Wheat beer recipes

[Scotty]

I do like a wheat beer now and again, and I fancy getting one on the go soon.

I do like the Grolsch wheatbeer and Schneider Weiss so something similar to these two would be nice, although better would be ideal! Any ideas?

Plus, and idea of do's and dont's would be helpful!

[WishboneBrewery]

50-60% Wheat malt, Lager Malt (possible additions of Munich, Vienna, Caramunich), German Nobel Hop, Pick a proper Liquid yeast

[floydmeddler]

Yep go for WLP300 and ferment at 18c for pear and clove flavours. Any higher and banana starts creeping in.

[Swiller]

Paulaner Hefe-Weizen




Paulaner Brauerei, Munich, Germany




This Bavarian-style unfiltered hefe-weizen has an off-white head and a light golden color. The sweet malt aroma leads into a smooth blend of sweetness and wheat flavor with a semi-dry aftertaste. This highly carbonated wheat beer is crisp and refreshing.





Yield: 5 gallons (18.9 L)




Final gravity: 1.011-1.012




SRM 4-5





Original gravity: 1.053-1.054




IBU 10




5.4% alcohol by volume







Crush and steep in ½ gallon (1.9 L) 150°F (65.5°C) water for 20 minutes:




4 oz. (113 g) German Munich malt




Alternate Methods





Mini-mash Method: Mash 2 lb. (.9 kg) German wheat malt, 1.5 lb. (.68 kg) German 2-row lager malt and the specialty grain at 150°F (65.5°C) for 90 minutes. Then follow the extract recipe omitting 2.25 lb. (1 kg) wheat DME at the beginning of the boil.





All-grain Method: Mash 5.25 lb. (2.4 kg) German wheat malt and 4.75 lb. (2.2 kg) Belgian 2-row pale malt with the specialty grain at 150°F (65.5°C) for 90 minutes. Add 2 HBU (33% less than the extract recipe) of bittering hops for 90 minutes of the boil.






Strain the grain water into your brew pot. Sparge the grains with ½ gallon (1.9 L) water at 150°F (65.5°C). Add water to the brew pot for 1.5 gallons (5.7 L) total volume. Bring the water to a boil, remove the pot from the stove, and add:




6 lb. (2.7 kg) wheat DME (55% wheat, 45% barley)
1 oz. (28 g) German Hallertau Hersbrucker @ 3% AA
(3 HBU) (bittering hop)




Add water until total volume in the brew pot is 2.5 gallons (9 L). Boil for 60 minutes, remove pot from the stove, and cool for 15 minutes. Strain the cooled wort into the primary fermenter and add cold water to obtain 5 gallons (18.9 L). When the wort temperature is under 80°F (26.6°C), pitch your yeast.




1st choice: Wyeast's 3056 Bavarian wheat yeast
(Ferment at 68-72°F [20-22°C])
2nd choice: Wyeast's 3333 German wheat yeast
(Ferment at 68-72°F [20-22°C])




Ferment in the primary fermenter 5-7 days or until fermentation slows, then siphon into the secondary fermenter. Bottle when fermentation is complete with:




1¼ cup (300 ml) M&F wheat DME

[TheMumbler]

I've only been at this for a year so I may be wrong but my take on it would be:

Pretty much what has been said above, around 60% wheat and 40% pale (no less than 50% wheat), possibly a touch of munich or vienna for that slightly darker, maltier schnieder weisse taste. I don't think the brewery use either but there is more than one way to skin a cat You might want to add some oat husks to avoid a stuck mash. Having a mashing and sparging bag on hand in case it sticks is a really good idea. I'd use Hallerauer Hersbrucker to get around 12 EBU, it is all about the yeast profile.

The White Labs Bavarian wheat yeast is a good choice but be warned, I've brewed 3 beers using that yeast and every time it stunk like a barnyard during fermentation. The only other brewer I know who has used it reported the same thing. I'd ferment with the lid cracked rather than a airlock to let the smell clear and put it in secondary for at least a week to let that smell ease off rather than going straight to bottle. Schneider use big open fermenters to let the smell escape according to Stan Hieronymus in Wheat.

I'd tell you more but lancssteve has kidnapped my book on wheat beer. You may want to pitch colder than you would normally as you want the yeast to be a bit stressed to produce those banana and clove tastes. For the same reason don't pitch tons of yeast even though you are going in a bit cold.

Bottle and prime to make it nice and fizzy

[floydmeddler]

I've only been at this for a year so I may be wrong but my take on it would be:

Pretty much what has been said above, around 60% wheat and 40% pale (no less than 50% wheat), possibly a touch of munich or vienna for that slightly darker, maltier schnieder weisse taste. I don't think the brewery use either but there is more than one way to skin a cat You might want to add some oat husks to avoid a stuck mash. Having a mashing and sparging bag on hand in case it sticks is a really good idea. I'd use Hallerauer Hersbrucker to get around 12 EBU, it is all about the yeast profile.

The White Labs Bavarian wheat yeast is a good choice but be warned, I've brewed 3 beers using that yeast and every time it stunk like a barnyard during fermentation. The only other brewer I know who has used it reported the same thing. I'd ferment with the lid cracked rather than a airlock to let the smell clear and put it in secondary for at least a week to let that smell ease off rather than going straight to bottle. Schneider use big open fermenters to let the smell escape according to Stan Hieronymus in Wheat.

I'd tell you more but lancssteve has kidnapped my book on wheat beer. You may want to pitch colder than you would normally as you want the yeast to be a bit stressed to produce those banana and clove tastes. For the same reason don't pitch tons of yeast even though you are going in a bit cold.

Bottle and prime to make it nice and fizzy

Top advice!!

Making me want to brew another!

[TheMumbler]

Making me want to brew another!

Me too my wheat malt is earmarked for a wheat stout though. I also fancy a go at a weizenbock, guess I'll have to buy more grain.

[WishboneBrewery]

Me too my wheat malt is earmarked for a wheat stout though.

Any thoughts on recipe, choc wheat malt etc??? Have you had 'Crown Brewery Wheat Stout', its a cracker?

[TheMumbler]

Me too my wheat malt is earmarked for a wheat stout though.

Any thoughts on recipe, choc wheat malt etc??? Have you had 'Crown Brewery Wheat Stout', its a cracker?

I have 300g crystal wheat, 250 chocolate wheat and 1kg (i think, might be 500g) of roasted wheat to play with. Never tried any wheat stouts, just got the idea when BB started stocking roast wheat malt. I'll start a recipe thread to avoid derailing this one any further.

[tanglefoot]

Has anyone managed to brew a wheat beer that remains authenticaly unstable and cloudy ? Every time i brew a wheat beer it drops totally bright which in most other brews is what its all about but the one beer you want cloudy it doesnt happen . Any ideas ?

[Scotty]

Thanks for the info chaps, do wheat beers benefit from a long maturation or are they best drank young?

[dave-o]

Has anyone managed to brew a wheat beer that remains authenticaly unstable and cloudy ? Every time i brew a wheat beer it drops totally bright which in most other brews is what its all about but the one beer you want cloudy it doesnt happen . Any ideas ?

Don't use any finings and bottle as soon as you hit roughly FG.

The yeast will drop in the bottles (it does with commercial wiezen too) but you just give it a shake/wake the taste!

[coatesg]

Thanks for the info chaps, do wheat beers benefit from a long maturation or are they best drank young?

Drink young - as soon as it is carbonated!

[danbrew]

Drink young - as soon as it is carbonated!

I did 50:50 Marris Otter and Wheat Malt with Hallertauer Hersbrucker to about 12-15 IBU.

Made mash day to pint glass was two weeks. Used Safbrew WB-06 from BB and fermented about 20C.

IT was cracking. Fruity and refreshing. I didn't seem to get trademark clove banana etc but it was still really nice.

possibly a touch of munich or vienna for that slightly darker, maltier schnieder weisse taste

Any ideas how much Munich could I add to my 50:50 to make a noticable difference to the style/ taste?

[dave-o]

Any ideas how much Munich could I add to my 50:50 to make a noticable difference to the style/ taste?

I'd say 10% would be the minimum to notice it. You can swap the pale malt out for Munich. If you really want to taste the munich you can use only munich and wheat malt if you like.