German Weisen Beer

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rsitzejr

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I want to try this,

# 1 can Irek Wheat Malt Extract (unhopped)
# 1 lb Light DME
# 1 cup Cara-Pils Malt
# 1 cup Crystal Malt-10L
# 1.5 oz. Hallertauer Hops (bittering)
# 1 tsp. Irish Moss
# .5 0z. Saaz Hops (for finishing)
# 1 pack Wyeast #3056 Wheat Yeast
# 3/4 cup Priming Sugar

Crack all grains and place in grain bag. Dissolve can of malt and DME in 1-2 gal. of water in the stock pot. Add the gab of grain to the pot and adjust the heat to achieve boiling temperature. The instant the water starts to boil, remove the grains from your stock pot. Add the bittering hops and maintain the boil. After 25 minutes, add the Irish moss and continue to boil. After 20 minutes, add the finishing hops and boil for an additional 2 minutes ONLY. Remove the stock pot from the heat and attach a lid. Place the pot in a sink of ice to cool until it reaches 75-80 degrees. Pour the cooled wort into a sanitized fermenter and top off to 5 gallons. Add the active yeast starter. Once fermentation has started, move the fermenter to an area of 55-65 degrees.



My question is, how critical is 55-65 degree fermenting range? It's going to be hard to keep it that cool without a chiller. But it isn't a lager so........
 
OK, 2 things...

1. You should steep your grains first (150-155 F for 20 mins), sparge them with equally hot water, THEN add your malts and begin your boil.

2. Weizen is an ALE. Indeed, why the low LAGERING fermenting temp? It seems that you've answered your own question... :D (70-72F - any warmer it'll get fruity (not in a good Weizen way) and alcoholically bitter). :D

Good luck!
 
It's pretty important to keep things reasonably cool for the fermentation... anything over about 70 and I guess things start to get ester-y, so your beer comes out smelling like bananas. I try to ferment at the low end of the spectrum... things take a bit longer, but the product is purer. The lower temps just don't allow foreign yeasts etc to get going.

So try to keep it cool... there's threads about how you can wrap your fermenter in wet towels and fan it etc. Or build yourself a cooler in any of the million ways one could... OR just bring your rig to my basement, which has an ideal temperature, and I'll take "care" of your beer for you!
 
I have a basement, thanks, I think I can keep it around 70, I'm going to start hunting me an small chest freezer.
 
LOL people just don't appreciate a helping hand like they used to...
 
LOL, I appreciate it, really, I do. Now if I can find someone in my area that does all grain and would let me hang out with them on brewing day so I can learn about it before I jump into it.
 
With the 100+ degree temps we've been having here, my basement is fighting to maintain 75. I might have to go with some wet towels on my next batch.
 
Well, I brewed it, it's in the carboy. Hope the starter works well, first time using a starter yeast. There was sludge in the bottom that didn't come out without washing, I know this is the yeast bed. I'm just hoping there's enough to get the carboy started.
 
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