LME Wheat - Fermentation questions

[HeffGirl]

I'm on my 2nd batch of an LME Wheat. 1st is bottled, 2nd batch is in the primary.

My question is, what is recommended for wheat beers (at least for my newb LME's).....ferment 1 week? Keep checking SG until is stabilizes? Transfer to secondary at 1 week?

My 1st batch fermended in glass carboy for 1 week, SG stopped at 1.018. Transferred to secondary for 1 week, SG reached 1.012.

Personally, if I don't need to transfer to secondary, I'd rather leave it in the primary longer. I just have no idea what is recommended or better for my wheats. I am planning to start using recipes soon vs LMEs or even DME's, as that is my ultimate goal. For now, I want to just get comfortable with the process before I go nutz.

Thank you! I've been lurking on this forum for quite awhile now...this is my 1st post.

 

[jaycount]

My first wheat has been in for 23 days now and will get bottled today. I taste tested it when I did the hydro test a few days ago and it was amazing. Although I think it'll clear up if you leave it in longer like I did (which is sometimes undesireable in a wheat), I think it makes a great beer. FWIW, mine was at a good clarity point when I took my hydro test the other day, definitely not like a krystal.

The most important rule to live by of course is the hydrometer to ensure that fermentation has stopped, if it hasn't stopped you definitely don't want to bottle yet. Any longer you wait after that is letting the yeasties clean things up.

 

[Joemama474]

Welcome to the forum!

Many homebrewers are moving away from transferring to secondary unless they are dry hopping after primary or adding fruit. I have never used a secondary and that has worked well for me. You can easily leave your wheat beer in primary for 14 days, transfer to your bottling bucket, prime and bottle with no ill effects. Any change in SG after transferring a beer to secondary is likely due to the agitation and redistribution of yeast into the fermenting wort. You almost definitely would have seen a similar drop if you'd just left the beer in primary for the same amount of time. You have touched on a great debate with this thread. A couple of searches will give you some great arguments for both sides and you can make up your own mind.

There are many people here more knowledgeable than me, but my experience has led me to what I've written here.

 

[HeffGirl]

indeed, the vast amount of differing opinions has gotten me very confused. This is why I am making a second batch of the same LME and doing it without the secondary and seeing how different it is...better? worse? Only time will tell!!

Another challenge I am imposing on myself is not using corn products....I have strong reservations about American's and our massive use of corn products in everything we eat, so I am controlling in ingredients and NOT using any corn product in my beers. I used raw cane sugar for fermentation, and used powdered sugar to prime (mostly because that is what I had and I was too lazy to go to the store...should work ok...seems alot of people do fine using powdered sugar to prime...I guess I'll find out in 2 weeks!)

Thanks again!

Another question...time in bottle? How long? I was going to wait 2 weeks then sample it.

 

[Joemama474]

Oddly enough, powdered sugar contains corn starch, which is what keeps it from clumping. If you want to stay completely away from corn, use table sugar (cane or beet is fine, molecularly there's no difference) and spin it in a food processor for 20 seconds or so. It'll be "superfine" sugar at that point and very useful for priming.

Remember, the yeast need to eat the sugar and fart the carbon dioxide, which will move into the headspace in the bottle until the pressure builds enough to drive a portion of the CO2 back into solution in the liquid. This takes time. Carbing time depends on a lot of variables, but three weeks at 70 is a good rule of thumb for most beers.

 

[HeffGirl]

I was told or read at some point that the bottles should be in a cool place while carbonating? So mine are out in the garage. Prob 55-60 out there. Is that too cold?
My house is at 72.

Thanks for the note about powdered sugar....I did find that out as well AFTER I used it....but then...it was all I had anyway. Next batch will be 100% raw cane.

 

[Captain Damage]

Ales such as your wheat beer should be at or near 70F to carbonate, and it will take about 3 weeks to fully carb at that temp. At colder temperatures it will take much longer, at 55-60 you run the real risk of the yeast going dormant and not carbing your beer at all.

 

[Joemama474]

I was told or read at some point that the bottles should be in a cool place while carbonating? So mine are out in the garage. Prob 55-60 out there. Is that too cold?
My house is at 72.

Thanks for the note about powdered sugar....I did find that out as well AFTER I used it....but then...it was all I had anyway. Next batch will be 100% raw cane.

Bottled beer should be stored cool. But as the previous poster mentioned, yeast slows down as it gets cooler. Give 'em 3 weeks at 70, slap one in the fridge for 48 hours or so and give it a sample.

RAW cane sugar tends to impart flavors to beer. These may or may not be flavors you want. I would lean towards refined sugar for bottling. Better yet, you might consider krausening, which eliminates sugar additions altogether.