Ooh the n00bness - bitter Hefeweizen

[Rev2010]

I tried one of my recently brewed hefeweizen's at one week in the bottle. I've done this before and had each taste fine. This latest one however has a bit of a bitter taste to it and I'm wondering if it's the amount of hops I used or if it might mellow out a bit with another 2 weeks in the bottle.

It was an extract recipe that I formulated. Nothing abnormal:

4.5lbs Briess Wheat DME
1lb Briess Pilsen DME
0.5lb Carahell (steeped for 30 minutes at 160° - no higher than 165° and no lower than 152°)
1oz Hallertauer 3.8% AA (60 min)
0.25oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker 3.1% AA (60 min)
Wyeast 3068
3 gallon boil

Now, I used the extra quarter ounce of Hersbrucker since the Hallertauer I received was a bit on the lower end of their listed AAU's and a lot of hefe recipe's I see use 1oz 4.5% AA Tettnanger hops. So my hop addition was to equate for 1oz 4.5% AA.

It's not terribly bitter, but when the beer hits the tongue you can tell it's there instantly. The aftertaste however is awesome and full on typical hefe - ie. the bitterness doesn't stay in the aftertaste.

Did I overdo it with the extra .25oz Hersbrucker or is this something that will mellow after a few weeks? My other hefe's (only made a few though) have been fine but didn't use the same hops/amount. I know my very first beer, crappy Cooper's lager kit using their sugar, was oddly bitter at first but did mellow after 3-4 weeks. It's totally drinkable as is anyway, just wondering here.


Rev.

 

[EdWort]

If you want a authentic Bavararian hefe, then I recommend my hop schedule. German Hefe's use noble hops and very little. I think you are putting them in too soon in the boil.

I put 3/4 ounce in at 45 minutes and 1/4 at 15 minutes.

Give that a try next time and I think you will notice a big difference.

 

[JRems]

I made a hefe that was a bit bitter too. I know they are supposed to be drank "young" but the bitterness went away and the beer really mellowed out after a month. Give it a little time and it should be fine.

 

[Rev2010]

OK, small update. I think it may not be bitterness... but it may actually be astringency. I popped another open tonight since I ran out of Franziskaner and it's day 9 in the bottle. I know I know, still young - should be at least 2 full weeks and 3 even better. But I noticed something, the taste was more discernible to me now. Even though I never tasted exactly what astringent beer would taste like that's the thought that instantly came to mind. I looked it up on Howtobrew.com - since I was too lazy to go through the book lol. Sure enough, the description seems to fit the bill. The taste is a kind of tart teabag-like taste and even on Palmer's site he seems to indicate it's almost like bitterness but not exactly.

I've noticed if I lick my lips I can analyze it a bit more and it does seem to be astringent. Now, he mentions one of the causes as steeping grains too long. I steeped mine for 30 minutes at between 152-165 degrees. I noticed that when I did my Amber Ale from Northern it said to steep 20 minutes which I did and the beer was perfect. I went back and looked at a bunch of their recipe's and they all say to steep 20 minutes. Is there any possibility 30 minutes is a little too long? I steeped Carahell.


Rev.

 

[eastoak]

i had the same thing happen with my very first all grain hefe but i just ignored that beer for a good 6 weeks. in the back of my mind i was considering pouring it out. my wife popped one open this past weekend and we were amazed at how the flavors had totally changed. you will have a totally different beer in 2, 3, 4 weeks.

 

[devilishprune]

How much water did you use to steep your grains? If you used too much water or if you got the grains too hot then you can get issues with astringency.

30 minutes isn't too long. People who do all grain "steep" for usually 60 minutes and it turns out fine. I've mashed for 72 hours and that beer didn't have any astringency issues.

 

[Rev2010]

How much water did you use to steep your grains

That might be the issue. I know it's recommended to do a gallon per pound of grain. Since I only steeped a half pound there'd be too little water in my pot so I used like 2 gallons of water. In the future is it OK to use a small pot and after steeping dump it into my main kettle? Damn, I did 3 hefe batches this way. Two now in bottles and the third being bottled later this week.


Rev.

 

[eastoak]

That might be the issue. I know it's recommended to do a gallon per pound of grain. Since I only steeped a half pound there'd be too little water in my pot so I used like 2 gallons of water. In the future is it OK to use a small pot and after steeping dump it into my main kettle? Damn, I did 3 hefe batches this way. Two now in bottles and the third being bottled later this week.


Rev.

BIAB brewers use the full volume of water and don't have astringency problems so i'm not sure the volume of water would be the problem but temps over 170 degrees might be. also, i think you meant quarts per pound?

 

[Rev2010]

BIAB brewers use the full volume of water and don't have astringency problems so i'm not sure the volume of water would be the problem but temps over 170 degrees might be. also, i think you meant quarts per pound?

I think I read in Palmers book that he recommended 1 gallon per pound for steeping. I could be wrong though.

K, so if it's not my temps and not my water amounts what could it be? Could it just be something up with the Carahell? I only used a half pound.


Rev.

 

[shecallsmeblue]

You didn't squeeze the grains after you steeped them did you? This can leech tanins as well.

 

[Revvy]

You didn't squeeze the grains after you steeped them did you? This can leech tanins as well.

That's a myth....or actually an over simplification of it...it's not as "cut and dried" as you may think.

Read this https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/dont-squeeze-grain-bag-21712/#post2449055 and don't just blanketly repeat what you've heard....

 

[wildwest450]

Why is everyone diagnosing a beer that isn't even ready to drink yet? The taste will definitely change when it's ready to drink. Come back then.

_

 

[Rev2010]

Why is everyone diagnosing a beer that isn't even ready to drink yet? The taste will definitely change when it's ready to drink. Come back then.

I asked cause I've never tasted this before and have tried each of my beers young. This weekend it will be 2 weeks in the bottle. How many you think I should give it before asking again if it's still not gone?


Rev.

 

[nefarious_1_]

So how did it turn out?
I must know...

 

[Rev2010]

So how did it turn out?
I must know...

Thanks for asking man! The "astringency" went away about 95% with 3 weeks in the bottle. That was really the main issue. Can't even tell it's there now. If you really analyze it and lick your lips and all that you can detect an ever so slight trace of it, but just drinking and enjoying it it's just not there anymore. There is a *pinch* of extra bitterness to it being I used 1.25 oz of hops - 1oz Hallertauer and .25oz of Hallertauer Hersbrucker. I only did that because the Hallertauer I received was a lower AA than the recipe I formulated using Beersmith (which gave a higher AAU for the Hallertauer). But again, it's soooo minimally extra bitter it's really not noticeable. However, in the future I will calculate the recipe out to a straight 4AAU.

I created a separate thread about how awesome the beer tasted, it literally has become my favorite hefe knocking down my personal favorite for over 10 years - Franziskaner. It was met with a bit of skepticism especially being I'm still a n00b brewer but that's cool, I can totally understand.

Funny thing is... my father-in-law who is not a beer drinker (he drinks the hard stuff) LOVES the beer. Proof in the fact is how many he kept swiping from me. He'd knock on the door several times a day and ask for one. It was flattering at first, him telling me how great it is (and I didn't even ask him) but man... sometimes it's better when others don't like it LOL.

He's also had Franziskaners from me for many years, but he would usually only have one. My beers he's had 3-4 a day over the weekend. He said he likes it because it's taste is full and complex and he personally thinks he gets a little more of a kick from them but he's nuts there as the ABV is pretty much the same.

This one was #2 out of 3 recipes I designed and while I think they all came out great #2 is my personal favorite. Right now I have 2 Belgians I made the recipes for, one of which I bottled this weekend and maaan did it taste awesome out of the hydrometer sample. The other I am bottling either this week or this weekend. I also started the first of two self recipe Amber Ale's this weekend. Will see how the two come out in time. Thanks again for asking! Sorry my reply is so darn long


Rev.