German-style Hefe Weizen...

[homebrewer_99]

I made a starter last week. 2 cups of extra-light DME boiled in 2 liters of water for 10 minutes. Cooled. Pitched a "sleeve" of WLP300 HW yeast.

After a few days I realized I would not be able to get to it when I had panned, but will tomorrow.

Reason for this thread: I sampled (2 glasses now) the "beer" off the yeast...it tastes EXACTLY like any number of HWs I've had numerous times in Munich and Nurnberg.

Here's the kicker: NO HOPS.

I think I will brew a batch of HW tomorrow WITHOUT hops.

I'll keep everyone informed....

 

[ncbrewer]

Was it accidental or intentional?

 

[homebrewer_99]

Neither. All I did was make a starter, poured off a glass of the beer and sampled it. IMO, it had the perfect HW flavor.

I've been drinking German HWs since 1975 and brewing them since 1994. In all those years I've been slowly reducing the amount of hops. I only used .3 oz in the last batch.

I know it's probably not a good practice to use no hops since they aid in preservation and stability.

Maybe I'll just reduce it to .2 oz this time.

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Yes the IBUs are typically low in the style. What hops are you planing to use?

 

[Schlenkerla]

Well, Berliner Weisse don't have any hops in them. It prevents the lactobacillus from souring the beer. The gravity in these beers are pretty low though. Therefore no cloying sweetness.

Do it w/o hops.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Hoppy2bmerry: Thanks, I know. I lived in Germany for 9 years.

One of my go to HW recipes posts .8 oz of Hallertau resulting in a 18 EBU, which is on the higher end of bitterness for HWs.

I've used 5.3% German Traditional many times, but cutting it down bit by bit over the years.

I brewed today. The airlock is busy right now.

I mulled over it a bit about using hops, but chickened out and ended up using .8 oz of German Spalt 1.4%, which is much lower than the 5.3%. I took .25 oz from the .8 and used them for First Wort Hops.

Schlenkerla: I've been to "the" Schlenkerla many times, and Berlin too. (But I probably told you that years ago).

 

[ncbrewer]

Your results might indicate that for a hefe, the lower IBUs, the better. Maybe it would be good to brew these with fairly high OG to reduce the BU:GU ratio, while keeping the hops for their preservative (anti-infection) properties. I've been inching lower on bitterness myself. I'm planning to brew my next hefe at 1.052 OG with 11 calculated IBUs. By coincidence, I was planning this before I read this thread.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I was downstairs earlier and there is still activity in the airlock.

I was stationed at Ft. Bragg in 73-74, 79-80 and in 97-99 (as an Army civilian). I've camped a few times on Okracoke (sp?) Island and been to Morehead City with fellow soldiers.

 

[Schlenkerla]

Your results might indicate that for a hefe, the lower IBUs, the better. Maybe it would be good to brew these with fairly high OG to reduce the BU:GU ratio, while keeping the hops for their preservative (anti-infection) properties. I've been inching lower on bitterness myself. I'm planning to brew my next hefe at 1.052 OG with 11 calculated IBUs. By coincidence, I was planning this before I read this thread.

Me too.

I'm getting tired of the big hop beers. Kinda getting burned out on them. Been trending malty and will have my first nitro on tap in a week.

Looking forward to it, it's a Ruddles Best Bitter. 1.036 about 23 IBU all fuggles with a low AAU. I think 60, 30, 0 were the additions.

I'm gonna make a funky dunkelweizen at 1.048 and 18 IBUs. One 60 minute hop addition of Mt Hood. Find some chocolate wheat to use. Most of the wheat will be red wheat. Pitching T58. Plan to kettle sour two pounds of the grist in my yogurt maker.