First hefeweizen results: no head, over carb? Taste is ok.

[mrsducky]

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Glass on the right was maybe 5-10s after I poured it. No head retention at all. Also wasn't as cloudy as I was expecting it to be - more like a plain wheat beer, maybe? Or maybe I need to swirl a little more. Was a bit afraid of bottle bombs - first time using sugar drops.

OG 1.050 FG ~1.008

However, it's quite spritely on the tongue, even a little harsh. This is day 9 of bottle carbing so I am a bit concerned that they're over carbed at this point. I plan on chucking them in the fridge tonight. I may opt to save the drops for cider (which I like fizzy) and measure sugar for beer.

I wonder if I didn't do a good enough job of regulating the amount of yeast/trub I siphoned out? Here's the bottle -- you can see the yeast.

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Taste isn't terrible but I'll try it out after it's been chilled for a second opinion. Not as much banana or clove as I was hoping for - I didn't keep good temp readings but I am fairly sure it fermented around 68-70 so I was expecting a little more banana. Definitely has a fruity, sweet aroma. Mouthfeel is a lot like a soda - light and fizzy - one thing I hope to correct next time. Probably related to the lack of a head.

Thanks to everyone who posts on here with info and pictures - very helpful! Looking forward to next brew (first BIAB, English bitter)

 

[65C]

I find first week or two can be a bit early with some beers (esp. when they look that one you poured) - they can still change a lot yet

some can be well carbed and very drinkable in a few days - others can be 3 or 4 weeks to get a head and taste gets even better over the next month

to resist drinking it all too early, I got a couple of extra carboys and brewed every couple of days in the beginning to build up a buffer - I could do with one more really and some more bottles so I can rest more up for later

 

[RM-MN]

It takes time for the beer to be ready to form a good head. You're rushing your beer. Try it again in 2 weeks. Don't refrigerate the beer while you wait, it slows the head formation changes.

 

[mrsducky]

Hey thanks, both -- I will let them go a bit longer.

So do you think that also accounts for the light body? Or could that be more of a result of using DME/ from a kit?

Thanks

 

[GHBWNY]

A hefe is not only naturally hazy, it has a yeast that is tasty and suitable for consumption. It also carbs at more vols CO2 than a lot of beers, so unless you suspect bottle bombs, let it age out (cold-crashing is counter-intuitive to the style as it tends to clear the beer). With my hefes (I usually pitch WLP380), I pour all but an inch into a glass, swirl the bottle to stir up yeast and dump it into the glass. It tastes better and will take care of your 'too-clear' prob. And might create a little more head in the process.

 

[NSMikeD]

^^ that yeast swirl is optional - but I am in the same camp as GHBWNY. Learned it from a bar in NYC called GingerMan which carried Schneiderweiss. Bar tenders would make a nice show of quickly rolling the bottles between both hands while pouring the last of the beer (and head) into the glass.
The yeast adds spice. Some folk love it, others not.

+1 on taking you time as well. I too brewed an inventory after initially rushing to drink my first batches. Now as a rule of thumb, I allot 2 weeks for fermentation (in the primary) and two weeks for conditioning (I prime and condition in a keg, but its no different if they were bottled). The yeast goes back and cleans up some of the more harsh tasting alcohols it initially produced.

 

[Die_Beerery]

65% wheat, 30% pale ale, 5% carared. Brewed 8/13, tapped 8/19. Spunded to 4vols.


It does't have to take long, but my guess is that you had the beer in primary too long ( too much yeast settled) and its taking some time to carbonate.

 

[motosapiens]

my hefeweizens are only cloudy if I swirl the yeast and add it, in authentic bavarian fashion. Using the weihenstephaner strain, they always drop crystal clear after a few weeks, but they taste better with the yeast thrown in.