Brewferm Tarwebier

[hommebru]

got a kit of this to make up soon and just wondering how it differs to the rest of the BF collection.

I've made up the diabolo, abbey and tripel and they're all bottled up and conditioning, getting better and better each week. but as the tarwebier is brewed to 15ltr and comes out at i'd imagine around 5%, does it still need the extended conditioning time as with the 9ltr higher abv kits?
I only ask as i've been using the old search function on this forum and read a few times that a wheat beer is often better 'fresh' as you keep a lot more of the aroma and flavour from any steeped orange/lemon peel used etc. in doing so.
I am planning to do just that and steep a little bit of peel to give it a fuller flavour, but at the same time i don't want to drink a sub-standard beer.

To give you a timescale, i'm hoping to get it brewing in early/mid april, leave it in the FV for 3 weeks, bottle it all up, carb for 2 weeks and condition for another 2 so it's ready to go by late may early june.

How's that all sound? Has anyone else brewed this kit with success/got any tips?

[SimonNottingham]

No, it doesn't need as long as their other kits. Maybe a bit longer than the four weeks you're planning on ideally, though I think it would be OK. I'd say between 6 & 8 weeks. It's probably past its best at 6 months - just when the other Brewferms are coming good!

[hommebru]

thanks Simon, with that i mind i think i might make it up as soon as i can really. and then just drink it whenever i feel it's coming into it's own.

anyone got any ideas for quantities of peel to steep to give a good but not overbearing flavour to this brew?

[Pinto]

Got this kit + adjuncts ready to go

From reading around, the best quantities are 20-30g of Curacao Peel and 25g of Crushed corriander seeds but as most of the recipies are AG, i'll probably bag them and go for a 15 minute tea boil/steep and suspend the bag in the FV afterwards until the secondary.

Thoughts ?

[Monkeybrew]

+1 to a 6-8 week conditioning time for the Tarwebier. Mine was a little Sharp and tangy to start with.

This kit definitely requires some flavour tweaking though, as it is pretty bland as standard.

[hommebru]

been doing a bit of reading around and am thinking of doing a partial mash with 500g of torrified wheat malt and 500g of lager malt (for it's diastatic properties). then adding this to the wort and boiling it along with the steeped and strained wort of curacao orange peel (25g), coriander seeds (tbsp) and a little bit of lemon peel (10g) as well.

a slight issue i've run into however is brewing it at the high temperature it needs, 25 degrees if not higher to promote yeasty flavours. not sure how well i'll be able to maintain this. might buy an electric blanket and turn it on and off throughout the day. also, might under-pitch the kit yeast to work it a bit harder and hopefully produce more esters etc. as i don't think i'll be able to maintain a high enough temperature.

does this sound feasible? i've heard this kit can be a little bland and i really want to make sure i avoid that.

[Monkeybrew]

I may be wrong, but I don't think that the yeast that comes with the Tarwebier is a proper wheat beer yeast, as it dropped clear in a week and set very hard in the bottle.

As you are going to the trouble of adding extras, it may be worth buying a proper wheat beer yeast. Brewferm do sell a Blanche Wheat beer yeast.

I am currently fermenting a Bavarian Weissbier from Brupaks, that came with a proper Weiss yeast, and it has certainly kicked off some interesting flavours. The Belgian Wheat beer from Brupaks actually ships with the Brewferm Blanche yeast!

It may pay you to buy a good quality fishtank heater to help you maintain 23-24C.

[hommebru]

i think you might be right there monkeybrew, can't find anywhere that says it's actually a wheat specific strain which is peculiar.
could anyone recommend a good wheat yeast strain?

[Monkeybrew]

SAFBREW WB-06
BREWFERM BLANCHE
DANSTAR MUNICH
MAURIBREW WEISS

All dry yeasts, I don't know much about liquid ones!

[hommebru]

thanks again monkeybrew, i've researched a few of those and i think i'll end up getting the brewferm blanche even though it's apparently a little 'bland'.
the other 3 are more suited towards a german weiss, not a belgium wit unfortunately and that's the style i'm after.
i did take a look at the liquid yeasts and they'd be my preference, but they're a fair amount pricier and if i used them i'd want to harvest it as well for future use. a technique i'm not well versed in at all sadly.

[Monkeybrew]

thanks again monkeybrew, i've researched a few of those and i think i'll end up getting the brewferm blanche even though it's apparently a little 'bland'.
the other 3 are more suited towards a german weiss, not a belgium wit unfortunately and that's the style i'm after.
i did take a look at the liquid yeasts and they'd be my preference, but they're a fair amount pricier and if i used them i'd want to harvest it as well for future use. a technique i'm not well versed in at all sadly.

Good choice with Blanche.

I got the Mauribrew Weiss with my Brupaks kit, and it certainly has that German taste