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Hefeweizen Recipe

C

Catch-22

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Hanover, PA
So...I have a kit on the way that includes 6lbs of white wheat and 4lbs of 2-row to make a Hefe.  In looking at my stash from previous brews, I have .5lbs of flaked wheat and .5 of German Munich sitting around.  I have never made a Hefe before, but I'm curious to  know if I'd be able to incorporate those into the recipe when I mash without altering the Hefe characteristics all that much.

Thoughts?
 
If you want to brew a hefe, brew a hefe. Don't get kinky. Wow if we threw everything we have "laying around" into a beer it would be a dung sandwich mutant beer, which I don't think there are any style guidelines for.
 
You bet, go for it.  Some authentic German hefe's have munich...and acid malt in them. BJCP guidelines are for contests and the weak minded.  :)

IMO of course.

Mark
 
I'm halfway in between mark and river.  You are a new Brewer. I'm all for experimentation, but for it to have any value you need a frame of reference to be able to understand the results.  To that end, you need to make the beer as it is, first. Then, on the next or a future batch, you can begin experimenting. 

I make a Hefe with Munich. I also make one with all wheat. And one 50 wheat 50 pilsner.  But, I would recommend experimenting with fermentation temps on a Hefe, beforeiI began playing with the grain. 
 
The only real reason that I posed the question was because I had been reading about so many recipes for a Hefe, and many of them contained more than what the kit contains that I ended up going with.  My last two brews were recipes that I followed, but were not kits.  I purchased the grains, measured them out, and went from there.

With so many variations in Hefe recipes that I saw, some of which contained the ingredients that I do have on hand, I just thought I'd throw the question out there.
 
It's homebrewing. Do what feels right to you. You can always buy a commercially produced example of a stylistically appropriate beer, if you get the hankerin'.
 
Did you catch Tom's reference to the importance of fermentation temperature? A hefweizen fermented at 60 - 62 F will have a slight clove/phenolic note. One fermented at 70 F will have a banana/bubblegum note. A 10 - 20 minute ferulic acid rest at about 111 F during the mash will also help accentuate the clove note.

I doubt you'll injure yourself adding what you have on hand, but you'll probably learn more if you do one as designed and another with the additions. The order doesn't really matter; the beer police are not likely to arrest you.
 
durrettd said:
Did you catch Tom's reference to the importance of fermentation temperature? A hefweizen fermented at 60 - 62 F will have a slight clove/phenolic note. One fermented at 70 F will have a banana/bubblegum note. A 10 - 20 minute ferulic acid rest at about 111 F during the mash will also help accentuate the clove note.

I doubt you'll injure yourself adding what you have on hand, but you'll probably learn more if you do one as designed and another with the additions. The order doesn't really matter; the beer police are not likely to arrest you.
Click to expand...

Yes, I read quite a bit about the Hefe yeasts and what the different temps can do to the various notes they are capable of producing.  I imagine that the coolest I'll be able to ferment in my basement might be in the 65 F range, perhaps closer to 66 or 67.  I might be able to find a cooler spot in the house, if I look hard enough.  However, I had a Hefe before that had more of the sweeter notes before, and I did like that.  So if it did ferment and added that banana-like flavor, I'd personally be alright with that.
 
Question regarding a starter:

I don't have any DME on hand, and the closest LHBS is about 50 mins away.

If I were to brew the wort, could I seal it in the fermenter for 24 hours while making a starter from a sample of the actual wort?  Would 24 hours or so be enough to wake the yeast up and start them multiplying?

I don't expect this batch to exceed an OG of 1.055, but I have always read that White Labs yeast is always best with a starter.  Pitching the vial straight in is something that I know people have done with excellent results, but some also frown upon it.

Thoughts?
 
Below 1.060, you're probably OK to straight pitch, particularly if you aerate/oxygenate well. Might take a little longer to kick off but should still be OK. A buddy of mine just did a 3-gallon batch of dunkelweizen which he primaried in a 6.5 gallon carboy with a straight pitch of one of the wheat yeasts. It still blew out the top. They're hungry little monsters.
 
Catch-22 said:
If I were to brew the wort, could I seal it in the fermenter for 24 hours while making a starter from a sample of the actual wort?

Thoughts?
Click to expand...

Not pitching yeast right away is never a good idea.  Bacteria can be airborne and some always settle on the wort before you get it sealed up.  You would think that it would almost be impossible to avoid bacterial contamination because of this simple fact.  But, with healthy yeast going to work, they outcompete the bacteria and stop it from getting a foothold.  With good sanitation and keeping the bacteria down to a minimum, the yeast have the advantage.

However, if you don't pitch yeast for 24 hours, you'll be giving the bacteria the upper hand for that first 24 hours.
 
cmbrougham said:
Below 1.060, you're probably OK to straight pitch, particularly if you aerate/oxygenate well. Might take a little longer to kick off but should still be OK. A buddy of mine just did a 3-gallon batch of dunkelweizen which he primaried in a 6.5 gallon carboy with a straight pitch of one of the wheat yeasts. It still blew out the top. They're hungry little monsters.
Click to expand...

I plan on using my 7.9 gallon Speidel for this batch, knowing how "violent" these styles can be.  I figure even if I have to use a blowoff tube, having about 2+ gallons of headspace is a good idea.  If I secondary, I'll use my 6.5 carboy.
 
Scott Ickes said:
Not pitching yeast right away is never a good idea.  Bacteria can be airborne and some always settle on the wort before you get it sealed up.  You would think that it would almost be impossible to avoid bacterial contamination because of this simple fact.  But, with healthy yeast going to work, they outcompete the bacteria and stop it from getting a foothold.  With good sanitation and keeping the bacteria down to a minimum, the yeast have the advantage.

However, if you don't pitch yeast for 24 hours, you'll be giving the bacteria the upper hand for that first 24 hours.
Click to expand...

Figured that would be the case, but I thought I'd ask.  I'll take my chances, at least on this one, and pitch without the starter.  I'll be sure to order what I need to make starters in the future.
 
For my hefe's I half pitch and rarely do a starter unless I'm doing an 8+ gallon batch.  Half pitching brings out the banana flavor.  I mash pretty high too at 156 degrees.
 
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