Help with Seeker's Hefeweizen Recipe found on Brewmasters Warehouse

[Flomaster]

here is the recipe in question: http://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/recipe/ee201098/

Included Ingredients
Briess Bavarian Wheat Dry Extract	3 lbs, 0 oz
Briess Golden Light Dry Extract	2 lbs, 0 oz
Caramel Munich	0 lbs, 6 oz
Hallertau Pellets, German	1 oz @ 60 mins
SAFBREW WB-06 Wheat Beer	1 ea

it's going to be my very first brew I noticed after getting every thing home that I don't have instructions on how to brew this or how long it should be in primary before I keg it. I'm also kegging my first batch I don't want to deal with bottles.

-=Jason=-

EDIT: what tools I will be using
natural gas burner with 23-tip jet burner
converted Keggle
Counter Flow Chiller
Muslin/ Hop-grain bags
Fine Nylon Straining Bag

 

[D_Struct]

This is how I would do it, but it's certainly/probably not the only way, or the best, mind you.

Bring 1.5 gallons of water to 155F.
Cut heat and steep Caramel Munich for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove steeping grains, add additional water (amount depends on size of kettle) and bring water to boiling.
Once boiling, remove from heat and slowly add DME, making sure all of the clumps have been taken out and the mixture is thoroughly mixed.
Bring back to boil.
Once boiling, add your Hallertau and boil for 60 minutes.

After 60 minute boil, cut heat and cool wort to approximately 85F.

Once wort is cool, add to fermenter, along with any additional water, aerate and pitch.

Considering you're going with dry yeast, you'll need to hydrate it.

Boil 1/3-2/3 cup of water, cool it to around 90F, add yeast and allow to sit for 15 minutes before stirring it in (cover with plastic wrap to prevent contamination). Once it's mixed, you're ready to pitch.


As far as kegging it, I've had hefeweizens ready to keg after 2 weeks in primary. Check your specific gravity with a hydrometer to get a better idea of fermentation progress. You don't need to clear hefeweizens, so definitely no need for extended primaries or a secondary fermenter.

 

[Flomaster]

ok cool, I have edited first post with some of my equipment I have.

2 weeks seems about right for a Hefe from what I've been reading.

 

[pikledbill]

here is the recipe in question: http://www.brewmasterswarehouse.com/recipe/ee201098/

Included Ingredients
Briess Bavarian Wheat Dry Extract	3 lbs, 0 oz
Briess Golden Light Dry Extract	2 lbs, 0 oz
Caramel Munich	0 lbs, 6 oz
Hallertau Pellets, German	1 oz @ 60 mins
SAFBREW WB-06 Wheat Beer	1 ea

it's going to be my very first brew I noticed after getting every thing home that I don't have instructions on how to brew this or how long it should be in primary before I keg it. I'm also kegging my first batch I don't want to deal with bottles.

-=Jason=-

EDIT: what tools I will be using
natural gas burner with 23-tip jet burner
converted Keggle
Counter Flow Chiller
Muslin/ Hop-grain bags
Fine Nylon Straining Bag

Hmmm, not much of a hefe IMHO...too little wheat (65/35) @ 3lb. But this should make you very good beer similar to hefe (let's call it an American hefe). What are you looking for in your hefe?


D's suggestions look good.

two week fermentation should be good.

Fermentation temp around 66-68 for a moderate flavor. NOTE: fermentation temp will significantly change the flavor profile of your hefe.

Boil full wort volume with your keggle...cool fast to 66-70 and pitch yeast.

A suggestion: split the hops boil 60 min for 0.5 oz, and add 0.5 oz 30 minutes into the boil...hefe is all about the yeast and wheat...minimal hops (IMHO)

Another suggestion: keep 1lb of the bavarian wheat malt back for addition at 40 minutes into the boil. what I mean is to boil 2 lb golden light and 2 lb bavarian wheat for full 60 minutes, but only add the final 1lb of Bavarian wheat with 20 minutes left in your boil.

Congratulations on an excellent choice for your first beer...not many things on Earth better than hefe.

Good luck!!
PikledBill

 

[Flomaster]

I picked this beer because my wife likes wheat beers, and I wanted to brew some thing she can enjoy first.

im excited I can't wait, now I just need to get some tubing to attach my keggle to my CFC and go at it I guess.

-=Jason=-

 

[D_Struct]

Good luck, man!

I hope everything goes well with the first brew, and I hope your wife digs it!

Just follow the instructions, and don't stress out too much. This is supposed to be fun!

 

[Flomaster]

I haven't brewed it yet, but here is how I plan on doing it

Seeker's Hefeweizen

OG FG IBU SRM ABV
1.044 - 1.052 1.010 - 1.014 8- 15 2 - 8 4.30 - 5.60

Ingredients
Briess Bavarian Wheat Dry Extract 3 lbs, 0 oz
Briess Golden Light Dry Extract 2 lbs, 0 oz
Caramel Munich 0 lbs, 6 oz
Hallertau Pellets, German 1 oz @ 60 mins
SAFBREW WB-06 Wheat Beer 1 ea

Directions:
Bring 1.5 gallons of water to 155°F.
Cut heat and steep Caramel Munich for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, remove steeping grains, add 5 gallons of water and bring to a boil

60 Minutes: 2lb golden light
2 lb Bavarian wheat
.5oz Hallertau Pellets

30 Minutes: .5oz Hallertau Pellets

20 Minutes: 1lb Bavarian Wheat

15 Minutes: Hydrate Yeast:
Boil 1/3-2/3 cup of water, cool it to around 90F, add yeast and allow to sit for 15 minutes before stirring

Chill to 66-70° F

Transfer to Primary carboy

Shake the **** out of my carboy

Pitch hydrated Yeast



Ferment at 66-68° F for two weeks

-=Jason=-

 

[Flomaster]

just want to make sure that adding another 5 gallons of water is going to be alright. I have searched and the consensus is that roughly 1.5 gallons of boil off in an hours time

-=Jason=-

 

[Flomaster]

after reading this thread I think the two week primary I was planning might not be the best thing for my beer.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/secondary-not-john-palmer-jamil-zainasheff-weigh-176837/

any input on how long to leave in primary before transferring to the keg.

-=Jason=-

 

[pikledbill]

Jason,

I did not read the entire thread link you posted...just the first few lines that suggested it involved "to secondary, or not to secondary". Ar eyou trying to make the decision regarding whether to transfer to a secondary or not? Or, how long to leave in the primary? Both?

Cheers,
PikledBill

 

[Flomaster]

I do not plan on secondary just a primary for 2 weeks then transfer to the keg. but I am looking for a "green light" on my proposed brewing instructions and if the amount of water I plan on adding is good.

also if I should use my tap water or get some of the reverse osmosis water from the unit outside of my supermarket. I do not have anything to add back into the water though.

Brew day is this Sunday and I can't wait.

I plan on recirculating through my CFC back into the BK for a whirlpool or is that not necessary with this recipe ?

-=Jason=-

 

[pikledbill]

Jason,

All is well, your plan looks good. The problem with just saying "sure, add 5 gallons" is that I don't know how vigorous you boil. The "average" boil-off considers a roiling boil for 60 minutes...I have seen brewers that cook on a stove that will barely get their wort to a boil. They think: it is boiling isn’t it? Simmering and boiling are different…a light boil is different than a hard rolling boil. A very vigorous boil will lose a lot more water than a slight boil. Generally, 1 gallon is a good estimate…if you lose more, just add back some boiled water to bring the cooled wort to volume. EDIT: I just read that you have a keggle and burner...you should be fine with the water addition, sorry...just keep a good hard boil going.

Use your tap water if it tastes o.k.. Some of the things you read/hear about are real in some specific situations...others are imagined problems that "could occur" under the correct specific circumstances. Don't get overly worried about addressing every single thing you may think will/could/might be a problem. I use my own tap water for all my beer.

I wouldn’t worry about a whirlpool…you can if you want, but I usually don’t when using extract.

By the way, are you checking gravity? Be sure to take OG, gravity right after the pitch, then after two weeks…check gravity every couple of days to make sure it is not changing prior to bottling.

Good Luck, and more importantly, have fun
PikledBil

 

[Flomaster]

PikledBil, thanks,

I am using the 23 tip 100K btu NG burner tested today with water and oxyclean just to dry run my setup and make sure my pump was working and i had no leaks.

no leaks to be had and its a very vigorous boil so thats good. I think my neighbor across the street uses tap water so I am sure it will be fine.

I guess I don't need to whirlpool, but I was hoping to keep the cold break inside the keggle hence why I wanted to whirlpool. I know there is only 1oz pellet hops so I don't think i'll have to much to worry about.

at the end of the day I do think I'll do just fine and make beer.

-=Jason=-

 

[pikledbill]

Flo,

Sorry about the continually changing post, I was reading earlier posts in the thread as you were responding. I am reversed on time, so I am not used to folks being on line when I post...and, I forget it is Sat/Sun.

Good luck.

PikledBill

 

[Flomaster]

just got home from work and and I am ready to settle in with a long island and a movie

I can't wait to get this beer started.... time to plan my next one since I do have 4 taps available to be filled.

-=Jason=-

 

[Flomaster]

well.... today was a success.

I had Zero problem today and everything was on the money. I followed my directions to the T. no boil overs and everything was good 7

my OG was 1.47 specs were 44-52 so I was pretty much in the middle.

I ended up with 5 gallons on the money so its safe to say my boil off is 1.5 gallons per hour.

I couldn't be happier. only thing I didn't have but really wish I would have was a hydrometer testing tube. i had to use my auto-siphon to get an OG reading. my home brew shop doesn't open until mid February so I guess I'll have to wait until then to get one because I'll be dammed if I am paying for shipping.


just getting started

steeping grains

added 5 gallons of water

just added my first additions of hops and DME

boiling away

finished with the boil and getting ready to fire up the pump

yeast pitched

beer in it's home for the next 2 weeks.

-=Jason=-

EDIT:
Peak of Fermentation

 

[Flomaster]

well its been 11 days in the temperature controlled fermenter and I decided to take a gravity reading.

hydro was reading .085 / .09 at 64 degrees so I think my beer is finished I'll rack into the keg this Sunday and let it carb up.

and tasting the beer OMG its got to be the best Hefe I've had.

-=jason=-

 

[Flomaster]

so I kegged my Hefewiezen today FG was .085 / .090 like i thought.

its in the keezer now at 40F and 12 PSi.

I can't wait to try it once its carbed and cold

-=Jason=-

 

[Flomaster]

well here is the first pour of beer from my keezer

-=jason=-

 

[pikledbill]

Sounds like things worked out. How do you like it? I can't see the pics, is it cloudy/hazy with a lot of yeast?

Congrats,
PikledBill

 

[Flomaster]

Sounds like things worked out. How do you like it? I can't see the pics, is it cloudy/hazy with a lot of yeast?

Congrats,
PikledBill

it worked out great I think its the best Hefe I've EVER had to be honest.

I have uploaded to the HBT server instead of PHotobucket.com


it still needs to carb up, but even with hardly any carbonation its fantastic.

-=Jason=-