

Mashing

Measuring out hops. I used 1.25oz Willamette at 60 minutes only.

That thermometer is nice. I can set the temp I want, and when it reaches that temp the alarm goes off to let me know.

Vorlauf

Transferring wort to keggle

Boiling

60 minute hop addition

Chilling

Transferring wort to fermenter

Everything in ferm chamber

Brewmasters Warehouse was out of rice hulls when I ordered, so I had a stuck sparge right away. Luckily I was using a bag, so I just lifted it up and everything was good. I only got 6 gallons in the fermenter instead of 7 like I was expecting. My OG was 1.048. Overall, I think everything went pretty well for my "first" all grain batch.

 

[MrNic]

I took a gravity reading last night, and it's already down to FG. That was super fast.

 

[ted464]

Any opinions?
HB Store did not have reg wheat on hand...

total 5 gals

7# white wheat
4# 2 row
0.5# rice hulls

1oz Willamette leaf @ 20 mins
*I am using Willamette because I am growing them, and I want to see how a hefeweizen turns out with them

wlp300 (2 vials)

mash 153 for 75 mins
90 min boil

ferment 68 for ten days

kegging

 

[MrNic]

Hey Ed,

Is this beer supposed to have a lot of banana and clove flavors and aromas? When I took the gravity reading I tasted the sample, and I got no banana at all and just a little clove flavor. The smell was sulfur, which I know will go away with time, but I couldn't pick up any banana or clove at all. Any thoughts? Did I overpitch?

*edit* Nevermind, I pitched way too much yeast because my efficiency was so bad. According to Mr Malty, I needed a 1.5 liter starter, but I pitched a 2.5 liter starter. Oh well...

 

[MrNic]

Took another gravity reading last night, and it's down to 1.009. The sulfur is completely gone now, but still no banana or clove character. It tastes like an american wheat, which is kinda disappointing. I'm debating whether or not I should dry hop it with cascade to make it more interesting. It's kinda bland, and I'm not sure I want 6 gallons of it. Thoughts?

 

[poptarts]

don't make hefes

 

[ted464]

Took another gravity reading last night, and it's down to 1.009. The sulfur is completely gone now, but still no banana or clove character. It tastes like an american wheat, which is kinda disappointing. I'm debating whether or not I should dry hop it with cascade to make it more interesting. It's kinda bland, and I'm not sure I want 6 gallons of it. Thoughts?

go for the dry hopping; no point in wasting 6 gallons. I have been doing all grain for about a year now and am still working out the bugs, so keep at it.


No one sucks the life from my penguins except me... and maybe polar bears, because that's just nature Gunter.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

Took another gravity reading last night, and it's down to 1.009. The sulfur is completely gone now, but still no banana or clove character. It tastes like an american wheat, which is kinda disappointing. I'm debating whether or not I should dry hop it with cascade to make it more interesting. It's kinda bland, and I'm not sure I want 6 gallons of it. Thoughts?

MrNic,
Sorry to hear the batch didnt come put as you hoped. I know you mentioned that maybe the pitch rate was too high? And that may be why you didnt have the desired banana and clove flavors? Any other ideas??


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."

 

[MrNic]

MrNic,
Sorry to hear the batch didnt come put as you hoped. I know you mentioned that maybe the pitch rate was too high? And that may be why you didnt have the desired banana and clove flavors? Any other ideas??


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."

Yep, my efficiency was a lot lower than I expected, so I ended up pitching almost twice as much as I should have. I didn't even think about it on brew day. I fermented at 68 like the recipe said to, so I know that's not it.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

Yep, my efficiency was a lot lower than I expected, so I ended up pitching almost twice as much as I should have. I didn't even think about it on brew day. I fermented at 68 like the recipe said to, so I know that's not it.

What yeast strain did you use and what temp did your primary at?


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."

 

[MrNic]

What yeast strain did you use and what temp did your primary at?


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."

Like I said, I followed the recipe. Wyeast 3068 fermented at 68.

 

[Malty_Dog]

FWIW I wasn't picking up any banana until the bottle conditioning was done. 1.5L starter at 62, slightly low OG. Quickly has become the first beer I reach for now that the weather is gettin hot. Mine is light clove/banana, nothing over the top. Very smooth and approachable for just about any beer drinker I would think.

Here's a pic for the visually inclined

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

Ive heard that ferm at 68-70 is critical for hefe yeasts. Is that true? Im trying to find a way to get my temp controller probe inside a ss tube down in the middle of my carboy. Any ideas??


"Sometimes Im right half of the time ...."

 

[jaydog2314]

Brewing this tomorrow just finished the small yeast starter, about 650ml. Based on the date that means I should be under pitching by about 25% and I plan to ferment at 68. Hoping for a nice banana and clove balance. I might take a gallon after primary and rack it on strawberries or peaches for a little test run. Cheers!

 

[MrNic]

I got it bottled today. Decided to not dry hop and just go with it. I ended up with just short of 6 gallons in bottles.

 

[carvetop]

Bottling this today. Hit all the numbers and fermented for 14 days at 68F. Hydrometer sample is spot on and delicious. Simple recipe that produces a very authentic Bavarian Hefe. Thanks, EdWort!

 

[brewista_may]

TOO MUCH PRIMING?

hi guys i made this hefe and my OG was spot on. i let it ferment for 2weeks and the FG was 1.009 which is where the recipe says it should be. According to brewersfriend.com and other sites, hefe volume of c02 should be at 3.4-4.5 volumes of c02 . I thought i'd go in between at 4 and the calculator told me to use 9.2 oz of corn sugar for 5 gal batch.
Its only been 2 days in the bottle and i can see that it is already really carbonating. I opened one up today just out of curiosity and it gushed for a good amount of time, and was insanely carbonated to taste. I feel like it will just get worse as time goes on , or does the carbonation level out after a while ? I am reading up on it and some people are saying that 4.0 is too high and u can release some c02 by prying the cap off a little bit, letting some c02 escape and then recapping.. my question is, how much priming sugar did u add and how long did u let it sit before putting in in the fridge and drinking it? Appreciate any feedback. Thanks

 

[MrNic]

I only carbed mine to 2.8 volumes. I've read that the limit on regular 12 oz bottles is 3, so I wanted to give myself some room just to be safe. Besides, I feel like 3.4-4.5 is way too high for my taste.

If I were you, I'd stick those in a box before they explode and you have glass everywhere. You can also stick them in the fridge if you have the room. You can cool them down, and then open each cap to let out some co2. That way you won't have gushers.

 

[brewista_may]

i wonder why online priming calculators would give such a high suggestion for this type of style?! that's insane. I already put them in a covered box in case a bottle bomb does occur (crossing fingers it doesnt happen). Sounds like i will have to let out some c02. what a pain in the a$$..has this happened to anyone before?