I really wanted a half-liter of Hefeweizen the other night … but it’s not quite carbed. Here’s the recipe from the aforementioned brew day followed by some preliminary, unofficial tasting notes:
Weiße 4.1
Target OG: 1.049
Grist:
- 53% Weyermann Pale Wheat malt
- 31% German Pils malt
- 16% Weyermann Bohemian Dark malt
Mash:
- 111F for 15′
- 130F for 40′
- 156F for 15′
- 170F for 10′
Boil:
- Hallertau Mittelfrüh (whole, 5.7% aa) at 60′ to 14 IBU
- Hallertau Mittelfrüh (whole, 5.7% aa) at 15′ to 1 IBU
Fermentation:
- Chill to 66F, O2 and pitch with a hellacious amount of Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen
- Allowed to rise up to 72F over 48 hrs to the peak of active fermentation … when I had to clean yeast spew off my glasses
- TG was 1.011, reached by Day 8
- Transfer to kegs & crash cool to 35F
Both at kegging and now a week and change after packaging, banana (isoamyl acetate) was quite evident in the nose, which makes me suspect that fermentation temp could be at least as important a determining factor in its balance vs. 4VG as things like pitch rate and mash schedule. Interestingly, banana was not as pronounced in the flavor, which was much more dominated by clove and cinnamon bark. Nice and creamy, even slightly viscous texture from the wheat … looking forward to a proper glass of this soon!
the beer engine 
Jamil swears by 62 F for fermenting a 3068 Heff.
Mike,
Can you shoot me an email I have some information you may be interested in?
Thanks,
JD
Wouldn’t the Bohemian Dark Malt technically make this a dunkleweizen?
Not at 5-8L and 16% of the grist … I’ll post a picture of it in a glass when it’s finished, it came out quite pale. Beersmith gives it at 4.0 SRM.
Do think it is necessary to use a ferrulic acid rest? I am embarking on the summer of wheat beers. First weiB bier should be done on Wednesday – 70/30 red wheat/bohemian pilsner – mash 113, 130, 148, 160. in the fermenter 70/30 white wheat/bohemian pilsner.
I think “necessary” might be too strong – it’s helpful if you want to accentuate the 4VG/clove/spice character, or possibly balance out the isoamyl profile; but counterproductive if one is really after that banana character.
I am drinking one of the aforementioned beers, and I am very happy with the balance. Not too much bananna. At this point it is an unreplicated experiment, so I’ll see how the second one turns out… Thank you for all of the help!
Love to have some Hefe on tap during summer. Just wish summer would get here. Thanks for another awesome post. Cheer!
I like a little (.4 oz in a 10 gallon batch) of acidulated malt in mine. It gives it a hint of tartness which comes across really nice for this style. Nothing beats a well done hefe.
I meant 4 oz.
Open or closed fermentation?
This one was closed.
Because of the German Pils Malt, would you need a 90 min boil?
My personal experience, with this recipe, on my own system, would suggest no. The pils is a minority fraction of the grist, and I think the combo of vigorous boil, rapid cooling, and vigorous fermentation managed to keep any DMS in check – it’s not evident in the finished beer. That’s my take, YMMV.
Apropos of nothing, I remembered you mentioned using an induction burner during the Winter months. Does the induction burner allow you to do a full-volume boil?
I’ve been living in a house for a number of years, but will be moving into an apartment when I go to grad school. It will only be a matter of time before they give me official notice to cease my love affair with propane on the balcony.
That wasn’t me … I’m still in love with propane.
Hey everybody –
Reader JD of Lady Luck Brewing was too modest to post this himself, so I’m doing it for the edification of us all. The link below takes you to his blog, where he details the results of an experiment – the effects of fermenter geometry on the flavor profile of the strain under discussion, with tasting notes provided by some beer judges whose names you’ll recognize. It’s a good read, citizens:
http://jdladyluckbrewing.blogspot.com/2012/07/fermenter-experiment.html?m=1
Pretty great WWII-era nose cone art, too …
Really interesting experiment. One potential element that stood out to me is the following: What if you went through this process but fermented the same beer side-by-side in the same shaped vessel…will that create some variation as well? My inclination is that it might. To what extent, who knows? Yeats is a funny thing and there is probably some margin for variation even when all the process and parameters seem to be exactly the same. Perhaps on a larger commercial scale there is less margin for stark variation due to the mass of batch size, where on a homebrewing scale that margin for variation increases? What do you reckon MD?
Dawson,
First time poster, long-time reader. I’m really interested to hear who this turned out. Are you planning to do a TMBR soon? Keep up the great beer-work!
Matt
Yes – it’s next on my list! Thanks, Matt!
Do you have any tricks to avoid the sulfur aroma with the 3068?
It should disappear on its own given time, but in my experience a high pitch rate, warmer ferm temps, and sealed (not open) fermenters will suppress it. If your grist has a high % of European pils malt, it could be possible that the sulfur isn’t entirely due to the yeast, too …
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I did a Hefeweizen and as I was getting to the end of the boil I thought hey I have 2lbs of maple syrup that had been over boiled when made and was all crystallized so why not dump it in for some additional gravity 1.075. I really enjoyed the resulting beer but it was not what I was expecting. It had a tart finish at the end. I am wondering if the maple syrup and yeast combo was the reason. Fermentation was about 80, FG 1.010. It was a very active fermentation blow off tube and all. But it also took 2 weeks to finish fermentation. What are your thoughts on the flavor?
Since 1.075 -> 1.010 is a pretty healthy attenuation and 80F is pretty warm, my guess is that the flavor you describe is a mix of high-ish abv% plus fusels and esters from the warm fermentation temp, with maybe some maple character to boot. Maple syrup in a Dunkelweizen or Weizenbock, where there’d be more dark malt character to back up the maple and abv%, sounds like it could be good …
Mr Dawson– Im trying to put together an all grain recipe for a Dunnbier. Its supposed to be an old German session beer, that was drank all day by the steel workers. Im writing you because I cant find squat on the interwebs. Can you help a citizen out?
Here’s what I could glean: http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/D%FCnnbier.html
Given its origin in northern Germany and the characteristics of the related styles that site cites, I think the best bet (or at least a logical starting point) would be to take a pale northern German style (Dortmunder, Pils, maybe even Kolsch) and scale an existing recipe back to that 2-3% abv range, keeping the BU:GU in check. What do you think?
Mike- I for the life of me cannot find a recipe for a Dunnbier on the interwebs. Its supposed to be a German session beer that was drank all day by the steel workers of the time. Help a citizen/brewer out.
evidently i need help counting too