Honey Wheat Beer

[HokieHomeBrew]

I am in primary with a honey wheat beer right now and it has been in primary for 12 days now. I am concerned that it is in primary for too long. I don't want to keep the beer in the same vessel as the spent yeasts in order to avoid producing off flavors. The problem is that the fermentation is still HIGHLY active even after 12 days, with bubbles in the airlock every 7-8 seconds. Should I wait it out more until the fermentation dies out or should I move to secondary to isolate the beer from the spent yeasts? I know many people have different opinions on this and I would just like to hear what everyone has to say. Thanks.

 

[permo]

I am in primary with a honey wheat beer right now and it has been in primary for 12 days now. I am concerned that it is in primary for too long. I don't want to keep the beer in the same vessel as the spent yeasts in order to avoid producing off flavors. The problem is that the fermentation is still HIGHLY active even after 12 days, with bubbles in the airlock every 7-8 seconds. Should I wait it out more until the fermentation dies out or should I move to secondary to isolate the beer from the spent yeasts? I know many people have different opinions on this and I would just like to hear what everyone has to say. Thanks.

IMO, your logic is backwards, taking the beer off of the "spent yeasties" too early can give you off flavors. You need to give the beer and the yeast plenty of time together. I often go 3-6 weeks in primary and my beers are better then they have ever been. I only use secondary fermenters for bulk aging of barley wines and other strong beers.

 

[modernlifeisANDY]

Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait.

Also, you could try waiting.

A lot of us only use primary ferments, and will leave the beer in the carboy for 3 weeks or more. 12 days is nothing. Don't worry about it.

 

[CrookedTail]

I am in primary with a honey wheat beer right now and it has been in primary for 12 days now. I am concerned that it is in primary for too long. I don't want to keep the beer in the same vessel as the spent yeasts in order to avoid producing off flavors. The problem is that the fermentation is still HIGHLY active even after 12 days, with bubbles in the airlock every 7-8 seconds. Should I wait it out more until the fermentation dies out or should I move to secondary to isolate the beer from the spent yeasts? I know many people have different opinions on this and I would just like to hear what everyone has to say. Thanks.

You have nothing to worry about. 12 days is not a big deal. Keep it in the primary for three weeks, then bottle or keg it. No need to age it either. Wheat beers are better when they're drank young.

 

[peanasky]

Everything that's been said before for sure! Also, bubbles in your airlock are not a reliable way to tell if fermentation is done. Let it sit for a week or so, then take a hydrometer reading, 3 days after that, take another reading (don't forget to correct for temp!). If they're the same, then you know that fermentation is done!

 

[Shrewd_Alchemist]

One other thing to note is if you used real honey or honey malt. Real honey takes FOREVER to ferment. I did that in one of my first beers and bottled too early. They all overcarbonated, luckily none of them blew up.

Side note: I'm a Hokie as well, graduated in '07. Blacksburg is the greatest place in the world

 

[dougf]

Leave it for a while. Also hopefully you didn't use Honey and expect a Honey taste. It will ALL ferment out and leave the beer drier.

 

[Pezman1]

One thing to keep in mind is that almost no one has ever posted a problem stemming from leaving their beer too long in primary. It is very hard to do. As posted before me........wait.

Mistakes are made racking beer too SOON, not too late.

I haven't been brewing all that long, but have had more than one batch require more than two weeks in the primary fermentor.

Pez.

EDIT - after re-reading this thread, I realized one of my beers longest in primary was in fact a honey wheat (Northern Brewer) that i added another whole pound of honey at flameout for a total of two pounds. Took almost three weeks in primary! I had also added 1 oz of orange peel, and the beer was good, but a bit "busy" for my taste. The honey flavor was spot on and just what I wanted. Try adding honey at flamout for the best possible aroma/flavor retention. I quickly learned that simple is best, and too many flavors muck things up.

 

[Rocky71]

My wheat beers (especially anything with honey) all went nuts and have taken extended primary fermentation just short of 3 weeks to finish. Just my 2 cents but I'm a new brewer.

 

[Grasslands]

I'm just now starting to do month-long primaries - and 3 week-long primaries for beers that need to be racked onto fruit or dryhopped. Do a quick search and you might be swayed by some of the arguments that longer is better (autolysis isn't really as huge a risk as some make it out to be). $20+ per extra fermenter frees up your pipeline a bit, so longer fermentation periods don't necessarily matter

That being said: AWESOME NAME! I'm a proud 2005 Hokie. Like Steelers fans, Hokies happen to be everywhere you look.

 

[Germelli1]

Everything I had to contribute to this thread has already been said many times.

However,

I am a current hokie and just got into Homebrewing! Its nice to see so many former Hokies and current ones as well!

 

[Grasslands]

Where do you guys get your ingredients from? I don't imagine there's a homebrewshop in Christiansburg...let alone Blacksburg - Roanoke? Order online?

 

[permo]

Where do you guys get your ingredients from? I don't imagine there's a homebrewshop in Christiansburg...let alone Blacksburg - Roanoke? Order online?

www.brewmasterswarehouse.com

use brewbuilder and get %10 off your order with a coupon code, Ed has the code on a thread elsewhere on this site.

such great selection, prices and $7 flat rate shipping.

 

[Germelli1]

Where do you guys get your ingredients from? I don't imagine there's a homebrewshop in Christiansburg...let alone Blacksburg - Roanoke? Order online?

There is actually a homebrew shop in blacksburg...well in a nice corner of "Eats Natural Foods" shop after they moved

 

[Grasslands]

There is actually a homebrew shop in blacksburg...well in a nice corner of "Eats Natural Foods" shop after they moved

Wow. I was up there for my master's in 04-05. Part of me is still there. I love the New River Valley area. I wouldn't mind living in Roanoke and running a brewpub there!

 

[Germelli1]

Wow. I was up there for my master's in 04-05. Part of me is still there. I love the New River Valley area. I wouldn't mind living in Roanoke and running a brewpub there!

We have a brand new microbrewery in blacksburg now. I THINK they are a small chain of resturants/breweries but I am not sure...all I know is their food is some of the best in blacksburg, but their beer is typical american style (two ****ty fermented waters, two awesome pale ales, a decent stout and an amazing seasonal [right now it is a wheat ale])

 

[Grasslands]

We have a brand new microbrewery in blacksburg now. I THINK they are a small chain of resturants/breweries but I am not sure...all I know is their food is some of the best in blacksburg, but their beer is typical american style (two ****ty fermented waters, two awesome pale ales, a decent stout and an amazing seasonal [right now it is a wheat ale])

Awesome - thank goodness it wasn't there when I was a poor ace master's student. I'd be even poorer.

The SWMBO and I will be up to GMU in Spring and Fall 2010 and we're making it a point to stop by in Blacksburg on both occasions. We've still got some friends in Floyd and Wythe from our program that we talk to/visit on occasion, so that'll work out. I'll definitely have to check them out - what's the name of the brewpub?

 

[Germelli1]

Awesome - thank goodness it wasn't there when I was a poor ace master's student. I'd be even poorer.

The SWMBO and I will be up to GMU in Spring and Fall 2010 and we're making it a point to stop by in Blacksburg on both occasions. We've still got some friends in Floyd and Wythe from our program that we talk to/visit on occasion, so that'll work out. I'll definitely have to check them out - what's the name of the brewpub?

Bull and Bones...its in a just opened shopping center called first and main on the south side of the "Vintage Cellar"/"ABC Store"/"Kroger" Shopping center.

My permanent home is a few miles from GMU so if you find any places nearby thats cheaper than $10/pint let me know haha

 

[Grasslands]

Bull and Bones...its in a just opened shopping center called first and main on the south side of the "Vintage Cellar"/"ABC Store"/"Kroger" Shopping center.

My permanent home is a few miles from GMU so if you find any places nearby thats cheaper than $10/pint let me know haha

You got it! Thanks for the info.

 

[Germelli1]

You got it! Thanks for the info.

Just so you know what to expect, it is a bit of a "nicer" restaurant. Obviously it is in a college town so there aren't really dress expectations, I have gone there for casual meals as well as semiformal dinners. But the food is a bit expensive (well coming from me who can't afford to buy ingredients for another batch of homebrew haha). But even their cheaper entrees are great (pulled pork bbq, duck, reuben, etc) and you can by a sampler where they bring you 6 oz of each of their brews