how to personalize a german hefeweissbier

[andrea93]

hi! we know in german hefeweissbier banana and clove flavor are very important, and they are dominant in the final product..
the grain bill and hop schedule are very simple: 50-70% wheat malt and 30-50% pils , one noble hop addition to 10-15 ibu..
So what do you suggest to personalize a hefeweissbier?
of course we have to use a weizen yeast strain, but what about malts and hops? can we change something?

 

[giraffe]

There are a lot of differences in wheat malts and pilsner malts. Paying attention to the base malts matter. There is also red vs white wheat (white is traditional, and I prefer it. But opinions vary). Alot of that breadiness in the fine examples, comes down to the quality of the malt.

The % of the wheat has a large impact too. I prefer 70%. Others 50%. They are different beers.

There is fermentation, open/closed, temp, yeast strain, pitching rates.

There is your mash schedule, ferullic acid rest or not, protein rest temp, decoction or not, sacc temp, and OG.

There are still a ton of process variables to tweak.

 

[TastyAdventure]

You could go non traditional and add citrusy hops. I loved the cascade & centennial I put in mine

 

[JonM]

There are a lot of differences in wheat malts and pilsner malts. Paying attention to the base malts matter. There is also red vs white wheat (white is traditional, and I prefer it. But opinions vary). Alot of that breadiness in the fine examples, comes down to the quality of the malt.

The % of the wheat has a large impact too. I prefer 70%. Others 50%. They are different beers.

There is fermentation, open/closed, temp, yeast strain, pitching rates.

There is your mash schedule, ferullic acid rest or not, protein rest temp, decoction or not, sacc temp, and OG.

There are still a ton of process variables to tweak.

Very well said. Hefeweizen is, IMO, one of those "less is more" kind of beers and it is wonderful for its simplicity. When people start adding all sorts of non-traditional things to it, it doesn't make a better beer. Experimenting with the things quoted above is a great way to make a simple recipe your own.

You can also play around with water chemistry. I use super soft water with only about 15 ppm calcium and whatever chloride comes with it. More chloride would probably change the beer quite a bit.

 

[okiedog]

Yeast selection can have a considerable impact on flavor. Take a look at the descriptions for Weihenstephan Weizen yeast vs. Bavarian Wheat Yeast, for example. You could split a batch, with Weihenstephan in one half and the Bavarian yeast in the other. Even fermented at the same temp., there would be noticeable differences in flavor and aroma.

 

[billspudley]

My take:
-65% wheat / 35 % pilsner
-1-1.5 oz hops
-1LB. raw local honey in last 5-10 minutes of the boil.
-WYEAST 3068
-High fermentation temp (70 deg. +) - I dig the banana esters

 

[b-boy]

You could put your own label on it.

Actually, I think temperature control can be used to personalize it. I do mine at lower temps (~62). A few degrees can give it a totally different flavor.

 

[Steady-Hopper]

I've been wanting to try some Weissbier dry hopped with an ounce or two of Citra or Sauvin.

All my Hefes: 50/50 of wheat malt and 2-row; bitter with either Magnum or Hallertau to ~15 IBUs; pitch a strain harvested from a local brewery's beer. Along with ambers, it's the style I brew the most.