first hefe- yeast, recipe?

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Steiner

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Alright, I picked up some LME for an extract hefeweizen recipe. Apparently, it seems that not using steeping grains is common for extract hefe recipes- it's all I've seen. All I've seen on this forum were AG hefe recipes. Anyway, I got my extract and hops and completely forgot my yeast. From what I've heard, wheat yeast is pretty important in brewing hefes. However, I'm impatient and want to brew asap and won't be able to make to my LHBS for a few more days. I've got some spare Nottingham's and Munton's (and a WL British Ale Yeast!). Would you recommend holding out until I got the correct liquid yeast?

Also, I'm still open to feedback. It's just Wheat LME and 1 oz hallertau. The extract was pre-bucketed from a kit (I think 6 lbs?). Sound good? Any recommendations? Seems super basic and I've gotten used to using steeping grains- makes me feel like I'm brewing something more authentic, but maybe it's just the way it is. I've never brewed a hefe. Recipe suggestions would be great too. I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks.
 
Hefe's are as easy as they come. No specialty grains, single hop addition, just make sure to use the right yeast (WLP 300 is nice). It's ALL about the yeast. You CANNOT substitute Nottingham or anything else unless you want to make an American Wheat (one of the most boring styles, IMHO). Hefe yeast gives you the banana/clove phenolics that are absolutely critical to the beer.
 
I used wlp300 with the hefe I just made. Unfortunately i feel that my fermentation temp was a little on the high side because the closet that my beer was fermenting in smelled like bananas the whole time it was going
 
Thanks guys. I'm aiming for a German-style hefeweizen. I've never made a hefe but have heard they're a piece of cake and very fast and easy. How does the LME and Hallertauer sound? Typical enough? Recommendations? I'll definitely be waiting until I can go to the store. You all have more than confirmed what I have read. Step aside Nottingham, the proper yeast will be had. Now whether it's Wy300 or WL3068, we'll just have to see. But you've convinced me to wait.
 
Thanks guys. I've got the goods (WLP 300). Sorry Cheesefood, you simply were outnumbered and the vial actually says "German Hefeweizen". Doesn't sound like you can go too wrong with that. I will be brewing within the next few days.

One last thing- I've heard conflicting things about primaries/secondaries, etc. For one thing, I don't have a secondary. Secondly, I don't quite know how long I should leave my beer in the primary. I have a hydrometer and can definitely tell when it's ready, but wasn't sure if it matters. Some basic guidance would be much appreciated.

With the hefe, I've been told it's a very fast fermentation typically and I don't need a secondary either way. So that answers that for the most part, but just let me know what you guys think. Thanks again! Happy Turkey Day!
 
don't need a secondary ("clearing tank") because you want it to be cloudy...it's a hefe! the yeast won't really fall out of suspension anyway, it's the way they work.

two-three weeks in primary is ideal IMO (i would leave it at least two no matter how quickly it finishes)

and in the bottle for 4-6 weeks

use a blow-off tube...hefe yeast is CRAZY!

:mug:
 
Yeah definitely use a blow off. I just brewed up a hefe with wlp300(my first beer. yay!) and only used the airlock. I had to clean so much krausen gunk off the top of my lid on the second day. Luckily it stopped over flowing after I cleaned it, but next time, I am definitely using a blow off tube.

If all goes as planned, next time will be this weekend. yay!
 
For my last batch I used Wyeast 3056, 6# Wheat LME, 1# raw wheat (Steep 20min @ 160F) and 1oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker @ 60min. the cloves are very pronounced and it is quite tastey.
 
From my experience fresh is good with a hefe. I do 2weeks primary then one week in the keg and drink. I think they peak around 3-5 weeks and my wlp300 will drop out when cooled for long peroids.
 
Steiner said:
Thanks guys. I've got the goods (WLP 300). Sorry Cheesefood, you simply were outnumbered and the vial actually says "German Hefeweizen". Doesn't sound like you can go too wrong with that. I will be brewing within the next few days.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but if it does not say Weihenstephaner on it, then it is not from the oldest brewery in the world. Weihenstephan has been making Weissbier since 1040 in the little town of Freising Germany, just north of Munich.

I hope WLP300 is from a genuine German brewery.
 
EdWort said:
Sorry, but if it does not say Weihenstephaner on it, then it is not from the oldest brewery in the world. Weihenstephan has been making Weissbier since 1040 in the little town of Freising Germany, just north of Munich.

I hope WLP300 is from a genuine German brewery.
Click to expand...

WLP300 Hefeweizen Ale Weihenstephan 68

Im pretty sure that the two are the same yeast.
 
the_bird said:
I'm sure it's as authentically German as Montrachet is for your apfelwein... ;)
Click to expand...

Oooohhh...it's about to get ugly up in here!!

Ed has gotta step to that kind of smack talk. I think I'll draw a glass of apfelwein and wait for the fireworks.
 
BlindLemonLars said:
Oooohhh...it's about to get ugly up in here!!

Ed has gotta step to that kind of smack talk. I think I'll draw a glass of apfelwein and wait for the fireworks.
Click to expand...

Yep, Eds gonna blow his Kraeusen all over the place!!:D
 
Yikes, the idea of a blow off tube is getting pretty relevant. Anyway though- I've never used a blow off before. From what I have heard, it goes as follows-

Fit tubing through the hole in the fermenter. How far down? Should it be touching the beer? How do you create a secure fitting? I use a plastic bucket fermenter. My airlock is typically fitted with a cork-like plug in the hole at the fermenter lid. How do I create such a snug/secure fitting?

Plastic tubing ok?
And then, I place the other end of the tubing in a bucket or large beer bottle filled with water, right?

It's a little unclear for me and I don't want to contaminate it or risk something else. Thanks.
 
You want your blow off tube to be far enough down, and SECURE that it isnt going to fall out. That's the main thing. Obviously you dont want it in your beer, the object is to make a bigger airlock so more gasses/foam can make its way to the bucket. Otherwise you get airlock rockets.... been there with belgian abbey II, I believe the yeast was called...

anyway, vinyl tubing works great and it's flexible. You can get it in many different sizes and you can get it anywhere: ace, lowes, depot. I think I used an inch + diameter tube because I had a large hole in my fermenter (inch plus) and I ran it to one of those juice pitchers filled 1/4 or so of iodine water. As long as you sanitize everything well, you shouldnt have any problems.
 
Steiner said:
Yikes, the idea of a blow off tube is getting pretty relevant. Anyway though- I've never used a blow off before. From what I have heard, it goes as follows-

Fit tubing through the hole in the fermenter. How far down? Should it be touching the beer? How do you create a secure fitting? I use a plastic bucket fermenter. My airlock is typically fitted with a cork-like plug in the hole at the fermenter lid. How do I create such a snug/secure fitting?

Plastic tubing ok?
And then, I place the other end of the tubing in a bucket or large beer bottle filled with water, right?

It's a little unclear for me and I don't want to contaminate it or risk something else. Thanks.
Click to expand...

The clear vinyl tubing from your local hardware store will work fine. If you have a 5 or 6 gallon glass carboy, use the 1 1/4"OD X 1"ID tubing. It will fit nice and snug. Use about a 3.5 foot length of it for your blowoff tube. Stuff it in the neck of the carboy about 3 inches. :)
 
Ok, I'll go grab some vinyl tubing. Is this going to be a secure enough fit to keep out bacteria. Do you literally just have the tube hanging out or do you fit the tube with gromets and washers?
 
Steiner said:
Ok, I'll go grab some vinyl tubing. Is this going to be a secure enough fit to keep out bacteria. Do you literally just have the tube hanging out or do you fit the tube with gromets and washers?
Click to expand...

It's actually a fairly tight fit. Just sanitize the tube first and then stuff it into the opening about 2.5 to 3 inches. Place the other end in a container of water sitting at the same level as the carboy. If you are still worried about bacteria getting in, you can wrap some aluminum foil around the neck and tube junction to seal it off from airborne bacteria floating down on it. As soon as the fermentation slows down, you can replace the blowoff tube with your airlock again. I've never had a problem doing it this way. :)
 
Ok, sounds good. Thanks for the clarification. I got some 1/4 inch vinyl tubing and am going to fit it right into the rubber stopper. This is what was recommended by LHBS. I assume the water should be sanitized. My beer store recommended a growler- I don't have one, but would a 22 oz bottle work for the other end of the tube?
 
First off, I brewed four days ago (11/29) and everything went well. Super easy- I would recommend brewing a hefe for any newbie or someone looking for a quick easy batch if you're short on time.

This question is a little green, but I had a little concern because I've never used a blow off tube. Should my bucket of water be at the same height as the top of the fermenter lid or ground level? It's been four days and I haven't seen any bubbles. I know yeast may take a few days to kick off- I've experienced this myself. I took a gravity reading to check. Temperature has also been in the mid 60s and I think I remember hearing hefe yeast likes the heat. OG was 1.039 four days ago and today's reading was 1.016. So it looks like it's on track, but I just wanted to check. Is a sample from the bottom of the fermenter representative of the rest of the batch this early in the game?
 
Steiner said:
First off, I brewed four days ago (11/29) and everything went well. Super easy- I would recommend brewing a hefe for any newbie or someone looking for a quick easy batch if you're short on time.

This question is a little green, but I had a little concern because I've never used a blow off tube. Should my bucket of water be at the same height as the top of the fermenter lid or ground level? It's been four days and I haven't seen any bubbles. I know yeast may take a few days to kick off- I've experienced this myself. I took a gravity reading to check. Temperature has also been in the mid 60s and I think I remember hearing hefe yeast likes the heat. OG was 1.039 four days ago and today's reading was 1.016. So it looks like it's on track, but I just wanted to check. Is a sample from the bottom of the fermenter representative of the rest of the batch this early in the game?
Click to expand...

I always set the container that the blow-off tube empties into, at the same level that the carboy is sitting. You never saw any bubbles at all? Maybe you had a leak around your blow-off tube so the CO2 never pushed out of the end of the tube? You gravity readings would indicate that fermentation is progressing as normal. Since the yeast is actively churning the liquid, the density of your batch should be fairly uniform I would think.
 
I'm going to try the new dry hefe yeast, Safbrew WB-06, tomorrow. I think it's the same Weihenstephan strain. I'll report on how it turns out.

Anybody else tried it yet?
 
Steiner said:
First off, I brewed four days ago (11/29) and everything went well. Super easy- I would recommend brewing a hefe for any newbie or someone looking for a quick easy batch if you're short on time.

This question is a little green, but I had a little concern because I've never used a blow off tube. Should my bucket of water be at the same height as the top of the fermenter lid or ground level? It's been four days and I haven't seen any bubbles. I know yeast may take a few days to kick off- I've experienced this myself. I took a gravity reading to check. Temperature has also been in the mid 60s and I think I remember hearing hefe yeast likes the heat. OG was 1.039 four days ago and today's reading was 1.016. So it looks like it's on track, but I just wanted to check. Is a sample from the bottom of the fermenter representative of the rest of the batch this early in the game?
Click to expand...
mid 60s temp is perfect IMO...it brings out more of the clove taste, with a subtle banana. if you want more banana, ferment at about 70...i wouldn't go more than 72.

don't quite understand what you mean by "sample from the bottom of the ferementer"?

sounds like you're going good at 1.016...just make sure to leave it in the fermenter for over 2 weeks (i'd go 3) before you bottle. Should be a tasty brew!
 
Lil' Sparky said:
I'm going to try the new dry hefe yeast, Safbrew WB-06, tomorrow. I think it's the same Weihenstephan strain. I'll report on how it turns out.

Anybody else tried it yet?
Click to expand...
i've been curious about the dry hefe yeast. since most hefe yeast doesn't stay good for very long, i didn't think it would be a good idea, but let us know!
 
Eh, its homebrew. Take it easy. You can pitch Nottingham in there if it makes you jolly. That's what its all about. Otherwise might as well buy your beer and recite the purity laws in German every night before bed.
 

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