Hefewiezen

[Chefjp]

Hello, i want to brew a hefeweizen with 60-40 wheat and pilsen, but i want it darker. About 7srm, can i add some crystal 40 or 60 L?

 

[mcbethenstein]

Add some dark Munich, and color adjust with a carafa special. They impart very little flavor, an ounce or 2 should do it.

 

[Chefjp]

My LHBS has only carafa 1, is that ok?

 

[Chefjp]

They also have carawheat( caramel wheat malt)

 

[mcbethenstein]

Carafa 1 should be fine. A small amount of carawheat would be fine too. I hesitate at suggesting caramel malts since it is "out of style" but if you want it a little sweeter, and don't mind throwing the traditional rules/guidelines out the window, you can add the carawheat or a caramel malt.

Remember it's YOUR beer, and it will be awesome since YOU made it!

 

[Chefjp]

Carafa 1 should be fine. A small amount of carawheat would be fine too. I hesitate at suggesting caramel malts since it is "out of style" but if you want it a little sweeter, and don't mind throwing the traditional rules/guidelines out the window, you can add the carawheat or a caramel malt.

Remember it's YOUR beer, and it will be awesome since YOU made it!

Thanks, think I´ll use carawheat. this is the recipe I came up with.

5 lbs wheat malt
3.85 lbs pilsen malt
11 oz carawheat
.7 oz hallertauer (60 min)
Wb-06

OG 1.051
SRM 6.5
IBUs 12.1
ABV 5.5%

what do you think?

 

[mcbethenstein]

Looks good, should be really tasty. What is your batch size? Your OG is right on for style, but with the amount of grain seems a little high for a 5- gal batch. I say that since my efficiency typically drops when using wheat. I'm normally around 75% for most brews. My hefe's have ranged from 60-71%. Just be aware of that and if you need to increase your boil length and expect to put a little less into the fermenter.

 

[ludomonster]

Why don't you brew to the Dunkelweizen style?

I find that the maltiness balances out the esters.

 

[Chefjp]

Its a 5 gallon batch. a few weeks ago I brewed a hefe, but as you say my efficiency droped way down, the result was a very light and watery beer. I tried to compensate with this ratio.
Also the color was very very pale. I tried several hefes: franziskaner, erdinger, paulaner and weihenstephaner. And all of them where a deep golden color, thats why i want to increase the color of mine.
I'm buying all the malts and brewing tomorrow, Ill keep you posted and add pictures

 

[hefehawk]

I would brew a dunkelweizen

 

[Chefjp]

I would brew a dunkelweizen

Why?

 

[duboman]

Why?

A dunked would give you a similar beer with the characteristics you are lolling for. Also with the wheat you should be doing a 2 step mash to get the most out of the wheat and your efficiency should improve.

Another thing you can try is to toast your own wheat and that will darken your beer a bit without adding an additional ingredient but it will add a slight toasty flavor as well. I might suggest 1/4 of the wheat in the grain bill.

 

[BeerChef17]

If the op brews a dunkel they will be getting some chocolate notes that they aren't looking for. I think the recipe looks good. Go for it!

 

[hefehawk]

Why?

Because a dunkel is a dark hefeweizen.

 

[Chefjp]

Because a dunkel is a dark hefeweizen.

Ill try my recipe and see how it turns out, in my first try of a hefeweizen i used 2 row pale malt, and white wheat, this time i'm using pilsen, hope to get better results.
Since I only have acces to WB-06, I've been reading a lot of post about this yeast. What i found is to use .75 of the 11 gms, and ferment at 75 degrees, what do you think? So I can get more clove and banana aromas.

 

[duboman]

Ill try my recipe and see how it turns out, in my first try of a hefeweizen i used 2 row pale malt, and white wheat, this time i'm using pilsen, hope to get better results.
Since I only have acces to WB-06, I've been reading a lot of post about this yeast. What i found is to use .75 of the 11 gms, and ferment at 75 degrees, what do you think? So I can get more clove and banana aromas.

It's more of a wheat yeast than a true Hefe so I would assume at the higher end you will get some of those notes but not quite like a true Hefe yeast. I think it will lean more towards an American Wheat beer

 

[jeremybrown9]

If you use WB-06, you will not get the Hefe you are looking for. It will turn out more like an American Wheat, thin and watery. If possible, try to get one of the actual Hefe strains, like one of these:
Wyeast Strains:
3056 - Bavarian Wheat Blend™
3333 - German Wheat™
3638 - Bavarian Wheat™
3068 - Weihenstephan Weizen™
I have used 3068 with excellent results. I keep my fermentation temp at 67 F.

 

[jeremybrown9]

If you are not able to get a different yeast, and you are feeling up to it, pull half your grist and boil it for about 30 minutes and then throw it back into your mash. That will get you your darker color and mouthfeel as well as that "Hefe" flavor without using any crystal/caramel type grains. Almost all of the BrauMeisters I have talked to over here do a Decoction of some sort for their Hefeweizens.

 

[Chefjp]

If you are not able to get a different yeast, and you are feeling up to it, pull half your grist and boil it for about 30 minutes and then throw it back into your mash. That will get you your darker color and mouthfeel as well as that "Hefe" flavor without using any crystal/caramel type grains. Almost all of the BrauMeisters I have talked to over here do a Decoction of some sort for their Hefeweizens.

Has anyone used munich yeast, to make hefeweizen?
i also was reading tha fermentis saflager W34/70 is Weihenstephan strain, would that work, fermenting at higher temps?

 

[jeremybrown9]

You are correct that Saflager W34/70 is a Weihenstephan strain, but not for Hefeweizens. That would be used better in a Helles. I have never used Danstar Munich before.

 

[Chefjp]

I was able to get munich yeast, so I'm going to use that.

 

[Chefjp]

I have 1 question, if i do a doble decoction, will I get more color and more authemtic taste than usiong a little carawheat?

 

[mcbethenstein]

Munich will work, and yes, a double decoction along with the little carawheat will be pretty darn tasty. I personally aim for a single, but end up losing too much heat to the extra headspace and end up doing a double. Decoctions are tricky.

 

[jeremybrown9]

I would go with a double decoction and lose the Carawheat, but then again I have only made Hefeweizen's the way that I was taught by the local brewer. 65% Weyermanns Wheat, 45% Weyermanns Pilsner malts. Decoctions can be tricky and frustrating, but they are really quite fun once you get into them, and in my opinion, the only way to make a Hefeweizen.