Does the 3 week bottle rule apply to wits and hefes also???

[bgough]

Ive seen it posted on this board to drink them early, but do they actually take less time in the bottle to carb/condition?

I just bottled my first wit 2 days ago and was wondering if it is necessary to hold off for 3, or if these might be ready in a week or so.

 

[Clonefarmer]

Still takes 3 weeks at 70 to carb. The shorter time for hefeweizen and other similar brews is before bottling.

 

[Pappers_]

FWIW, I usually open a bottle at one and two weeks, just for kicks.

Jim

 

[Tenchiro]

I like my hefe as fresh as possible, so I usually dig into them after the 2nd week if I see good carbing in a couple bottles.

 

[Dougan]

FWIW, I usually open a bottle at one and two weeks, just for kicks.

Jim

I strongly agree. There's no way for you to know the life cycle of your beer and how well conditioning helps the taste unless you've tasted it before and after. I -always- crack a bottle at one week. Just so I can taste it two weeks later and know the difference.

As for the hefeweizen bottle conditioning times, I think the nature of the beer makes you more hesitant to bottle condition it for a long time, but won't really change the initial conditioning. I think the important thing is not to let it spend too long (months) clearing in the bottle.

I brewed a hefeweizen a couple months ago that I decided to secondary and forgot about until I found it this past weekend. I hope it doesn't taste like crap when I bottle it this weekend. Of all of the beers to forget about and let age for a long time, it had to be a hefeweizen...

 

[Pappers_]

Of all of the beers to forget about and let age for a long time, it had to be a hefeweizen...

Hi Dougan - look at it as an experiment! Radical brewing at its best! Seriously, it will be good, maybe different, but good. Your beer may be the one that starts a new trend towards aged hefeweizens . . .

Cheers

Jim

 

[bgough]

Thanks guys. I will probably be trying one at the one week mark for...umm...research

 

[Paulasaurus]

I cracked open a wit last night after 4 days in the bottle and was very impressed with the taste. Could use a few more days for carbing but it was decently carbed already. I was told by a member on here 4-5 days for the wit to be ready to drink so I guess i'll keep trying one every few days and see how they progress.

Hopefully i'll be able to keep a few around to try at 2 weeks

 

[Joos]

My last hefe was carbed and ready to go after 4 days in the bottle.Not just head but thoroughly carbonated.After a month the estery flavor is starting to fade.Your decision though.I liked it alot better when it was young

 

[daveooph131]

I have a Hefe in the primary right now (almost a week). How long till I should bottle?

 

[Pivzavod]

Since I started brewing in September I brewed 3 batches of Wheat beers. 2 of them I still have a few remaining bottles. I did notice with the Hefe that after 3 weeks in primary and 2 weeks in bottles it tasted delicious, with more time in bottles the taste was reducing with time. My Wits I like to mix with OJ which adds so much citrus that it becomes the nectar of gods

I have batch #3 of Wit in the primary since Saturday and thinking about keeping it in the primary for only 2 weeks. I have another batch of Wit following it and it will be my first attempt at collecting the yeast from batch #1 and reusing for #2 (Wit) followed by #3 (Grand Cru).

I have been doing 3 weeks in primary and 3 weeks in bottle but I am thinking of reducing it to 2 / 2 for Wheats. I do admit I tend to always crack a bottle earlier then 3 weeks but all my batches after #1 have been at least 3 weeks in primary.