Brewing my first hefeweizen

[RyPA]

I took a gravity sample today and gave it a taste and I think it turned out really well. It finished out at 1.010, 4.5% ABV.

Is waiting an extra week to keg worth it?

 

[rmr9]

I’d wait another day or 2, take another gravity reading each day to make sure then keg it up early/mid this upcoming week

 

[Rish]

I took a gravity sample today and gave it a taste and I think it turned out really well. It finished out at 1.010, 4.5% ABV.

Is waiting an extra week to keg worth it?

I always wait at least 2 weeks before packaging just to let the yeast continue to settle and condition. Good luck

 

[RyPA]

I always wait at least 2 weeks before packaging just to let the yeast continue to settle and condition. Good luck

Do you cold crash?

 

[Rish]

Do you cold crash?

Nope, just let gravity do its thing.

 

[1Pivoman]

Good call on just sticking with infusion mash for your first Weissbier. I must admit I’ve only ever decoction mashed my Weissbiers, my latest recipe was one of the best malt bills I’ve done, 7 lbs Avangard Wheat, 2 lbs Avangard Vienna, 2 lbs Avangard Light Munich, and 2 lbs Pilsen malt. Nice bready note and very rich flavor.

I really like WLP-380 Hefe Weizen IV, even though it’s minimal banana when I open ferment it in my Sterilite tub (thank you SFC Rudy!!) it was a game changer.

 

[1Pivoman]

Meant to say WLP-380 open fermented did give off nice banana esters but stayed very well balanced between cloviness and banana. Open fermentation in a shallow tub gives it a lot of brightness and lively yeast expression. A $6 fermentation vessel is a no brainer!

 

[Ninoid]

I made a wheat beer, BIAB 60 minutes, half pilsner half wheat malt, and the beer was good, but clear. How do you get it thick and cloudy like Paulaner?

 

[1Pivoman]

What yeast did you use? My Weizens sometimes drop clear so I’ll swirl the yeast in the bottom of the bottle and serve it “mit Hefe.” Meaning, with yeast. It will cloud it up and add flavors we love in Hefe Weizens. I’ve kegged just one batch of my Weizens I’ve ever brewed, great at first, but took on a weird Saison-like character after a while. So I stick with bottling it.

 

[Ninoid]

I've used WB-40 once for a wheat beer, and Belle Saison the other time, and it was clear both times. Swirl the yeast from the bottom of the bottle doesn't seem like a good idea to me, as it significantly changes the taste of the beer, and can also give you a headache.

 

[Witherby]

What yeast did you use? My Weizens sometimes drop clear so I’ll swirl the yeast in the bottom of the bottle and serve it “mit Hefe.” Meaning, with yeast. It will cloud it up and add flavors we love in Hefe Weizens. I’ve kegged just one batch of my Weizens I’ve ever brewed, great at first, but took on a weird Saison-like character after a while. So I stick with bottling it.

Bottling is very traditional for these beers. I don't think they were kegged in Germany until the 1980s(?) and that is still the exception, I believe. I end up bottling hefeweizen, witbier, saison, etc even though I keg everything else.

 

[1Pivoman]

That’s how one is asked in Germany how they want their beer, mit Hefe or ohne Hefe (with or without yeast). I’ve never tried WB-06, not sure how the yeast tastes but I’ve always swirled up some compacted yeast in my Weizens when I pour them. No headaches yet, unless I’m on my 5th one . It typically amplifies the banana/clove/breadiness for a more rustic character.

 

[Ninoid]

That’s how one is asked in Germany how they want their beer, mit Hefe or ohne Hefe (with or without yeast). I’ve never tried WB-06, not sure how the yeast tastes but I’ve always swirled up some compacted yeast in my Weizens when I pour them. No headaches yet, unless I’m on my 5th one . It typically amplifies the banana/clove/breadiness for a more rustic character.

WB-06. My mistake.