44 replies to this topic

[SchwanzBrewer]

that seems like it might make a difference under homebrew conditions but I'm still slightly skeptical.

Probably won't know unless I try it.Anyone got a good Hefeweizen recipe?Also, as I understand it, it is important to ferment in a food safe container, right? So I am guessing that a cheap plastic tub from wally world might not be a good choice to use in this experiment, eh? What if I lined it with a large piece of saran wrap?Any ideas?Cheers,Rich

[davelew]

Anyone got a good Hefeweizen recipe?

Here's my basic recipe, scaled up to 10 gallons:For a 10 gallon batch:12 pounds pilsner malt8 pounds wheat maltMash at 1503 ounces of Saaz hops for bitteringEither Wyeast 3068 or White Labs WLP300 yeast. I don't use a starter for 5 gallon batches (you want to stress the yeast to get the Hefeweizen character), so I would guess a very small starter for a 10 gallon batch.Ferment at around 70 to 75 degrees F. This is important. If you try to ferment a Hefe too cold or with too much yeast to start, you won't get the nice yeast character that you want.

Also, as I understand it, it is important to ferment in a food safe container, right? So I am guessing that a cheap plastic tub from wally world might not be a good choice to use in this experiment, eh? What if I lined it with a large piece of saran wrap?Any ideas?

You can get food-safe liners that look similar to trash bags at some restaurant supply stores.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Here's my basic recipe, scaled up to 10 gallons:For a 10 gallon batch:12 pounds pilsner malt8 pounds wheat maltMash at 1503 ounces of Saaz hops for bitteringEither Wyeast 3068 or White Labs WLP300 yeast. I don't use a starter for 5 gallon batches (you want to stress the yeast to get the Hefeweizen character), so I would guess a very small starter for a 10 gallon batch.Ferment at around 70 to 75 degrees F. This is important. If you try to ferment a Hefe too cold or with too much yeast to start, you won't get the nice yeast character that you want.You can get food-safe liners that look similar to trash bags at some restaurant supply stores.

What if I just used my mash tun? Its a 70 Quart Coleman Extreme. 5 gallons might only be about 3 inches deep.Hmmm.Cheers,Rich

[shaggaroo]

Anyone got a good Hefeweizen recipe?

50/50 Pilsner/Wheat, Hop to about 13-15 IBU. Mash 150-152.

[Genesee Ted]

This whole video reeks of bad procedure. No starter. Skimming the yeast? I can see for harvesting weizen yeast how that is a great idea. Maybe just use a lid. Everything I have ever seen though indicates that HB airlocks do not allow for enough pressure to affect ester formation. The big difference in traditional "open" techniques vs. what modern hb'ers typically use as standard seems to be fermenter geometry. A tall conical will create a natural convection current which keeps the yeast in suspension a bit more, whereas the traditional open fermenter is wide and shallow, interfering with that current. The tradeoff for higher esters is lower attenuation. Also, he is stirring the yeast up uncecessarily all the time. RDWHAHB. I understand the whole thing about leaving the lid off, but you don't need to. Without side by side analysis, this whole video is one big anecdote. Perhaps that fish gutter gets props due to its shape, but there shouldn't be any difference in buckets. Especially if you are all up in your beer all the time like the host. Sooooo off topic though... Congrats OP!

[MyaCullen]

50/50 Pilsner/Wheat, Hop to about 13-15 IBU. Mash 150-152.

rice hulls!!!!!!!

[Genesee Ted]

Keep your temps up and you don't need no stinkin rice hulls

[MyaCullen]

Keep your temps up and you don't need no stinkin rice hulls

insurance yes I am aware of keeping your sparge temp up being the key, but I'm at batch # 70 something, Rich is at batch #11

[SchwanzBrewer]

rice hulls!!!!!!!

Keep your temps up and you don't need no stinkin rice hulls

Which is it? Haven't had a stuck mash in 5 AG batches yet. Can it hurt to have them?I'm in Tampa. High temps are easy for me.

This whole video reeks of bad procedure. No starter. Skimming the yeast? I can see for harvesting weizen yeast how that is a great idea. Maybe just use a lid. Everything I have ever seen though indicates that HB airlocks do not allow for enough pressure to affect ester formation. The big difference in traditional "open" techniques vs. what modern hb'ers typically use as standard seems to be fermenter geometry. A tall conical will create a natural convection current which keeps the yeast in suspension a bit more, whereas the traditional open fermenter is wide and shallow, interfering with that current. The tradeoff for higher esters is lower attenuation. Also, he is stirring the yeast up uncecessarily all the time. RDWHAHB. I understand the whole thing about leaving the lid off, but you don't need to. Without side by side analysis, this whole video is one big anecdote. Perhaps that fish gutter gets props due to its shape, but there shouldn't be any difference in buckets. Especially if you are all up in your beer all the time like the host. Sooooo off topic though... Congrats OP!

What if I just used my mash tun? Its a 70 Quart Coleman Extreme. 5 gallons might only be about 3 inches deep.Hmmm.Cheers,Rich

So using my mash tun is probably the way to go since its geometry is better suited than a bucket.Cheers,Rich

[davelew]

This whole video reeks of bad procedure. No starter. Skimming the yeast?

I've found that I get more yeast character in my Hefeweizens if I don't use a starter, so I actually agree with the video on that. Hefes and Berliner Weisses are the only beers I make without starters.Brewing a hefe is all about handling the yeast, even more so than most beers. You want the hefe yeast to feel a little stressed and to start throwing esters. Underpitching is one way to stress the yeast a little bit. Fermenting a little warm (70dF instead of 65dF) is another way to give the yeast a little stress. Hefeweizen yeast is special because the off-flavors that we all try to avoid in other beers actually taste good when coming from WY3068 or WLP300, so we have to stop doing all those little tricks (huge starters, fermenting cool) that we use to avoid off-flavors in other beers.

[shaggaroo]

rice hulls!!!!!!!

With that particular recipe, I forgot to add rice hulls when I brewed it last week. My luck, I figured stuck sparge on the way. Nope. Never even thought about happening. But Ric, it wouldn't hurt for insurance to add them.

[3rd party JKor]

This whole video reeks of bad procedure. No starter. Skimming the yeast? I can see for harvesting weizen yeast how that is a great idea. Maybe just use a lid. Everything I have ever seen though indicates that HB airlocks do not allow for enough pressure to affect ester formation. The big difference in traditional "open" techniques vs. what modern hb'ers typically use as standard seems to be fermenter geometry. A tall conical will create a natural convection current which keeps the yeast in suspension a bit more, whereas the traditional open fermenter is wide and shallow, interfering with that current. The tradeoff for higher esters is lower attenuation. Also, he is stirring the yeast up uncecessarily all the time. RDWHAHB. I understand the whole thing about leaving the lid off, but you don't need to. Without side by side analysis, this whole video is one big anecdote. Perhaps that fish gutter gets props due to its shape, but there shouldn't be any difference in buckets. Especially if you are all up in your beer all the time like the host. Sooooo off topic though... Congrats OP!

Pretty much this. Any difference, besides increased oxidation, between having the lid on and off is likely psychosomatic.

[BarelyBrews]

Congrats Rich!!I am on batch #116,All-grain , been at since 06,and bottling would suck.

[SchwanzBrewer]

Congrats Rich!!I am on batch #116,All-grain , been at since 06,and bottling would suck.

I started kegging this year along with my first all grain brew. I have about 200 bottles just stacked up in my little brew room. I hate bottling.Cheers,Rich

[MyaCullen]

I started kegging this year along with my first all grain brew. I have about 200 bottles just stacked up in my little brew room. I hate bottling.Cheers,Rich

didn't you just love that moment, when you had your 1 keg ready to fill instead of two freaking cases?

[SchwanzBrewer]

didn't you just love that moment, when you had your 1 keg ready to fill instead of two freaking cases?

Yep. Takes me about 30 minutes to clean the keg, sanitize it, rack the beer, and put it on gas. Last time I bottled 10 gallons it took me about 6 hours. I had to clean all the bottles, then sanitize, and then finally bottle the beer. What a PITA.Cheers,Rich

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

Yep. Takes me about 30 minutes to clean the keg, sanitize it, rack the beer, and put it on gas. Last time I bottled 10 gallons it took me about 6 hours. I had to clean all the bottles, then sanitize, and then finally bottle the beer. What a PITA.Cheers,Rich

I try to do the cleaning and the bottling on two different days. This makes it a lot less brutal.

[ChefLamont]

50/50 Pilsner/Wheat, [Noble] Hop to about 13-15 IBU. Mash 150-152.

[slight enhancement added]This.. with some Weienstephan hefe yeast and you will have a winner.Not to be argumentative, but I don't ferment this one warm (at or above 70) any more. I shoot more for the 66-68 range with this yeast and much prefer the results.

[davelew]

[slight enhancement added]This.. with some Weienstephan hefe yeast and you will have a winner.Not to be argumentative, but I don't ferment this one warm (at or above 70) any more. I shoot more for the 66-68 range with this yeast and much prefer the results.

I might have to try that. I originally made Hefeweizens with starters that were fermented in the 60s, and they were pretty bland (more American Wheat than Bavarian Hefe), and then I switched to fermenting in the 70s, and they improved. Then I stopped making starters for Hefes, and they improved again. It's possible that fermenting cooler with no starter would be even better, I haven't tried that yet.

[shaggaroo]

I might have to try that. I originally made Hefeweizens with starters that were fermented in the 60s, and they were pretty bland (more American Wheat than Bavarian Hefe), and then I switched to fermenting in the 70s, and they improved. Then I stopped making starters for Hefes, and they improved again. It's possible that fermenting cooler with no starter would be even better, I haven't tried that yet.

I'll let you know... I wanted to ferment low, but it was so dang hot outside I couldn't get the wort cool enough so ended up fermenting 70-72.