Weihenstephan hefe

beergoggles · Post by **beergoggles** » Tuesday Feb 20, 2007 3:16 pm

Tried a few bottles of Weihenstephan Hefe on the weekend and was blown away , truly delightful to the last drop . Has anyone tried to emulate this brew ? , or has anyone have any ideas on where to begin with a close replica ? . Cheers

KEG · Post by **KEG** » Tuesday Feb 20, 2007 4:15 pm

i was thinking of buying some Wyeast 3068 Weinstephen yeast when the weather cools. i haven't tried many beers in the style, only Erdinger Weisse, but i like the sound of the description. Hope we're talking about the same type

"Beer Styles: German Hefeweissen, Crystal weisse, Dunkel weisse, Weisenbock

Commercial examples may include: Ayinger Weissebeer, Tabernash Wheat, Sandwald, Erdinger Weisse, Schneider Weisse

Unique properties: Classic German wheat beer yeast, used by more German Brewers than any other strain in the production of Wheat beer. Properties dominated by banana ester production, phenols and clove like characteristics. Extremely attenuative yeast, which produces a tart thirst quenching finish. Extremely low floccing yeast remains in suspension readily with proteinacous wheat malt. Sometimes used in conjunction with lager yeast and kerausened to finish the beer and improve the overall dryness. High CO2 levels, typically at 2.7 - 3.2 volumes is desirable for best presentation. True top cropping yeast requires full headspace of 33%. Ester formation is significantly affected by aeration and pitching rates. Crystal weisse production typically requires DE filtration, may prove too difficult for Pad filtration only. Flocculation - low; apparent attenuation 73-77%. (64-75Â° F, 18-24Â° C)"

beergoggles · Post by **beergoggles** » Tuesday Feb 20, 2007 4:26 pm

Keg a bit of info on the HEFE

A classic, unfiltered wheat beer from the world's oldest operating brewery. The Hefe boasts fruity banana and citrus flavours, which are complemented by creamy yeast flavours, spicy notes, and a smooth malt backbone. Full bodied and very complex, it's undoubtedly one of the best wheat beers in the world. The Weihenstephan ("Sacred Stephen") Brewery is the oldest operating brewery in the world.

In 1040, the Benedictine monastery overlooking the town of Freising, in Germany, was granted the right to brew. It has also been established that the Benedictine monks had already brewed their own beer much earlier than this. Even as early as 768 a hops garden was founded in the grounds of the monastery, the harvest of which was certainly brewed in the monastery; which, incidentally, also means that beer made with hops, as we know it today, came into being at Weihenstephan.

The reputation of the Weihenstephan brewers as true masters of their craft has grown in strength over the centuries, and today's modern commercial brewery - and the world's best known University of Brewing - occupy the former monastery buildings. The Weihenstephan Brewery maintains close links with the University. In the brewery, students from around the world are let into the secrets of the Bavarian art of brewing. Many of the world's best brewers have been trained here and many breweries draw their yeasts from the famous Weihenstephan yeast library. Weihenstephan combines hundreds of years of brewing experience with the most up to date brewing technology and innovation.
Tasting Notes:

Pours out of the bottle a cloudy golden pale body with a magnificent creamy head. Aromas of light citrus, clove, yeast and fresh wheat. Tastes spicy with a smooth malt background, fruity banana overtones, spicy clove, citrus, and even peach. Wonderfully rich yeast flavours. Full bodied, and very complex in flavour.

AND a damn fine beer at that

BierMeister · Post by **BierMeister** » Tuesday Feb 20, 2007 5:27 pm

Use the Weihenstephan yeast with this receipe close to a clone for a Erdinger Hefe as written by Graham WHEELER and adjusted by me.

For 23L batch with OG 1051

3kg wheat malt
2.4kg pale malt(use pilsner malt if decocting)

Simple way:66C mash for 90mins
More authentic way: double decoct at 50C@30min and 66C@60mins

Start of boil:
18gm Tettnang
12gm Perle

90min boil (60 is fine)

Last 30mins:10gm Tettnang Last 15mins:10gm Tettnang

IBU:18 FG:1011 EBC:9

I prefer the decoction as I feel it is a bit more authentic and haven't tried the infusion mash, but I am sure it is similar or the same.

derfly · Post by **derfly** » Tuesday Feb 20, 2007 6:20 pm

Ja Meister, dass ist auch Wunderschoen aber .....

For the non-AGers out there, is it possible to convert this to an extract brew?

Enquiring minds want to know ........

beerdrinker · Post by **beerdrinker** » Tuesday Feb 20, 2007 8:04 pm

Ive tried a few of thier beers,the hefe was nice but my favourite was thier pilsner, best beer ive ever had

Danzar · Post by **Danzar** » Wednesday Feb 21, 2007 7:00 pm

derfly wrote:Ja Meister, dass ist auch Wunderschoen aber .....

For the non-AGers out there, is it possible to convert this to an extract brew?

Enquiring minds want to know ........

So too does this enquiring mind.

BierMeister · Post by **BierMeister** » Friday Feb 23, 2007 9:32 pm

Danzar wrote:
derfly wrote:Ja Meister, dass ist auch Wunderschoen aber .....

For the non-AGers out there, is it possible to convert this to an extract brew?

Enquiring minds want to know ........
So too does this enquiring mind.

I'm not an expert at converting AG's to extract but if you swap the pale malt with about 1850gm of Liquid pale malt and the wheat malt with about 2250gm of Liquid Wheat malt and do the rest the same then it should be a good brew. The main thing is to use the Weihenstephan yeast as this is where the 'flavour' comes from. If you want to convert the liquid malt weights to dry malt I think palmer has a calculation somewhere.

Disclaimer: read the first sentence...

PS. Probably a cheaper way to get the yeast is to buy a Erdinger or Weihenstephan bottle of Hefe Weizen and cultivate the yeast in the bottom. Just a thought as they are the same/very similar yeasts.

derfly · Post by **derfly** » Friday Feb 23, 2007 10:08 pm

Meister,

Good one, thanks for that. More than enough info to be getting on with a bit more research.

DF

BierMeister · Post by **BierMeister** » Sunday Feb 25, 2007 7:45 pm

Glad to be of service

derfly · Post by **derfly** » Monday Apr 02, 2007 2:26 pm

Well, I put this one down on the weekend.

Liquid Wheat malt 1.5kg
Dry Wheat Malt 0.5kg
LDME 1kg

OG 1048 FG 1014 5.4%

The hop schedule as advised by Biermeister above, calculated out to a rather fierce 32+IBU . Literature on the WWW seems to suggest an IBU range of 8-15 for this style so it was dead simple to halve the quantities for a closer result. This was with a 5 litre boil for 60 mins.

I recultured the dregs of 4 bottles of Weihenstephaner on Saturday. Unfortunately, the yeast seemed to be still very sluggish when I pitched mid yesterday afternoon.

If there's no action by tomorrow afternoon by the latest, I'll repatch with K97.

Wish me luck!

SpillsMostOfIt · Post by **SpillsMostOfIt** » Monday Apr 02, 2007 4:34 pm

derfly wrote:Ja Meister, dass ist auch Wunderschoen aber .....

For the non-AGers out there, is it possible to convert this to an extract brew?

Enquiring minds want to know ........

I've done a bit of to-ing and fro-ing between extract and grain recipes and figure it isn't that hard if you've got a tool or two and an adventurous mind.

If you get a copy of BeerSmith or similar and enter whatever recipe you come across, you will get gravity,colour and IBU information. You can work out for yourself ratios between given grains or extracts. Then, substitute extracts for grains (or vice versa) at the same ratio for the extract until you get the gravity you're looking for.

It might not be exactly the same as its maker intended, but probably neither was the recipe you're working from. In the process, you get to learn stuff about how the various ingredients work together, or can use this line of argument to justify the purchase of the software if necessary.

KEG · Post by **KEG** » Monday Apr 02, 2007 6:01 pm

i've found QBrew to be pretty good, and it's free too

derfly · Post by **derfly** » Monday Apr 02, 2007 8:20 pm

Hmm, QBrew! I'll have a butchers....

timmy · Post by **timmy** » Monday Apr 02, 2007 9:13 pm

I recently bottled a wheat beer using the Wyeast Weihenstephan yeast. It was:
1 x Thomas Coopers's wheat kit
1kg Morgans Liquid Wheat Extract
Filled to 21L.

After primary I split it and added apricots to one half and dry hopped the other with tettnang. The latter is what I bottled about a week ago. Tried one over the weekend (it was a bit early but I wanted to taste it). One thing I can say is it's very tart!. Might have to do what the gerries do and add raspberry syrup to it.... Will give it a month or so and give it another try.

Tim

BierMeister · Post by **BierMeister** » Tuesday Apr 03, 2007 12:25 pm

derfly wrote:Well, I put this one down on the weekend.

Liquid Wheat malt 1.5kg
Dry Wheat Malt 0.5kg
LDME 1kg

OG 1048 FG 1014 5.4%

The hop schedule as advised by Biermeister above, calculated out to a rather fierce 32+IBU . Literature on the WWW seems to suggest an IBU range of 8-15 for this style so it was dead simple to halve the quantities for a closer result. This was with a 5 litre boil for 60 mins.

I recultured the dregs of 4 bottles of Weihenstephaner on Saturday. Unfortunately, the yeast seemed to be still very sluggish when I pitched mid yesterday afternoon.

If there's no action by tomorrow afternoon by the latest, I'll repatch with K97.

Wish me luck!

Yeah the receipe is originally from an english source and he has different AA levels than I see with the same hops here in Aus. Cant explain that one, but there it is. the Original IBU's were 18 so if your calculations were good you did the right thing.

Edit: and I looked on the wrong column. Sorry the receipe calls for 18 gm Tettnang and 12 Perle on the first addition for 23L. My bad and I will edit the above receipe.

derfly · Post by **derfly** » Tuesday Apr 03, 2007 8:22 pm

Bought a pack of K97 on the way home tonight only to find that the recultured Weihenstephaner was doing it's thang with verve and gusto.

Excellent!

Can't wait to see (taste!) how this one turns out ....

SpillsMostOfIt · Post by **SpillsMostOfIt** » Tuesday Apr 03, 2007 9:26 pm

derfly wrote:Bought a pack of K97 on the way home tonight only to find that the recultured Weihenstephaner was doing it's thang with verve and gusto.

Excellent!

Can't wait to see (taste!) how this one turns out ....

Nothing makes a yeast do its thang more powerfully than deciding to implement Plan B...

gregb · Post by **gregb** » Wednesday Apr 04, 2007 5:02 am

Just gotta give 'em the right motivation.

Cheers,
Greg

derfly · Post by **derfly** » Wednesday Apr 04, 2007 9:42 am

Spills,

Yeah, too right. Unfortunately also, nothing makes one run around in a panic more powerfully than a yeast not doing its thang