Help with a Hefeweizen Color

[samdjenn]

Happy Washington's Birthday!
I recently brewed a Bavarian Hefeweizen from extract, and don't understand why my color is so dark. The fermentables were:

4 lbs Alexander's Pale LME
3 lbs Munton's Wheat LME
1/2 lbs light crystal malt 10L

I neglected to check the date of the LME, I do remember thinking the Wheat LME was dark. And all initial tastes of the wort were bitter. Now, its on the sweet side.

OG was 1.070 and final was 1.020. Was the LME stale?
I used the recipe from Brewmaster's Bible and overshot the OG by 10 points.
Picture attached, light shining through from outside/snow covered ground.

You guys/gals are awesome. Thanks for any insights.

 

[zardozap]

Since I don't have that book, I'll go with the assumption that your boil was the standard 60 minutes. I've found through trial and error (many) that the longer the boil the darker the wort. So in cases of a lighter beer, I usually add only half the extract at the start of the boil and add the rest at 30 or 15 minutes. Specialty grains can darken it too, but since the crystal was only 10L, I don't think that was the case. Wheat malt will add a little darkness too, since it's cloudy. I wouldn't worry too much. That's still a fine looking Hefe you have there. I've got a batch carbing that I bottled 4 days ago. Can't wait to drink it, as it smelled amazing during fermentation.

 

[timrox1212]

No get a lighter color you need to add the LME or DME late. I usually add like 1/8-1/4 of the LME or DME at the 60 min mark then add the rest at 5 mins left. Now I never have trouble with darker than wanted beer


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[samdjenn]

Hmm. You wouldn't think that the pale malt and the wheat malt would be roughly the same color originally?


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