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Weissbier Bee Cave Brewery Bavarian Hefeweizen

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Temps are supposed to hit 40 or so next week - I'll open the garage and brew 20 gallons. Going with Pale Whet and Two Row, with a German Yeast.

This will be my 3rd batch, and I've decreased wheat and upped 2 row. Can't wait!

Just out of curiosity, why 2-row instead of German Pilsen? Original recipe makes an incredible authentic Bavarian Hefe! I wouldn't mess with it, unless you're after something different.
 
The guy who got me brewing said I could use two-row, and I buy it in 50 lb bags for $25 from a local microbrewery. I tried it the first time, and then the second time opted for more 2-Row than wheat. I liked it, and so did the wife.

All Homebrew Supply stores are at least 2 hours away. We either improvise or beg or borrow from each other.
 
Finally brewed. Did 20 gal batch, per earlier post.

Used Wyeast German Wheat Yeast as I couldn't get Weihenstephen. Did a 1 liter starter than stepped up to 4 liters.

OG was 1.044., which was where I was the last time I brewed this variation.
 
brewed this one yesterday, 5 gallon batch BIAB. started with 9 gallons of water and ended up with 6 gallons in the fermenter. missed my volume big time!
 
Made this yesterday, I hit all my numbers wound up with 10 gal of 1.050 wort. Pitched 2L starter but still no activity??

I did pitch at about 61 degrees... too cold? stays about 65 in basement...
 
Made this yesterday, I hit all my numbers wound up with 10 gal of 1.050 wort. Pitched 2L starter but still no activity??

I did pitch at about 61 degrees... too cold? stays about 65 in basement...

I fermented mine cold (62ish) and it turned out great! Did you use 3068? Mine started percolating within hours. Love that yeast! At that temp the banana and clove esters are quite reserved, so you get a pretty clean tasting beer, which was my goal. Tastes very similar to Ayinger.
 
yes 3068, made 2L starter which fermented well. Still no activity :( going to try to stir it up and see if that helps... temps are now 65 degrees.

I fermented mine cold (62ish) and it turned out great! Did you use 3068? Mine started percolating within hours. Love that yeast! At that temp the banana and clove esters are quite reserved, so you get a pretty clean tasting beer, which was my goal. Tastes very similar to Ayinger.
 
oops... well it seems I was quite mistaken. Its fermenting away... I had not set one of the seals on top properly... I looked inside and FULL of kaursen...!! it certainly is active!
 
oops... well it seems I was quite mistaken. Its fermenting away... I had not set one of the seals on top properly... I looked inside and FULL of kaursen...!! it certainly is active!

Great news! Yeah, I didn't even do a starter. Just pitched straight from the smack pack.
 
Been wanting to brew this for some time. Finally just did it tonite. #s right on the money but temp controller acting wonky. Will check it tomorrow.

Thanks Ed - great rvws and I hope to have a good Bavarian Heff.:ban:
 
I check my FG this am, was 1.010 and tasted great, however its pretty cloudy? is that normal with this style? or should i add gelatin? I will be kegging this.

since I did 10 gals I am going to split them, and put a little orange peel and coriander in one and see how that goes. Anyone try this? Can I use orange peel? I have coriander seeds... was thinking of putting it in paint strainer bag in the keg...
 
Yep, cloudy with good tasting yeast. Here's my second go around, this time with dark wheat.

Hefeweizen.jpg
 
My first one with the pale wheat malt (1.7L) was more straw colored than this one with the dark wheat malt (6.2L). They taste about the same though.
 
I kegged my batch after 16 days in primary and it finished low at 1.008. Fermentation happened at a steady 67 degrees in my fermchamber with a STC-1000 probe taped to to the Big Mouth Bubbler and covered with a double layer of koozie to shield from ambient temps. I did detect a sulphur odor while kegging but did not taste it in the sample.

I tried the beer last night and I still detect a slight sulphur odor but again, I do not taste it at all. In fact the beer really tastes good with big banana notes and a subtle clove finish. I just wish it didn't have that stinky nose...

Will that sulphur smell go away? It isn't overpowering but it is there. I did find that a lemon slice in the beer seems to cover it up nicely. Maybe that's how that practice came to be in the first place?

EDIT: I guess this sulphur is common for the strain according to WYeast. Hopefully this will go away before too long as they suggest!
http://wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=135
" Sulfur is commonly produced, but will dissipate with conditioning."
 
Interestingly....... Had a couple-three last night and the sulphur smell was gone. Didn't expect it to be that quick but so glad it was.

Anyway, thanks @EdWort for this recipe! Nice color to this one too!

NiceHefe.jpg
 
And this beer keeps changing and getting better. Incredibly refreshing lemon note being exhibited tonight.
This is somewhat of a calidiscope beer!
 
I modified a bit to use what i had around the house. I used gy020 portland Hefe yeast with 5# wheat and 4# 2row. Mash at 155 for 90 min. It fermented out to a FG of 1.004. Maybe my heat died down during the BIAB mash causing the high fermentability.

In the keg now for about a week (not really carbonated yet) and the sulfur has not died down. The taste is more of a boulevard wheat with a crispness rather than a true hefeweisen but that is probably due to using less wheat. Looks great but the aroma of sulfur is not fun. Will that die down after a few weeks in the keg? Degassing a few times, shoots out the same smell that the bucket had while fermenting. Not fun stuff.
 
Brewed this for the second time yesterday using EdWorts original recipe. I used my frozen 3068 that I put into a 1 liter starter and stopped it at high krausen (about 24 hours after pitch) by putting it in the fridge.

The brew day went well. Hit my numbers with 75% efficiency. Pitched the yeast at 66° F. 8 Hours later I had to add a blow off tube. I am going to try to ferment this one at a higher temp than my previous 68° F. Shooting for 69 or 70° F this time to see if I can get some fruitiness.

My pipeline is about empty so I made this guy again and cream of three crops for a couple beers that will be quick to get on tap. The GF likes the cream ale and so do I, but I like wheat beers better.
 
Did this one yesterday. However, I had 2 packages of white labs American Hefenwiezen yeast so I sued that. I wonder how much it will change the taste. I did 10 gallons and pitched a pack in each 5 gallon fermentor. 1st Hef I have made.
 
Brewed this on Sunday. Hit an OG of around 1.05. I pitched at around 62F, and when I got back from work an hour ago it was fermenting at close to 75F (even though ambient is around 65F). I put a wet tshirt around it to try and get it back under 70.

Seems like its going well otherwise!
 
I did this a week ago. After 7 days at 68F it had dropped from 1.053 to 1.026. It also has a very strong green apple smell and taste... But the banana is in there too.

Should I let it cruise at 68F or adjust the temperature for the last days?

I did not use a starter, just a single smack pack that was about 2 months old.
 
Well, I brewed on Sunday, Monday morning there was thick krausen and it was happily bubbling at 75F, I brought it down to around the 64 on Tuesday, it greatly slowed bubbling. I raise it back up to get closer to 68F, where it is at the moment, however there's almost no bubbles anymore, and the krausen has mostly fallen...should I go up a bit in temp? Or just sit back and let it do its thing?
 
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