Hefeweizen Questions

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Mesa512

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Hey guys,

So I finally found some free time this weekend to start up another batch. Here is a link to the kit I am trying.

Hank&#39s Hefe Weizen w/ Danstar Munich dry yeast :: Midwest Supplies Homebrewing and Winemaking Supplies

I have a few questions that I would like to get cleared up now so that I won’t be scrambling or making any mistakes on Saturday. I was looking in the “Recipe” thread to see what some people put in their hefeweizen. I have decided that I am going to put some fresh orange zest, lemon zest, and fresh chamomile. When should I include these? Do I do them sometime during the boil, and if so when should I do it, or do I put these in when it is fermenting? Do you guys think if I included some orange peel that would give it some flavor or should I just stick with the zest?

Also I was looking at the product sheet. It mentions that a two stage fermentation is recommended. What exactly does that mean? I talked to some other homebrewers and they said that with a hefeweizen you are going to only have one week in fermentation and then you can bottle it. There is no need for a secondary. Can you guys help me clear up some confusion. I really appreciate any help. Thanks.
 
From the instructions:

If you are using a
single stage fermenting system, then leave the beer in the fermenter for two weeks total.

I don't know about adding zest, but wouldn't that change the style from a Hefe to a Belgian Wit?
 
They don't list the ingredients, but thats not a huge problem.

This is a Hefeweizen, not a Witbier. You don't need to add spices to a Hefe. I actually think it would take away from an otherwise great beer.

I also recommend you buy some liquid yeast. Wyeast 3068 or the White labs equivalent. I always forget that one since I mostly use Wyeast. Ferment cooler (~65) for 14-21 days. No need to secondary a Hefe. They are supposed to be cloudy and yeasty.
 
Yah I purchased the Wyeast Activator.

Ok I now understand that it is just a longer fermentation and no secondary, so thanks a lot for clearing that up.

I just wanted to add some orange or lemon to make it a nice summer beer. You don't recommend adding any sort of orange or lemon flavor at all? Other people that I spoke to said it sounded pretty good. hmmm
 
You can certainly add some lemon or orange to it if you want, that's the beauty of homebrewing. I think the message that's trying to be conveyed is that a Hefe is a style that may not lend itself well to fruit. It typically has a strong banana/clove aroma from the yeast. Adding fruit to a Hefe may detract from the overall experience of the style.

I believe that Harpoon has a raspberry Hefe, so it can certainly be done.
 
From the instructions:



I don't know about adding zest, but wouldn't that change the style from a Hefe to a Belgian Wit?

No. Belgian-style wits don't use any sort of citrusy zest. They _do_ use bitter orange peel (from seville or curacao-type oranges), but that doesn't impart a citrusy/fruity taste. It actually helps bittering. The fresh flavor that people sometimes think of as citrusy is really from the coriander.

American pale wheats or crossover-style beers like Blue Moon (sort of an American wheat/wit hybrid) are the most common wheat beers to find citrus zest in.
 
With a Hefe, the yeast IS the "spice".

Weisen "mit hefe", means "with yeast".

For wheat beers I make with added flavors, like Cherry Wheat, I cold crash to remove most of the yeast before I rack on top of the fruit.

With a Hefe, you want the flavor imparted by the yeast.
 
I too am planning to brew a Hefe tomorrow. The kit I bought came with Nottingham dry yeast. Should I go back to the store and get a vial of liquid yeast and try to get a starter going tonight? Or will the dry Nottingham be fine?
 
I too am planning to brew a Hefe tomorrow. The kit I bought came with Nottingham dry yeast. Should I go back to the store and get a vial of liquid yeast and try to get a starter going tonight? Or will the dry Nottingham be fine?

If you want it to taste like a Hefeweizen get the liquid yeast. I like Wyeast 3068, but there are a few strains to choose from. Safbrew WB-06 is a pretty good dry Hefewiezen yeast. I think it comes out more like an American wheat than Hefe though. Nottingham will make a good beer but it won't taste anything like a Hefe.
 
If you want it to taste like a Hefeweizen get the liquid yeast. I like Wyeast 3068, but there are a few strains to choose from. Safbrew WB-06 is a pretty good dry Hefewiezen yeast. I think it comes out more like an American wheat than Hefe though. Nottingham will make a good beer but it won't taste anything like a Hefe.

The beer store only has dry yeast and White Labs yeast. I'm not really familiar with which flavors are produced by each yeast, could someone look over this list and tell me what the best choice (and second, in case they're out of stock) would likely be? Beer Supplies - Yeast
 
The beer store only has dry yeast and White Labs yeast. I'm not really familiar with which flavors are produced by each yeast, could someone look over this list and tell me what the best choice (and second, in case they're out of stock) would likely be? Beer Supplies - Yeast

Ask if they have any other strains than what's listed. None of the yeast on the list looks suitable for a Hefe.
 
Since I'm planning on making this tomorrow, I think I'll just go with the Nottingham for now, keeping in mind that it wasn't really the right one. Next time I'll buy the yeast online.

Thanks for helping, though!
 
Since I'm planning on making this tomorrow, I think I'll just go with the Nottingham for now, keeping in mind that it wasn't really the right one. Next time I'll buy the yeast online.

Thanks for helping, though!

if you're making a wheat beer, the nottingham won't really even get you close. it's an ale yeast and will make it taste like an ale. the 'wheat' in the extract or grains won't give you a 'wheat' tasting beer. all wheats/hefes taste the way they do mainly because of the yeast. if all you have are dry yeasts available, use danstar munich dry wheat yeast, i've heard bad things about safbrew-06, read the following link:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/danstar-munich-vs-fermentis-wb-06-happy-wife-wheat-67804/

by the way, it won't necessarily end up a bad beer, it just won't be a wheat in the traditional sense of the word.
 
A great way to lighten up a hefe on a hot summer day is to cut it with Sparkling lemon soda. This would be done after the beer is finished though. Depending on the strength of the lemon and personal preference, I would do no more than 50% lemon soda.

You will see recipes like this referred to as a Radler, it is a common rink in Bavaria and Austria for hot summer days.
 
if you're making a wheat beer, the nottingham won't really even get you close. it's an ale yeast and will make it taste like an ale. the 'wheat' in the extract or grains won't give you a 'wheat' tasting beer. all wheats/hefes taste the way they do mainly because of the yeast. if all you have are dry yeasts available, use danstar munich dry wheat yeast, i've heard bad things about safbrew-06, read the following link:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/danstar-munich-vs-fermentis-wb-06-happy-wife-wheat-67804/

by the way, it won't necessarily end up a bad beer, it just won't be a wheat in the traditional sense of the word.
damn I've got a wheat in primary and used nottingham because it was listed under the yeasts for the kit I got that were 'appropriate' for that style. I definitely need to learn more about yeast...

I started searching and will continue to read what I can but do you guys have any good links regarding what yeast to use for what beers and how important it is for the style, etc

edit: actually my beer will be just fine but I've still got lots to learn ;x
 
damn I've got a wheat in primary and used nottingham because it was listed under the yeasts for the kit I got that were 'appropriate' for that style. I definitely need to learn more about yeast...

I started searching and will continue to read what I can but do you guys have any good links regarding what yeast to use for what beers and how important it is for the style, etc

Wyeast Laboratories

White Labs

Dry yeast works well for beers that get their flavor from the malt, hops and adjuncts. Some examples are IPA, Pale Ale, Brown Ale, Stout, Porter.

Liquid yeast are better for beers that get there flavor from the yeast. Some examples are Hefeweizen, Lambic, Scotch Ale, Saison, Kolsch.
 
The kit I bought came with Nottingham dry yeast. Should I go back to the store and get a vial of liquid yeast and try to get a starter going tonight?

No.. Nottingham is horrible.

If you want to do a good Heffe, you want to use WLP-300.

I just made a heffe awhile back using Safbrew WB-06 and it was actually pretty decend for a dry yeast. Don't use Nottingham though.
 
Mesa512: This exact recipe was one of my first batches, and it was so tasty! Just FYI, I used the White Labs WL300 liquid yeast, no starter, and it was amazing. I also ramped up the fermentation temps to about 78 degrees to get some banana out of the yeast. If you like wheat beers, I can't recommend this one strongly enough.

Edcculus: The recipe is 6# Wheat LME, 1# Light DME, 8 oz. Carapils (steeped), 1 oz. Tettnang hops (60 min).
 
llazy lama: that recipe sounds awesome. Next time I do a wheat I am definately going to try it out. Thanks a lot!!
 
If you want to try a great partial mash weisse, I got this one from DeathBrewer and it tastes just like Hacker-Pschorr.

3.00 lb Wheat Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 42.86 %
2.00 lb Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 28.57 %
1.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 14.29 %
0.75 lb Wheat, Torrified (1.7 SRM) Grain 10.71 %
0.25 lb Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 3.57 %
0.75 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (60 min) Hops 13.2 IBU
1 Pkgs Hefeweizen Ale (White Labs #WLP300) Yeast-Wheat
 
yeast is key when it comes to a good weisse..

another key as far as looks is using torrified wheat. Gives it the cloudy weissen look.
 
I've got a hefe going now that I added ginger to in the boil, and I'm steeping lemongrass and lime zest in vodka and adding that homemade extract at bottling. Sure it may not be "traditional" but that's part of the fun of homebrewing for me.
 
I've got a hefe going now that I added ginger to in the boil, and I'm steeping lemongrass and lime zest in vodka and adding that homemade extract at bottling. Sure it may not be "traditional" but that's part of the fun of homebrewing for me.
Since it's not "traditional", it's also no longer a Hefe Weizen...just a flavored wheat beer...:D
 
Ha, yeah, fair point, but looking over the bjcp description, I don't see anything that contradicts the flavor profile in the brew I have going (granted I haven't tasted the final product yet, but you know what I mean).

And sure, I guess I should technically call it a flavored wheat, but then I couldn't use my groaner of a pun when I tell people it's a Thai-feweizen.
 

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