Speise

[bigsticknick]

I am looking at doing an extract hefeweizen recipe that calls for taking 2 qts of the wort out and storing in fridge to use as speise for bottle conditioning. The recipe says to use 1 pack of yeast fermenting and 1 pack bottle conditioning. This is only me 3rd batch of beer so I wanted to see if there is anything I should make sure to do or not do as far as the speise and bottle conditioning.

 

[Yooper]

I am looking at doing an extract hefeweizen recipe that calls for taking 2 qts of the wort out and storing in fridge to use as speise for bottle conditioning. The recipe says to use 1 pack of yeast fermenting and 1 pack bottle conditioning. This is only me 3rd batch of beer so I wanted to see if there is anything I should make sure to do or not do as far as the speise and bottle conditioning.

You don't have to do the carbonating with speise- you can get the same quality of carbonation with adding corn sugar to some water- but you can do this if you want to. Pay special attention to the volume of speise so that you don't end up with undercarbed or overcarbed beer (and especially not bottle bombs!). There are calculators on the internet to help with the proper amount.

If it was me, I'd probably just go with the traditional 5 ounces (by weight) of corn sugar in 2 cups of water in my finished batch.

 

[DannyD]

Here is a link to the calculare I used last time. I stoped doing it because those batches had very high phenolic tast BUT I also found out my brewing water was crap!! now I have lost intrest in this because its more work, and suger works fine. But go ahead and try it atleast ones and see for you're self

 

[Gameface]

Just because the recipe calls for it doesn't mean you have to do it in order to make that recipe. You'll get the same results using the much more standard corn sugar technique.

 

[bigsticknick]

Thanks, I am thinking I may just stick with corn sugar. I haven't really heard a big benefit from using the speise and I would rather not chance going wrong somewhere..

 

[bueschen]

I've done it both ways and don't see a difference.

I think a lot of brewers around here do it because adding corn sugar would put their Bavarian citizenship in jeopardy!

 

[DeGarre]

I use a speise for all my beers, it's easy and works every time. I take 1 1/2 litres (out of a 23-25 litre batch) of wort after cooling into a sanitised plastic soda bottle and put it into a freezer. I take it out 1 or 2 days before bottling and 1-2 hours before bottling I pour it gently into the FV and give it a stir. wait 1 or 2 hours the keg and bottle. I have had a good carbonation and head in all of my brews.