another Hefeweizen 5/3/2009

[edit1now]

...to see if I can actually make a drinkable one. The two in autumn 2008 seemed to get oxidised, were quite flat, and both came rather high in ABV: 6.5 and 7.4% respectively. I did another in January 2009, and while it isn't significantly oxidised, it is nearly flat, and lacks the typical bananery-clovey Weizen things. Those three all had Danstar Munich Wheat Beer yeast - this time I'm trying Safbrew WB-06 Dry Wheat Beer yeast.

3kg Wheat malt
2kg Vienna malt
500g crystal wheat malt
50g roasted wheat malt

Mash schedule:

½ hour @ 50 ̊C
1 hour @ 66 ÌŠC

Grain bill:


Started with about 18l mash liquor. Just doughed-in and started recirculating with the HERMS:


The handle of my new shiny catering paddle is just visible...

I'm using shorter hoses so I can keep everything on the tabletop (currently supported on casks for future boiler, mash tun etc.) - the heat exchanger is hiding behind the mash tun:


Sometime during the 66 ÌŠC step - see how the colour has changed (you can't see the consistency but it's much "looser":


Mashed-out to 78 ÌŠC.

Preheating the sparging tee on top of the HLT:


Sparging setup, and running-off into a plastic boiler so I can get the wort up to boiling point sooner:


1st runnings were 20ÌŠ Brix = 1083
Sparged down to about 2ÌŠ Brix.

Collected about 37l of wort plus what had boiled-off while collecting - say 3l so total would have been 40l. I think about 40l left the HLT during sparging - I ought to weigh the spent grains to see how much they absorb.

I pumped the wort up to the HLT, now on trial as a boiler as well. Here is some hot break in the sight tube:


Stirred wort in boiler 11ÌŠ Brix = 1044 at start of boil.

I may get the dreaded hot-side aeration - could this be the source of the oxidation issues, or are these due to being too long in secondary?

Boiled 1 hour, with 36g 2008 home-grown Hallertau hops. PG 1044 @ 21.5 ÌŠC = 1045 @ 15.5 ÌŠC

Thought that was a bit on the low side, so boiled a further 30 mins. PG 1052 @ 28.9 ÌŠC = 1053.1 @ 15.5 ÌŠC

Boiled further 15 minutes with Protofloc tablet while heating new convoluted immersion chiller to sanitise. About 30l of wort at this point so too big for one bin! Chilling wasn't quick or convenient, nor a good test for the new IC because the hose came off the new tap by my shed about five times, and I forgot to start recirculating the wort past the IC for the first five minutes.


It actually took 39 minutes to get from 97 degrees to 23 degrees C, which is longer than my original plain IC took - I suppose that I'm chilling more wort (30l rather than 20-something) and also I'm chilling the insulated stainless cask, which must have a higher heat capacity that a plastic Electrim bin.

OG 1054 @ 21.3 ÌŠC = 1055 @ 15.5 ÌŠC

I rehydrated a packet of WB-06 in boiled, cooled wort (frothed nicely on the radiator shelf) and pitched that into the circulating cooled wort in the boiler, because I wanted to distribute it across all the wort, which would have to go into two bins.

When running-off from the boiler, it wouldn't empty below the keystone level despite the new pickup tube
I was hoping for some kind of syphon effect. When I was cleaning it all out later, by pumping washing soda solution round and round, it emptied perfectly as long as it was emptied via the pump drain valve and not directly from its own ballvalve - the extra two feet of pipework sideways, and a couple of inches downhill, made all the difference. I'll be trying that next time.

The next day I thought I'd aerate some more - Mr Fermentis says aerate between 12 and 24 hours after pitching, and I haven't tried this before. I had to re-divide the beer between the two bins (after this picture was taken) because the foam was trying to to climb out of the full-er bin:


Once I'd got approximately equal amounts in the two bins, they got about two hours each of air through the HEPA filter and stainless stone at about 9 litres per hour, assuming the slower peristaltic pump pumps the same amount of air as it did water when I measured it.

Today (Sunday 8th of March) PG = about 1020 @ 20 ÌŠC (= 1021 at 15.5 ÌŠC). 4.38% ABV at this point. There's a distinct sulphurous, eggy smell.

[Bionicmunky]

Nicely done mate. Hope it turns out good for you.

J

[NickK]

I thought aeration was only done in the first 5-6 hours otherwise it oxidises the beer?

[edit1now]

Previously I've only aerated at the time of pitching, but at one of the LAB meetings someone (Alex?) quoted somebody's PhD research which said that the most effective time for aerating is 8 hours after pitching. I was about 18 hours...

[NickK]

Previously I've only aerated at the time of pitching, but at one of the LAB meetings someone (Alex?) quoted somebody's PhD research which said that the most effective time for aerating is 8 hours after pitching. I was about 18 hours...

I suppose that hits the 'blooming' period of the yeast when they're at their maximum activity.

[J_P]

Looks like a nice set up there, I swear by WLP380 in wheat beers, give it a bash it'll blow you away.

[edit1now]

Just had another look.

I found a P Stevenson Ltd (says ©1974 - they're now called Stevenson Reeves Ltd) Bottling Hydrometer amongst the stuff I had from the late Graham Hammond, which gives you 1011 to 0995 over a much longer scale than a normal hydrometer, say 2 cm where that would be about 1040 to 0000 on my original one.

Both bins of Hefeweizen PG 1009 @ 19 ÌŠC = 1009.6 @ 15.5 ÌŠC so 5.9% ABV using HMRC fudge factor of 0.13.
Might bottle or rack on Friday 20th.

[edit1now]

Bottled this yesterday (21st).

Both bins PG 1009 @ 18ÌŠC = 1009.4 @ 15.5 ÌŠC so 5.9% ABV using HMRC fudge factor of 0.13.

Racked each bin into a separate bottling bin (in case either has a problem so I don't mix the problem one into the good one), added 129g of gran (56 bottles guess x 4.6g [level 5ml teaspoon] = 258g) boiled-up in 250ml of water, and stirred-in 6g of S-04 in each (I'm fed up with making flat Hefeweizen - I've done three ). Filled 24 ½ + 25 ½ x 500ml bottles =50l with Little Bottler & syphon.

I like this WB-06 yeast for finishing much lower than the Danstar Munich Wheat Beer yeast, but I'm going to have to wait a month to see about the flavour. OK, but not wonderful, the mouthfuls which occurred during syphoning.

[mixbrewery]

I bet you've now got bottle washing fatigue after your mammoth bottling weekend!

[pantsmachine]

Looks like a nice set up there, I swear by WLP380 in wheat beers, give it a bash it'll blow you away.

I agree, i have made Hefes with both dry and liquid yeasts. Since the yeast flavour is such a big part of the end product i only now use white lab liquids, the difference is off the scale. Up to you which one you use. I try and ferment at 20 degrees with all my beers 19 at a push. Once fermentations complete i bottle the next day and prime(this is still hefes i am speaking about). The yeasts meant to be in there so why mess about letting it settle clear? Works well and gives me the choice of a clear hefe leaving the last 10mm on the bottom(if its guests and they are feart of cloudy beer) or doing the german thing and swirling the last 10mm and pouring it over the top(what i do most of the time). My carbonation level is just a shade under 1 1/2 teaspoons, gives a bitching carboanted bottled Hefe which keeps releasing till the end!