Hefeweizen Help

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chode720

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This is my first time brewing a hefeweizen and I am not sure when to bottle it.

It has been fermenting for a week now and the fermentation has all but stopped. I used a yeast started and it was going crazy for the 3 days and now there is no bubbling and my FG is down where my recipe says it should be (1.011)

I have seen to not transfer the hefeweizen to a secondary and to just bottle after the primary, but from what I have read, most people wait a couple weeks for the fermentation to stop.

I guess my question is, is it okay for me to go ahead and bottle after a week and it appears that the fermentation has stopped or should I hold off to be safe?


Thanks!
 
Hefe's are a bit different from other beers and are the best for impatient people like myself :D If the gravity is stable at 1.011 then prime and bottle it! Leave it for 2 weeks at 70-72 degrees and test it out, drink em young.

I made the mistake of waiting too long to bottle my first wheat beer and it's kind of bitter now that it's about 2 months since brew day.
 
Hefe's are a bit different from other beers and are the best for impatient people like myself :D If the gravity is stable at 1.011 then prime and bottle it! Leave it for 2 weeks at 70-72 degrees and test it out, drink em young.

I made the mistake of waiting too long to bottle my first wheat beer and it's kind of bitter now that it's about 2 months since brew day.

A two month old hefe shouldn't turn bitter. You have something else going on if it was fine then turned bitter.
 
I brew a ton of hefe and I almost always bottle after 10 days. This latest batch is the first I ever racked, and that was just because I didn't have the time to bottle it. We will see how it turns out.

S
 
I am kegging tonight, after 10 days, however there is no risk of bottle bombs in my case... but, if fermentation is done, according to your hydrometer, go ahead a bottle IMO.
 
Use your hydrometer. If it says you are done fermenting, go ahead and bottle.

Already used the hydrometer to get the 1.011 reading :)

Thanks all for the info! I figured it was safe to bottle, just wanted to make sure first.....
 
A two month old hefe shouldn't turn bitter. You have something else going on if it was fine then turned bitter.

I'm dumbfounded as to what it could be. I used a FestaBrew kit and I had zero indications of infection; it bottle carbed just fine. I did bottle it in Corona bottles, perhaps the light go to it somehow and skunked it up. Although I can't detect any off-odours...
 
Already used the hydrometer to get the 1.011 reading :)

Thanks all for the info! I figured it was safe to bottle, just wanted to make sure first.....
It's done.

I always secondary my hWs for at least a couple of days. Reason? The extra time allows more yeast to fall out of suspension. When you see it starting to clear (it'll be darker at the top) is when I rack to the bottling bucket or keg.

Allowing more of the yeast to drop out puts less yeast into the bottle and into your glass.
 
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