Hefeweizen possible ?
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I brewed one a while back with a single infusion at 152° F. I thought it turned out great.
Used WLP300 yeast
Used WLP300 yeast
UdonPete
Well-Known Member
Great news - thank you
55% wheat
42.3% Pilsner malt
2.7% Melanoiden
Hallertauer Hersbrucker for 60 minutes to get 12-15 IBUs
I think I kept the WLP300 towards the cool end to try to get more clove instead of banana because I prefer the clove flavor better.
42.3% Pilsner malt
2.7% Melanoiden
Hallertauer Hersbrucker for 60 minutes to get 12-15 IBUs
I think I kept the WLP300 towards the cool end to try to get more clove instead of banana because I prefer the clove flavor better.
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UdonPete
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the tip
I brewed a heretical hefeweizen (I should name it that!) a few months ago; 50% Vienna malt, 50% wheat flour, Crystal hops (17 IBU), and Munich Classic yeast. I did a single infusion mash at about 150°F. I thought it turned out great.
Protos
Die Schwarzbier Polizei
One-step infusion won't give you the best Hefeweizen (it's not without a reason that the original infusion schedule for this style is multi-stepped) but it surely may produce a very good beer.
UdonPete
Well-Known Member
I get it - but I'll try
Protos
Die Schwarzbier Polizei
Did you give a thought to the decoction option? The only additional equipment you'll need is a decoction vessel. With that, you may easily achieve as many steps as you need, including the important Ferulic-acid rest.
UdonPete
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately I only have a single vessel
Protos
Die Schwarzbier Polizei
Ah, I see. OK, a single-step mash will work for sure anyway. Many do that for their Hefeweizens and are pleased with the results.
When I started brewing hefeweizens, I could only do a single step. I still do it that way, even though I have the capability to do multi-step now. I'm just lazy I guess, but I like the way it comes out. I also use WLP300, and ferment at the lowest temp in its range: 64F/18C. My recipe is also very simple, 50/50 2-row/white wheat, and hallertau.
Maybe if you are a connoisseur, and you had two beers to compare side-by-side, you could tell which one was step-mashed. .
As folks have said already, you can certainly make a very good hefeweizen with a single-infusion mash. The deal with step mashing is that it gives the brewer a bunch of knobs to turn to get finer control over how their beer comes out. But here's the thing -- there are already lots of other controls available, and many brewers don't take full advantage of them. Especially if you're willing to depart from traditional methods (and why wouldn't you be? You're already making a single-infusion hefeweizen) you have a lot of other ways to get the beer you want.
As folks have said already, you can certainly make a very good hefeweizen with a single-infusion mash. The deal with step mashing is that it gives the brewer a bunch of knobs to turn to get finer control over how their beer comes out. But here's the thing -- there are already lots of other controls available, and many brewers don't take full advantage of them. Especially if you're willing to depart from traditional methods (and why wouldn't you be? You're already making a single-infusion hefeweizen) you have a lot of other ways to get the beer you want.
- Fermentation temperature: A ferulic acid rest supposedly amps up your clove (phenolic) flavors (though I've heard some dissension on this point.) But f you like a clove-forward hefe and aren't about to do a ferulic acid rest, drop the fermentation temperature a few more degrees. Hefe yeast makes more banana when hot, and more clove when cool.
- Recipe: Step mashing and decoction potentially let you adjust body and attenuation and (in the case of decoction) produce some Maillard products. Vienna, Munich, and even aromatic and melanoidan malts can give you depth of flavor, and if you're willing to go further afield, flaked wheat will add body and even a little crystal could be used to add Maillards. (I'll confess to putting in the suggestion for crystal in a hefeweizen just to see how @Protos responds.) I personally like 45/45/10 malted wheat/Vienna/flaked wheat. It's not traditional, but it makes a good beer.
- Mash temperature: A single infusion is a step mash ... just with one step. Cooler = higher attenuation, hotter = lower.
- High tech: With Omega Bananza, you can use gene editing to turn off clove production completely.
- Shenanigans: Banana extract and/or actual cloves. For the latter, I've tried about 1 g/gallon of whole cloves in a 10-minute stand at 160 F. That's not a bad starting point; adjust from there.
Protos
Die Schwarzbier Polizei
LOL
Definitely try some Crystal in Hefeweizen. I suggest using Wheat Crystal, not your usual Crystal. I got heavenly results with 8% of it.
Why Protos responds so nicely? Because it goes about Hefeweizen, which isn't a traditional style, just a modern American interpretation of German Wheat beers. Even the word Hefeweizen itself is actually more of an American term rather than German. In Germany, it's used for Wheat Beers much less often than in America.
So, Hefeweizen isn't a traditional style. Weißbier / Weizenbier is.
If it was about Crystal in Weißbier, Protos surely would have had some bitter words to say
However, since it's about Hefeweizen, you may modify it however you please, up to adding Potatos and Oysters AAARRRGH!!!
Categorically verboten even in an American Hefeweizen!!!
(^ I hope Protos didn't disappoint your expectations ROFL)
To be fair, I did list this under "shenanigans."
But I strongly suspect I could send this into a competition and the (American) judges would not notice.
@Protos My beer made with flour and a single-infusion mash has "clove" flavor but not much. If I want to try it again and emphasize the phenolics, mash-in at 115° (for how long?) before raising it to 150? I'll probably add boiling water to raise the temp; OP could probably do the same even with just a single vessel.
I'm not sure I want more clove, but I should try it once to find out
I'm not sure I want more clove, but I should try it once to find out
Protos
Die Schwarzbier Polizei
They wouldn't for sure. Just like they won't notice a "Rauchbier" made with liquid smoke, or a "Tripel" fortified with grain spirit,
A homebrewer who's acquired such skills and wins the competition has a good chance to successfully apply for a well-paid job in a Chinese food-producing (and not only in food-producing) company
@z-bob
Well, to be honest, I wonder what kind of equipment constraints might prevent a brewer from doing a stepped mash. If one is able to do a single infusion, he's certainly able to do a stepped mash, whether by direct heating or by adding boiling water.
The OP doesn't provide other details of his constrains aside of having the single vessel, but as soon as he asks not about how to do a stepped mash in a single vessel but if it's possible to make a Hefeweizen with a single infusion, we're giving him the answer he's asking for: yes it's possible.
Nobody wants to look pushy and excessively inquiring
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Protos
Die Schwarzbier Polizei
[double post deleted]
I always put a little light crystal in. CaraHell usually. Anything around 10L. And I bitter to 15-20 IBUs with sterling.
I used to always decoction mash. I upped my brewery size to save time just can't see doing five gallon decoctions.
The beer is fine. Maybe the decoctions were better. Maybe. Is it worth firing up propane again?
I'm brewing up another 16 gallons today. Two Purepitch packs in to 3 fermenters. A spicy Franziskaner.
I used to always decoction mash. I upped my brewery size to save time just can't see doing five gallon decoctions.
The beer is fine. Maybe the decoctions were better. Maybe. Is it worth firing up propane again?
I'm brewing up another 16 gallons today. Two Purepitch packs in to 3 fermenters. A spicy Franziskaner.
UdonPete
Well-Known Member
Few very good ideas, cheers
I brewed a Weissbier yesterday, so all of this is fresh in my mind.
This article details every knob and lever (malt, yeast, mashing, fermentation, water) on how to dial in clove and or banana:
Brewing Bavarian Weissbier - all you ever wanted to know |
Barley has more of the clove precurser than wheat, so reduce the wheat to get more clove.
If you still want some banana, don't overdo the ferulic acid rest, according to Jeff Alworth in The Secrets of Master Brewers: "The longer you hold at that rest [between 104F and 113F], the more phenolic the beer...but there's a tradeoff: ester creation falls during this period, too. If you want a balance, 10 minutes seems to be the sweet spot."
Wow, that's surprising. I thought barley had very little ferulic acid (or ferulic acid glucoside, or whatever it starts out as) and it was mainly a wheat thing
That was my understanding as well.
I brew a Hefeweisen batch or two every summer. Pilsen and white wheat, Hallertaur mittlefrau or hersbrucker Single infusion around 152 and ferment with Munich Classic. Ferment @67. Always comes out great, this year tried imperial stefon,
After reading the post by @camonick next time I am adding a few ounces of melanoidin malt and it will add that extra something.
After reading the post by @camonick next time I am adding a few ounces of melanoidin malt and it will add that extra something.
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Was double posted
That’s almost identical to what I posted earlier. I think it’s good.
Another vote here for single infusion and WLP300. Works great every time.
I'm doing a single infusion Hefe right now at 149F for 60 min. Wyeast 3068.
I'm sure it'll be beer.
I'm sure it'll be beer.
Oh, others tasting the version in the post above but brewed with Imperial Stefon yeast. 2 folks commented there was a slight almost Belgian ale feel to it because of the crispness. Imperial says they bred theirs to have slightly more acid for this reason.
Cloud Surfer
Well-Known Member
I just won my first champion brewer of show with the help of my Weissbier. It came second in last years Australian nationals, so it's not a bad beer, though I'm still tweaking.
I use wheat malt, pilsner, flaked wheat and carahell. I've always used a touch of munich but I'm experimenting with biscuit next instead. 12 IBU's of Hallertauer Mitt. I don't like anymore than that, and the one time I entered one at higher IBU it got marked down.
44C/63C/70C/78C mash schedule. I do one decoction after the 60 minute rest at 63C. Then 90 minute boil. There's a lot of advice on the net to ferment cool, but it makes a very clean beer in my opinion. I pitch 3068 at 20C and raise it to 22C after 3 days and that makes a really character filled Weissbier with a good balance of flavours.
I use wheat malt, pilsner, flaked wheat and carahell. I've always used a touch of munich but I'm experimenting with biscuit next instead. 12 IBU's of Hallertauer Mitt. I don't like anymore than that, and the one time I entered one at higher IBU it got marked down.
44C/63C/70C/78C mash schedule. I do one decoction after the 60 minute rest at 63C. Then 90 minute boil. There's a lot of advice on the net to ferment cool, but it makes a very clean beer in my opinion. I pitch 3068 at 20C and raise it to 22C after 3 days and that makes a really character filled Weissbier with a good balance of flavours.
Good to know. Thanks. I just pitched 3068 yesterday at 66F (19C), so I'll bump it up.
I was stationed in Germany for 10 years and drank more than my fair share of German Hefeweizen. I tried all the tricks with mash schedules and fermentation temperatures with marginal results.
I mash @ 152F then I ferment with Lallemand Munich Classic dry yeast @68F. Open ferment if you can. Rivals most of the Hefeweizens I drank in Germany. Took some to my old drinking buddy and he said “Now THATS the taste I’ve been missing.”
I mash @ 152F then I ferment with Lallemand Munich Classic dry yeast @68F. Open ferment if you can. Rivals most of the Hefeweizens I drank in Germany. Took some to my old drinking buddy and he said “Now THATS the taste I’ve been missing.”
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