Weissbier Bee Cave Brewery Bavarian Hefeweizen

[RayInUT]

Mine came out very, very yeastie. With quite a bit of sweetness. It tastes good... but the sweetness throws me off. Is this supposed to have very much sweetness? My HBS sent me some funny malted wheat instead of what I ordered (left a note stating they were out) ... I may think about buying from AHS in the future... I washed 4 jars of this yeast so I might be trying it again soon...

Weyerman is a german malted wheat. I shop at The Beernut (where I'm assuming you went. I just bought some Weyerman organic malted wheat there the other day for a dunkelweizen (actually a weizenbock due to OG of 65 or so) I made on Thanksgiving. It's close to this recipe but just adds 2 pounds of Munich and a QP of chocolate malt. I use 5 lbs. of six row and six pounds of weyerman malted wheat also. Your wheat will work fine. Also, make sure you triple bag the grain when you buy it at the Beernut. They do use those cheesy grocery store bags and they rip easy!

 

[Deacon1856]

It is now 10:30pm, CST on a Wednesday. I am one hour and a half past my bedtime because of brewing this beer. I haven't brewed in awhile, I have people coming in this AND next weekend, and I just needed to make beer. You know that feeling? You just NEED to make beer? Anyway, I digress...

I took your recipe, EdWort, with the best of intentions in following it precisely. But for a number of reasons I made a different beer. This is what I did:

7# White Wheat from B3...apparently the only kind they had
4# Pils, B3
.5# Rice Hulls
AND .5# Crystal 15L

Let me explain the 15. I mean for it to be a 40 or 60 to impart the "dunkel" characteristics into it, but upon examination of the cupboard, there was none of either to be found. So I thought, what the hell. I put it in.

My hops schedule is different as well. Just because this is what I had on hand.

.3 oz Perle 8.2% (45 min, 8.4 IBU)
1 oz Hallertau 1.5% (15 min, 2.8 IBU)
For a grand total of 11.2 IBU's...I guess within your 10 - 13 range.

I also used a decanted pint of 3065 I washed from my FIRST batch of this that I didn't get to taste thanks to hose clamps (whole other thread on this if you want to read it).

I went to boil with about 6.5 gallons and after 90 minutes just a HAIR over 5 gallons went in the jug. OG was 1.058. I think it was high because I had too much boil off...what's the deal with the 90 minute boil? Any advantage?

I drank my hydro sample and all I could think was "WOW, that's sweet." The hops were there (literally, floating in the sample) but the main event was SWEET SWEET SWEET. I liked it.

I know this was long, but I'm long winded. Unashamedly so. But do you think this will be anything near what you intended? I know I made beer, but did I make a hefe or a wheat beer or what?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for the recipe EdWort. I look forward to putting this on the gas weekend after next.

Deacon

 

[RonRock]

I'm trying to put this recipe into ProMash. I can't find a Style that seems best. BJCP 15-A, or 15-C either sound possible. Either of them right?

 

[EdWort]

It would fall under 15-A. That's where it was placed when it took 3rd place at the Alamo Cerveza Fest.

 

[RonRock]

Am I thinking correct? ProMash shows my Hallertauer 3.9%. Using .75 & .25 total IBU's 7.9. If I start with 1oz then .25 the IBU's come to 10.4. Is this the best way to get the IBU's where they belong?

 

[Deacon1856]

I've been drinking this now for a week or two and it is good. It came out STOUT...around 7.5% ABV...so it hammers pretty quick. There's a definite "alcohol" taste to it, but after 2 or three it smooths out. Lots of banana. Light on the clove. It fermented at 66, so I'm not sure what I should have expected.

Overall it's very good. I prefer it to a Blue Moon, but that could just be me, a proud papa, talking.

 

[RonRock]

I am planning on brewing this tomorrow, and of course I need some help today.

I got my Wyeast 3068, and some Wheat DME to do a starter. As suggested earlier in the thread.

Trouble is I don't know exactly what to do with them. I did a search but by the time I studied all of the results, I'd miss my opportunity to brew.

So can anybody tell me how to do my starter this evening for tomorrows brew?

 

[RonRock]

I used 1/2 cup of Wheat DME and 16 oz. of water to make the starter wort. It will work fine for 5 gallons. Step it up to a quart if you are going to split it between two 5 gallon fermenters for a 10 gallon batch like I do.

OK I went back and started over. Is it as easy as mixing 1/2 cup DME with 16 oz water with the 3068 yeast smack pack? Sorry first time with a smack pack. Should this be in a container with an airlock?

 

[flyangler18]

OK I went back and started over. Is it as easy as mixing 1/2 cup DME with 16 oz water with the 3068 yeast smack pack? Sorry first time with a smack pack. Should this be in a container with an airlock?

Sanitized piece of tin foil. You want air exchange; yeast need O2 to grow.

Boil the DME and water for 10 minutes, cool to pitching temps, pitch yeast. Shake furiously and regularly, like it owes you money. Remember, starters are for making yeast, not making beer.

 

[RonRock]

Thanks, flyangler. I got that much. Now how long does it have to set?

And as long as I got your attention. It is recomended that I add Rice Hulls. I have some for the job. But not certain what to do with them for sure. It is suggested that they are soaked before use. Should they be soaked for any length of time? Should they be mixed with the rest of the grains? Before, or after crushing?

So much to learn! I love it.

Thanks

 

[EdWort]

I soak and rinse mine. I don't want any dirt in my beer or the rice hulls soaking up any wort. 30 minute soak followed by a rinse works for me.

 

[RonRock]

Thanks Ed. That one is answered. Easy enough.

 

[mrburnsbud]

Thanks for the recipe Edwort!!! Mine has been in the fermentor for about 16 hours and it is going crazzzzy. So much foam and co2 that I had to switch to a blowoff. The yeast starter you recommended must have made a huge difference.

Do have a question though. My OG was ~1.042 with the same ingredients except American grains instead of German. Though thought this was a little low....so I went and looked at the spent grains I poured in the woods. They are frozen now but it looks like quite a few grains are still intake, mostly the wheat.

There is an old lady that runs the HBS. Nothing against old ladies, but i think the rollers might be too far apart. She uses a motor driven roller crusher. Seems to be a very nice one. But do you think that the rollers need to be adjusted based on my final gravity. Possibly to far apart for high efficiency crush?

 

[EdWort]

Wheat is a bit smaller than barley, so this most likely the cause of your efficiency being a bit low. Ask her to run through twice next time.

 

[mrburnsbud]

ooo thanks EdWort. Didn't know that wheat is a little smaller than barley. That makes alot of sense. There is actually a station set-up at the HBS. So ill probably mill the pils seperate from the wheat, and mill the wheat twice.

I was thinking that she may not know that the mill even needs to be adjusted. So with time and lots of milling, the rollers may seperate and need adjustment. Who knows, maybe I'll ask her the next time I visit and see if she'd ever measured the gap.

Nevertheless, can't wait for this one. I may try to do some yeast freezing or reuse the yeast cake and brew another. Thanks again!!!

 

[ChemE]

Any advantage to subbing out some of the red wheat for white wheat? If AHS and BeerSmith are to be trusted, it should slightly increase the maltiness and substantially increase the head retention. Or are both red and white wheat sweeter and maltier than raw wheat and subbing out some red for white is useless?

 

[magnj]

I'm trying a baby batch of this soon 1.5 gal to be precise. This is mostly a trial run for what will be a big batch more near to summer. The batch will be split in two, each with different yeasts. 3068 and 3638. Do you have any experience with the latter?

 

[DirkDiggler]

Do you have a recommendation for an extract or partial mash EdWort?

 

[Hikeon3]

Putting the bill together as we speak over at brewmasterswarehouse (love the build a brew tool, and they actually have hallertau in stock)

Haven't been able to stop drinking hefe lately. On my second 12'er of Franziskaner after having polished off a 5L of Paulaner w/ some buddies last Friday and receiving a gift-shipment of Tucher from a buddy stationed in Germany.

Also gotta put the new AG setup to the test. Here we go...

 

[springer]

Ed I have everything ready to brew this but one question the yeast is in a smack pack did you smack it and let it swell before pitching or just smacked it and pitched it into the starter ?

 

[EdWort]

Ed I have everything ready to brew this but one question the yeast is in a smack pack did you smack it and let it swell before pitching or just smacked it and pitched it into the starter ?

I smacked it, let it swell, the pitched it into a starter.

 

[springer]

Thanks Ed..

 

[herbler]

Simply delicious, Ed. Bravo!

 

[magnj]

I brewed 5 gallons of this, a little modified this weekend, thanks for the inspiration.
I did:
#5 Pilsner, #5 White Wheat,.75 oz Hallertau @ 60min. Split it up into 2 fermenters, one with Wyeast 3068, one with 3638.

I figure 2 weeks to ferment then straight to bottle or is that too fast?

 

[bergman1118]

just picked up the ingredients to brew this the other day, although i was unable to get 3068 from the hbs so i picked up 3944 (belgian witbier).. hopefully it turns out as good as ed's recipe (i'm thinking it will). I also plan on adding about 0.5 oz of coriander and 1.0 oz of bitter orange peel about 10 mins before flameout to compliment the witbier yeast. I'll be back with results on this one, can't wait!

 

[magnj]

I brewed 5 gallons of this, a little modified this weekend, thanks for the inspiration.
I did:
#5 Pilsner, #5 White Wheat,.75 oz Hallertau @ 60min. Split it up into 2 fermenters, one with Wyeast 3068, one with 3638.

I figure 2 weeks to ferment then straight to bottle or is that too fast?

I tried a bottle of each this weekend, 3 weeks from brew day, 1 week in bottle. They tasted a little young but pretty good. The 3608 bottle fizzed up a lot and had some junk floating around hopefully not an infection. I will update next week.

 

[springer]

going to crash it this Thursday and keg this weekend looks great so far ...

 

[hukdizzle]

Kegged this up this past Saturday and had a glass last night, very tasty and great recipe Ed.

 

[Opherman47]

brewed this beer, this past weekend, got a newer grain mill so still working out my eff. i ended up with 4 gallons at 1.070...... pitched a smakpak 3068 straight into the carboy no starter..... used a wine stir on a drill for oxygenation.... the thing is going mad.... ive got like 8 inches of foam...... would have needed a blowoff if i had put 5.5 gallons in..... i hope it finishes out and isnt too sweet, we shall see...... wyeast's website says 3068 has a 10 percent alcohol tollerance...... but i did under pitch.... i am fermenting at 68 to 70 ambient temp..... any thoughts guys? any guess's to how low it will finish out?

 

[Brutus Brewer]

My water profile here is real hard. If I were to buy some spring water from the grocery would that produce a better beer for this recipe?