I'm wanting to start my Hefeweizen today, but I don't know how much yeast to use. I plan on using dry yeast. I have read to use half a pack. I have also heard to use 2 packs. I'm making a 5 gallon batch. Who is right?
-Tyler
-Tyler
How much yeast for Hefe?
- Thread starter kd7enm
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Clonefarmer
Well-Known Member
Use the usual ale pitching rates for a hefeweizen. I wouldn't advise under pitching. Causing a problem by over pitching is less likely even if you pitch two packs.
mixedbrewer
Well-Known Member
Depending on what yeast you are using... one pack should be just right.
maida7
Well-Known Member
I don't think you can make hefeweizen with dry yeast. Only the liquid strains produce the proper flavors.
mixedbrewer
Well-Known Member
safeale-06 would be ok
hamiltont
Well-Known Member
I have to agree. WLP300 or 380. I'd use a dry yeast for an American Wheat but not a Weissbier. YMMV. Cheers!!!
The guy at the HBS sold me a 11.5g pack of Safbrew WB-06, dry wheat beer yeast. Oddly, it says just to sprinkle into the wort. Doesn't mention rehydrating.
Should I follow the directions, or should I rehydrate first?
Should I follow the directions, or should I rehydrate first?
maida7
Well-Known Member
D_Struct
Well-Known Member
Like mentioned, I would recommend the wlp 300 rather than the dry yeast.
mccabedoug
Well-Known Member
+1
I prefer hefes as opposed to American wheats - grain bills and hops being roughly equal. YMMV
Clonefarmer
Well-Known Member
WB-06 will make a fine Wheat beer. It may not be as flavorful as a liquid yeast could be, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it just the same.
You don't have to rehydrate. Although it makes it easier on the yeast if you do. I try to rehydrate, but sometimes I forget and have to sprinkle it in. You'll get less lag time with rehydrated yeast.
A GOOD German Weissbier/Hefeweizen should be made with WLP300....just sayin
SoonerDoc
Well-Known Member
And I always use a blow-off tube with Hefe's.
Well, after 12 hours, I'm getting a few bubbles per minute out of the airlock. So It hasn't became violent yet. After reading around on the forum, I understand that this isn't the best yeast in the world. Next time I make a heffe, I'll use some liquid yeast. I'm just not a big fan of having to make a starter.
I'm not too sure how this batch is going to turn out. I forgot to add the Irish moss and the gypsum until after I stopped boiling. I also used Sorachi Ace hops instead of the Norther Brewer. I have a feeling this will taste like a mix between a heffe and an IPA.
Thanks for the help!
-Tyler
I'm not too sure how this batch is going to turn out. I forgot to add the Irish moss and the gypsum until after I stopped boiling. I also used Sorachi Ace hops instead of the Norther Brewer. I have a feeling this will taste like a mix between a heffe and an IPA.
Thanks for the help!
-Tyler
SoonerDoc
Well-Known Member
No point in trying to clarify a hefe with Irish moss anyway.
Most would not endorse this practice, but I have had good results with pitching a pretty fresh vial of WLP300 without a starter. It seems to give bigger banana flavor, which I attribute to more of that particular ester being produced by stressed yeast. I love the banana in my hefes, so this works out great.
Also, I should note that I like my hefes on the low end gravity-wise (~4%; I love drinking hefes quickly and in large quantities), and this makes it easier to pitch a smaller number of yeast cells.
maida7
Well-Known Member
IMHO American Wheat is probably the most boring style of them all. Booo!
Burtonair01
Well-Known Member
When I made my Hefe thats in primary right now, (1st brew also), it didn't have an explosive ferment, is this ok? I mean the most vigorious it got was a bubble every second in the airlock. 
Oh, and I used the white labs liquid yeast, I warmed it up to room temperature prior to pitching for about 6 hrs.
Oh, and I used the white labs liquid yeast, I warmed it up to room temperature prior to pitching for about 6 hrs.I now understand that the yeast I used probably isn't going to give me the hefeweizen flavor I was going for. Then again, the hops are going to make a big difference too. I'm really interested to see how this one is going to turn out. However, next time I want to make a Hefe, I'll do it by the book.
Next up, Chocolate Espresso Stout. Mmmm. SWMBO will kill me if I make anything else.
-Tyler
Next up, Chocolate Espresso Stout. Mmmm. SWMBO will kill me if I make anything else.
-Tyler
Burtonair: a bubble each second is fine. Each fermentation is different. Let the hydrometer guide you.
Hefe and wit yeast do tend to ferment with a tremendous krausen. But they don't always. And it sounds like you pitched in a vial directly, rather than using a starter. This is fine to start with. But it does mean a fermentation that tends to take off less violently, so I would say your case is pretty normal.
Hefe and wit yeast do tend to ferment with a tremendous krausen. But they don't always. And it sounds like you pitched in a vial directly, rather than using a starter. This is fine to start with. But it does mean a fermentation that tends to take off less violently, so I would say your case is pretty normal.
Well I just bottled this beer today, and I was surprised at the results. Massive banana and clove flavor and smell. Final gravity was 1.010. I didn't get as much citrus flavor as I thought I would from the hops. I heard some bad stuff about the yeast I used, not giving the banana and clove flavor that is expected from a hefeweizen, but it is just packed with flavor! I would not hesitate to use this yeast again for a Hefe.
-Tyler
-Tyler
JMSetzler
Well-Known Member
I just made a hefe on Sunday and it's in the fermenter now. I tossed in one ounce of sweet orange peel with 5 minutes left in the boil and I'm soaking another ounce of the same orange peel in a little vodka that I plan to put in the bottling bucket at bottling time to get some citrus aroma and flavor into the beer...
FWIW, I also used a 1-liter starter of the WLP-300 yeast. I put a blow-off tube on the fermenter and had a rather hardcore blowoff happen. It settled down today (about 48 hours after pitching the yeast) and I put a regular airlock on the bucket to let it finish out...
Clonefarmer
Well-Known Member
I'm glad to see you had positive results from WB-06. It's not a bad yeast. It just falls short of allot of brewers expectations. If you like it there's nothing wrong using it
I would still suggest trying a liquid Hefe yeast strain to compare to the dry yeast.
Well, I'm glad to hear you got the aromas you were looking for. Maybe the manufacturer puts less yeast cells in that particular dry pack so you 'underpitch' with it, making for more ester production. A complete guess, I just wouldn't have expected a strong Hefe aroma profile from that yeast.
It might be cool to do a split batch, fermenting one half with WB-06 and the other with WLP 300; might have to try it sometime.
It might be cool to do a split batch, fermenting one half with WB-06 and the other with WLP 300; might have to try it sometime.
I think next time I will try a liquid yeast, just to compare flavor differences. My guess on the ester production would be temperature. I fermented at about 74-76f, which probably stressed the yeast, causing more esters and fusel oils, which is probably why it has such a strong character.
freakshow10mm
Well-Known Member
I've got a weizenbier from Brewer's Best (kit) fermenting right now. Pitched the yeast Sunday late night. Yeast is Danstar Munich dry yeast. Fermentation started after about 18 hours. Late Monday it was a bubble per second. Last night it slowed down to one per 1.25 seconds and today it's one every 15 seconds. I'm fermenting in a bucket so I can't monitor the krausen. Don't have a hydrometer so I don't know the OG. Just sniffed the airlock and it smells like bananas and alcohol.
JonK331
Well-Known Member
Yup WB-06 isn't bad at all. Hefe is all about fermentation temp. Next time, if you do use wlp 300, ferment at 62F for best results.
Sheldon
Well-Known Member
making a cracked wheat hefe clone. OG should be around 1.065. Mr Malty says I need (236 billion cells) 2 vials with a starter. I bought 2, but I am now wondering if one, with a starter would be sufficient. Advice please.
Thanks,
Sheldon
Thanks,
Sheldon
1 with a starter will work fine. Thats how I roll.
Sheldon
Well-Known Member
wouldn't just one and a starter provide less than Mr Malty's recommended cell count, just wondering.
Mr. Malty is overrated. IMO
Sheldon
Well-Known Member
considering the OG isn't really that high, I agree with you on this one. I was looking for a good reason to use both with a starter, looks like I have another yeast for another hefe later this summer.
Similar threads
