secondary for my hefe, or no?

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oms1981

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my very first batch has been in the primary for about a week now and so far all seems well. It got a slow start, about 32 hours to start fermentation (shoulda used a starter) but everything is looking good now. It is a wheat beer and I used White Labs hefe yeast.

I have read the threads and stickies about when to rack to a secondary, but I am wondering if it is really necessary with this style of beer. A big part of the flavor and character of a hefeweizen comes from the fact that it is so cloudy and yeasty which is why I really like this style.

So my question is this; should I rack to my secondary, or will the end result be better if I go to completion in the primary?
 
What you're saying right, you shouldn't have to rack it. I didn't rack my hefe when I made one and it turned out great. So far that's the only beer I haven't racked.
 
don't bother racking. give it a check with your hydrometer and if it reads the same the next couple of days and it's where it should be bottle it up.
 
Ok that's what I figured but I just wanted to be sure. I think I'll have to buy another primary, I'm dying to get another batch rolling. Oatmeal stout me thinks. Thanks guys.
 
oms1981 said:
Ok that's what I figured but I just wanted to be sure. I think I'll have to buy another primary, I'm dying to get another batch rolling. Oatmeal stout me thinks. Thanks guys.

Stouts are another style that you don't have to secondary...
 
You should let all beers go to completion in the primary.

A secondary for a Hefe Weizen is all about personal choice. It is not necessary. However, I do them for this simple reason: to get less yeast in the bottles.

I don't leave them in there to get as clear as I would a lager, just a few days to allow more yeast to drop out. There will always be enough yeast to keep the brew cloudy if you monitor properly.;)
 
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