Honey Wheat Ale

[ArroganceFan]

Everything that I have read about hefe's says that they are very explosive or violent fermenters. Would a Honey Wheat Ale be considered a hefe? It was this extract kit.

The reason I ask is because the fermentation for this beer has been anything but vigorous. I brewed it on the 18th of July, and fermentation started at around the 24 hour mark. Since then it has been a steady bubble, for example right now, it is bubbling at about 1 bubble every 5 -15 seconds. In the begining it was faster, at about 1 bubble per sec. The OG reading that I got was 1.052 and the directions said it should be 1.047, and it is fermenting in my basement which is about 70 most of the time. I am sure it gets colder at night and warmer in the day, but 70 should be about the average. I am not at all worried about the beer, the airlock smells great, and its obviously fermenting, at its own pace of course Also, I have read that slow steady fermentations make for better beers then the fast explosive ones.

I really don't have a question, I am just curious as to what you guys think about all this.

 

[ArroganceFan]

No thoughts?

 

[DeathBrewer]

what yeast did you use? did you make a starter?

i don't think the american hefeweizen strain is going to be as vigorous as the german strains.

 

[ArroganceFan]

what yeast did you use? did you make a starter?

i don't think the american hefeweizen strain is going to be as vigorous as the german strains.

It was White Labs American Hefeweizen Ale with no starter.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Basically, what you are talking about can be as simple as semantics to some people or an insult to others.

You asked: Would a Honey Wheat Ale be considered a hefe? IMO, the answer is no.

A lot of people throw out the word "hefe" much too easily. "Hefe" is the German word for "yeast". Tossing that out in English...would you ask a bar tender for a "yeast"? I doubt it.

I lived in Germany for 9 years. Even there you ask for a Hefe Weizen or a Weissbier (a white beer), not a "hefe".

To me an American Wheat is not an American Hefe Weizen. At this point you are blending two languages. Asking for an "American Hefe Weizen" is translated into an "American Yeast Wheat". Doesn't sound good, does it?

Germans don't use any malt except for barley and wheat. They don't use honey, rice, corn, beet sugar, corn sugar, maple syrup, or anything else you can come up with in their beers. The Reinheitsgebot contains all that's allowed: barley (wheat was added later), hops, water, and yeast. Everything else is forbidden.

IMO, if you use a German Hefe Weizen yeast then it's a Hefe Weizen. Anything else is an American Wheat.






http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=324

 

[ArroganceFan]

Basically, what you are talking about can be as simple as semantics to some people or an insult to others.

You asked: Would a Honey Wheat Ale be considered a hefe? IMO, the answer is no.

A lot of people throw out the word "hefe" much too easily. "Hefe" is the German word for "yeast". Tossing that out in English...would you ask a bar tender for a "yeast"? I doubt it.

I lived in Germany for 9 years. Even there you ask for a Hefe Weizen or a Weissbier (a white beer), not a "hefe".

To me an American Wheat is not an American Hefe Weizen. At this point you are blending two languages. Asking for an "American Hefe Weizen" is translated into an "American Yeast Wheat". Doesn't sound good, does it?

Germans don't use any malt except for barley and wheat. They don't use honey, rice, corn, beet sugar, corn sugar, maple syrup, or anything else you can come up with in their beers. The Reinheitsgebot contains all that's allowed: barley (wheat was added later), hops, water, and yeast. Everything else is forbidden.

IMO, if you use a German Hefe Weizen yeast then it's a Hefe Weizen. Anything else is an American Wheat.

That is exactly the explanation that I was looking for. Thank you for the information! So, I have not brewed a true Hefeweizen. I will be doing that shortly!

Other then that, what do you think about how its fermenting?

 

[homebrewer_99]

Sounds fine. Your FG should be about 13 when it's done (1.013 that is...)

 

[CharlieB]

i brewed that exact beer on the 19th. my fermentation started withen 12 hours but was never fast. it bubbled slowly for almost two weeks. OG and FG came out exactly as it said it would and i bottled on sunday. gettin ready to taste it saturday.

 

[ArroganceFan]

i brewed that exact beer on the 19th. my fermentation started withen 12 hours but was never fast. it bubbled slowly for almost two weeks. OG and FG came out exactly as it said it would and i bottled on sunday. gettin ready to taste it saturday.

Did you brew on June 19 or July 19? I brewed mine on the 18th of July and I am still getting 1 to 2 bubbles every 10-15 seconds. I would be scared to bottle mine right now. I have not taken a gravity reading since brew day, I am paranoid about opening the bucket before its time to keg.