American Hops in Hefeweizen?

[Gold]

Hi,

Got wheat and lager malt in the cupboard along with some WB-06 so was looking to brew my first hefeweizen however only have American hops (Simcoe, Columbus, Chinook, and a pinch of Cascade). With the traditional low hopping of a hefeweizen I presume that this would not show through that much?

Or do I need to bite the bullet and get some German hops in? Any other advice for a hefeweizen welcomed!

Cheers for any help.

[Capn Ahab]

Those hops are all pretty punchy and would probably make themselves felt in a non-traditional way for a hefe. No reason why you can't give it a go, but it depends how close to the commercial examples you want to get; if that's important to you get some German noble hops in or their yank equivalents: crystal, liberty or mount hood. I've used liberty and it does the business.

[Wolfy]

Use the more neutral yeast, those hops, and make an American Wheat - a nice refreshing summer-type beer.

[Capn Ahab]

Use the more neutral yeast, those hops, and make an American Wheat - a nice refreshing summer-type beer.

Good call. US05 would work well for that.

When's summer starting though?

[adomant]

I tried an Amirillo Heffeweizen at the GBBF yesterday, I have to say that the combination of the subtle banana / clove flavour of the yeast and the overpowering citrus/ flower hop really doesn not work at all for me.

[Barley Water]

Yeah, I wouldn't think that American hops would work too well with a tradtional German Heffe, however you can go that route with an American heffe, a very different animal. Actually, last weekend I brewed an American wheat beer which I hop bursted and once it stops fermenting, I'll proceed to heavily dry hop the beer as well. Since I have never tried this before currently I have no idea how this will play out, check with me in about 3 weeks. I think most American wheat beers are boring so I wanted to try something different hence the hop bursting. My only fear with this stuff is that the heavy hop flavor and aroma will cover up the wheat character in the beer but we shall see. 3 Floyds makes a beer called Gumball Head based on this principle and my understanding is that it sells well so there is hope.

[seymour]

That combination certainly wouldn't be true-to-style, but as long as you aren't trying to submit it to a BJCP contest or something, just brew what you want to drink!

[Rookie]

Last week at the first Vancouver (WA) brewfest I had an american wheat that was a bit high in alc. (6.8%) and hopped to 30 IBUs with Falconer's Flight hop blend that was very good.
I'm not sure I'd care for that in a German hefe, but it worked great in an American wheat.

[lancsSteve]

Have you trtied schneider weisse tap no5 hopfen weissen?
http://www.schneider-weisse.de/index.ph ... ten.hopfen

HEAPS of hops, some suggest Nelson Suavin, though a softer US citrus like amarillo would be similar.

Don't tell the BJCP or other style slaves that the oldest wheat beer brewery are making beers 'out of style' though tsk tsk that'll never do - or they'll be calling schneider weisse a 'dunkel weissen' next

[raiderman]

I've come across american wheats using liberty and mount hood which worked ell, but not the ones you list. On a slightly different tangent I brewed a straight lager with moteulka on the basis commercial lagers probably used it, so why not give it a go and the lager had more of a beer feel and worse still a kinda orangy aroma, which didn't sit rihgt. Its not a direct comparison with what you're doing but your hops might have a similar out of place feel to them. I like to experiment a bit but I'd be tempted to buy a bag of summut else

[raiderman]

The Craft Beer Company have had a couple of american takes on belgian lagers - both stunning and enormously aromatic. The one I had Tuesday night used european hops and was glorious, had a massive aroma which fed on into the taste. the other, which has gone now - before you rush off down there! used american hops and was better, quite a revalation. I tIts all down to choice of hops, I truied moteluka in a lager - ok, but too orangy, I do wonder what simcoe, citra or rikawaka would be like though