What else can I brew with Hefeweizen yeast?

[Jayjay1976]

Through a series of unfortunate events I have a spare, already smacked pouch of Wyeast 3638 Bavarian Hefeweizen yeast. I just brewed a batch of hefeweizen last weekend so I don't want to brew another batch and I'm curious what else I can brew with it. An IPA maybe? Can I ferment it really warm or cool and get something else out of it? What about an all-pilsner smash?

 

[DrKnow]

Drain cleaner. (I despise the banana/clove flavor of weizen yeast). But seriously maybe a dunkelweizen to change it up if you enjoy that type of yeast.

 

[Robert65]

In the old days in Bavaria there was Dampfbier (literally "steam beer.") It was a necessity is the mother of invention, farmhouse homebrew or brewpub, sort of thing. An all barley malt beer fermented with Hefeweizen yeast. Basically, a Märzen type grain bill and hopping would get you there. But more everyday strength, no more than 1.050 probably.

 

[Coffeeturnal]

I'd still be looking to do something in the weizen family.

I'd not consider an IPA with weizen yeast. I've had a couple commercial examples of that and they were... Less than pleasant.

 

[Jayjay1976]

In the old days in Bavaria there was Dampfbier (literally "steam beer.") It was a necessity is the mother of invention, farmhouse homebrew or brewpub, sort of thing. An all barley malt beer fermented with Hefeweizen yeast. Basically, a Märzen type grain bill and hopping would get you there. But more everyday strength, no more than 1.050 probably.

I like this idea, any more details or a recipe you could point me to? What kind of hops?

 

[RPh_Guy]

Weizenbock?

 

[Robert65]

I like this idea, any more details or a recipe you could point me to? What kind of hops?

I've never made one, I've just read about them. I would imagine some combination of Pilsner and Munich malt, or maybe Vienna, for an amber or copper colored beer, and old school hops like Hallertau or Saaz. Maybe 20 IBU? Think Bavarian lager, before Helles came around in the 20th century, but with Weizen yeast. The story is that the people brewing for their farmstead or family or little guest house found the yeast easy to maintain, and didn't have the time or ability to make lagers anyway, and that wheat was often considered too necessary for bread so it was forbidden to use it in brewing. There might be recipes somewhere, but I'm sure it was a pretty basic brew, probably SMaSH with local ingredients, maybe even homemade malt. So you'd probably be in the right spirit using whatever you have on hand! I find the idea intriguing too since I'm curious about historical beers, it's always on my "someday I'll get around to it" list but I haven't got there yet.

 

[fourfarthing]

NEIPA. Co-pitch with an English strain.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I've never made one, I've just read about them. I would imagine some combination of Pilsner and Munich malt, or maybe Vienna, for an amber or copper colored beer, and old school hops like Hallertau or Saaz. Maybe 20 IBU? Think Bavarian lager, before Helles came around in the 20th century, but with Weizen yeast. The story is that the people brewing for their farmstead or family or little guest house found the yeast easy to maintain, and didn't have the time or ability to make lagers anyway, and that wheat was often considered too necessary for bread so it was forbidden to use it in brewing. There might be recipes somewhere, but I'm sure it was a pretty basic brew, probably SMaSH with local ingredients, maybe even homemade malt. So you'd probably be in the right spirit using whatever you have on hand! I find the idea intriguing too since I'm curious about historical beers, it's always on my "someday I'll get around to it" list but I haven't got there yet.

I really like your train of thought. I have some saaz and hersbrucker along with a fresh sack of German pilsner malt. Add a pound or so of Munich to boost the maltiness and I'll ferment it warm to maximize yeast character. I'll add more saaz during whirlpool for aroma, then I'll fine it with gelatin to drop it clear before kegging. Hey this might be a good recipe, thanks @Robert65 !!

 

[Lefou]

A basic 50/50 wheat and Munich weizenbock would be my winter warmer choice.
Use about 2oz of Hallertau Hersbreucker hops first wort around 4AAU.
I'd take some of the wort and water it down some for a fresh starter done during the boil. WLP300 is strong yeast and will run right through something like this but I'd definitely use a blowoff. Learned my lesson the first time purchasing the yeast when the beer shop clerk smiled and gave me a free length of hose and said "You'll need this".

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Recipe: https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0...embertheMaineDamfbier.pdf?9123352349170857084

 

[bkboiler]

Lol...you guys might laugh at this...but I've been mulling around the idea of a lightish beer that I secondary on strawberries and ferment with a hefe yeast. No clove, aiming for strawberry, banana and Graham and crackery flavors. ..

Maybe 90% German pilsner and 10% Briess carabrown (supposedly gives Graham cracker notes)?

 

[Jayjay1976]

The batch I just brewed was a weizenbock-ish Sternweisse clone with an og of 1.062. I used 1.5 lbs of cara wheat to give it an SRM around 11. Whatever I brew with the spare pouch of 3638 will be lighter in color and body, a lower gravity and hoppy.

 

[bkboiler]

Oh nice! Hoppy, eh? maybe a juicy NEIPA? I suppose banana and citrus already go well in smoothies...and some hefes are renouned for cloudiness. ..

Correction to my previous post: Briess doesn't describe carabrown as giving Graham cracker as I think I saw on like Reddit or something. I see on the Briess website that Cara Copper malt lists Graham cracker as a tasting note.

 

[Robert65]

Remember the collab, Braupakt? Weihenstephan brewed a Hefeweizen, with very West Coast hops supplied by Sierra Nevada.

 

[Jayjay1976]

Remember the collab, Braupakt? Weihenstephan brewed a Hefeweizen, with very West Coast hops supplied by Sierra Nevada.

Wow I had no idea that Weihenstephan has done collabs, any idea which hops they used specifically?

Last summer I brewed a hefeweizen with lots of huell melon and mandarina bavaria as late additions, that batch turned out pretty tasty though it had nowhere near the aroma intensity I was hoping for. It might have turned out much better with American hops.

 

[Robert65]

Wow I had no idea that Weihenstephan has done collabs, any idea which hops they used specifically?

Last summer I brewed a hefeweizen with lots of huell melon and mandarina bavaria as late additions, that batch turned out pretty tasty though it had nowhere near the aroma intensity I was hoping for. It might have turned out much better with American hops.

It was 2018. SN has been doing their collab Oktoberfests for a while, that year they did it with Weihenstephan, and in exchange Weihenstephan did the wheat beer in the spring. Last two Oktoberfest collabs have been the Weihenstephan and Bitburger, and both have been so awful, you wonder why the German brewers would allow their names to be attached. Oh, yeah, big money, volume sales. Cool.

 

[Coffeeturnal]

Wow I had no idea that Weihenstephan has done collabs, any idea which hops they used specifically?

Last summer I brewed a hefeweizen with lots of huell melon and mandarina bavaria as late additions, that batch turned out pretty tasty though it had nowhere near the aroma intensity I was hoping for. It might have turned out much better with American hops.

There's used info on it on the Sierra Nevada website. I'm not about to find it at the moment... But IIRC it's basically a hefe with some crystal malt and late/dry hopped with Amarillo and Chinook.

Was super fantastic. The hops were definitely there, but kept in check to allow it to still taste like a hefe.

 

[Qhrumphf]

Haven't brewed a Dampfbier in ages. That'd be a fun one.

Hefe yeast in NEIPA is definitely a thing that has been done. Can't say I've liked the ones I've had though. Going that route, I'd definitely try to minimize the clove (which is antithetical to my usual goals).

If it were me, I'd stick to Dunkelweizen, Weizenbock, or if you feel like a PITA maybe a Roggenbier (which I also haven't brewed in ages).

 

[Soulshine2]

Through a series of unfortunate events I have a spare, already smacked pouch of Wyeast 3638 Bavarian Hefeweizen yeast. I just brewed a batch of hefeweizen last weekend so I don't want to brew another batch and I'm curious what else I can brew with it. An IPA maybe? Can I ferment it really warm or cool and get something else out of it? What about an all-pilsner smash?

dunkelweizen !! use a low amount of Hallertauer or similar(less than 15 ibu's)and ferment in the low -mid 60s .

 

[Soulshine2]

Wow I had no idea that Weihenstephan has done collabs, any idea which hops they used specifically?

Last summer I brewed a hefeweizen with lots of huell melon and mandarina bavaria as late additions, that batch turned out pretty tasty though it had nowhere near the aroma intensity I was hoping for. It might have turned out much better with American hops.

We LOVE Braupakt !!!

 

[Soulshine2]

Drain cleaner. (I despise the banana/clove flavor of weizen yeast). But seriously maybe a dunkelweizen to change it up if you enjoy that type of yeast.

why tell someone to make drain cleaner of it because you dont like that particular flavors...what if he enjoys that flavor...I dont like IPAS , should I tell everyone that does to dump theirs???

 

[jesterking]

Roggenbier. I just made one (leftover Weizen yeast that I didn’t want to throw out). It was awesome. Use the Brewing Classic Styles recipe.

 

[DrKnow]

why tell someone to make drain cleaner of it because you dont like that particular flavors...what if he enjoys that flavor...I dont like IPAS , should I tell everyone that does to dump theirs???

Calm down. I think the OP understood I was joking. Hefeweizen is just not for me. That means there’s more for those of you who enjoy it.

 

[Jayjay1976]

I really enjoy the typical banana and clove character, as does my wife. In fact she's an even bigger fan of hefeweizen than I am. Our favorite is Hacker-Pschorr Sternweisse which is a deep amber weissbier with some dark crystal. Up to now I haven't managed to clone it but I'll be kegging my latest attempt today, thumbs pressed that it turns out.

My dream though is a big malty golden weizenbier like Sternweisse but with cream and biscuit notes like Monchshof Kellerbier, and tons of fruity hop aromas.

I met the head brewer at Hacker-Pschorr several years ago and tried to get some hints about the grain bill for Sternweisse but he was pretty tight-lipped other than mentioning "some cara wheat".

 

[Soulshine2]

Calm down. I think the OP understood I was joking. Hefeweizen is just not for me. That means there’s more for those of you who enjoy it.

eh, its all good. Sometimes the wonderful interwebs dont translate dry humor as much as one would like

 

[Soulshine2]

I really enjoy the typical banana and clove character, as does my wife. In fact she's an even bigger fan of hefeweizen than I am. Our favorite is Hacker-Pschorr Sternweisse which is a deep amber weissbier with some dark crystal. Up to now I haven't managed to clone it but I'll be kegging my latest attempt today, thumbs pressed that it turns out.

My dream though is a big malty golden weizenbier like Sternweisse but with cream and biscuit notes like Monchshof Kellerbier, and tons of fruity hop aromas.

I met the head brewer at Hacker-Pschorr several years ago and tried to get some hints about the grain bill for Sternweisse but he was pretty tight-lipped other than mentioning "some cara wheat".

my wife loves a good hef. each one ive made (3 and counting) have all been pretty much for her.

 

[Soulshine2]

I really enjoy the typical banana and clove character, as does my wife. In fact she's an even bigger fan of hefeweizen than I am. Our favorite is Hacker-Pschorr Sternweisse which is a deep amber weissbier with some dark crystal. Up to now I haven't managed to clone it but I'll be kegging my latest attempt today, thumbs pressed that it turns out.

My dream though is a big malty golden weizenbier like Sternweisse but with cream and biscuit notes like Monchshof Kellerbier, and tons of fruity hop aromas.

I met the head brewer at Hacker-Pschorr several years ago and tried to get some hints about the grain bill for Sternweisse but he was pretty tight-lipped other than mentioning "some cara wheat".

Jay , do you want my hef recipe? I developed my own and were my last 2 hef brews. wife says mine is best one shes had and shes quite the hef connoisseur.

 

[Jayjay1976]

Jay , do you want my hef recipe? I developed my own and were my last 2 hef brews. wife says mine is best one shes had and shes quite the hef connoisseur.

Hey sure! Thanks!

 

[ESBrewer]

I think you could brew Belgian beers, maybe saisons or golden ales that are regularly brewed with POF+('clove capable') yeast. Reducing the wheat and keeping ferm temp down should dimininish the banana flavor. Forget about the ferulic acid rest and mash at low pH to reduce the clove. Add some sugar to bring FG down. Drop some yeast by conditioning the beer longer or use finings. The yeast in solution is very important for the Hefeweizen character. According to DNA sequencing WB-06 (used for Hefeweizens by some people) is genetically ~equivalent to Duvel yeast.