Hefeweizen

Back to the Recipe Vault.

This beer won third place in the 1999 LA County Fair in the Bavarian Hefeweizen Category.

Ingredients for 11 Gallons

Malts

11 lb. 2-Row Belgian Wheat Malt
8 lb. 7 oz. German Pilsner malt
1 lb. 11 oz. German Munich Malt 10°L
14 oz. German Vienna Malt 25°L
1 lb. Oat Hulls

Hops

1.7 oz. Hallertau Loose leaf, 5.6% (60 min)
1.7 oz. Hallertau Loose leaf, 5.6% (15 min.)
0.83 oz. Hallertau Loose leaf, 5.6% (5 min.)

Yeast

Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Wheat Yeast

Procedure

Mash-in with 22 Qt of water at 132°F. Target temp 128°F.
Protein rest for 30 minutes.
Decoct out 4 qt and add 5 qt boiling water. Temp 144°F.
Decoct out another 4 qt and heat to 198°F. Temp now 153°F.
Decoct 4 qt after 1 hr. Heat to 200°F. Temp back to 152°F.
1 3/4 hr total Starch Conversion.
Mash-out by heating run-off to 180°F and recycling.
Sparge with about 35 Qt water at 170°F.
Skim hot break prior to first hop addition.
Rapid chill with immersion chiller.
Ferment at 66-68°F.
Prime with 275 grams priming sugar for 60 12oz. bottles,
130 grams in the 5 gal Keg.

O.G. 1.050

F.G. 1.010

Judges' Comments

Most characteristics of a German wheat are present though restrained in character.

Brewers' Comments

This beer hit the clove tang expected from a hefeweizen, thanks to the Weihenstephan yeast. We bumped up the carbonation, which combined with the wheat malt to form a rich creamy head. We added oat husks to aid sparging. Last time the sparge took forever (3 1/2 hours), due to the gluten content of the wheat malt.