Recipe

Bavarian Hefe-weizen

Bavarian Hefe-weizen

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.056  FG = 1.013
IBU = 27 SRM = 4  ABV = 5.8%

Ingredients
6.75 lbs. (3.1 kg) Belgian wheat malt
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) Belgian pale two-row malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) dextrin malt
5.4 AAU German Northern Brewer hops (60 min.) (0.75 oz./21 g at 7.2% alpha acid)
2.4 AAU Tettnanger hops (30 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 4.8% alpha acid)
1/2 tsp. Irish moss (15 min.)
1/2 tsp. yeast nutrient (10 min.)
Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan Weizen) or White Labs WLP300 (Hefeweizen Ale) yeast
3/4 cup corn sugar (if priming)

Step by Step
This is a multi-step mash regime. Mix Belgian wheat, two-row malt, and dextrin malt into 15 qts. (14.2 L) water to settle mash temperature at 110 °F (43 °C) and hold or 15 min. Raise the temperature to 148 °F (64 °C) and hold 15 min. Raise the temperature to 155 °F (68 °C) and hold for 35 min. Raise the temperature to 168 °F (76 °C) and sparge with enough water to collect 6 gal (23 L). Bring to a boil and add Northern Brewer hops. Total boil is 60 min. Boil 30 min. and add Tettnanger hops. Boil 15 min. more and add Irish moss. Boil 5 min. more and add yeast nutrient. Boil 10 min. more. Cool and pitch yeast at 70 °F (21 °C).

Hold fermentation temperature between 66 and 68 °F (19 to 20 °C). Transfer to secondary after kraeusen falls and condition for 10 to 12 days. Prime with corn sugar, bottle, and condition further at room temperature for two weeks.

Issue: May 1998

For those looking for a classic bavarian-style hefeweizen, you’ve come to the right place. You can trying altering the fermentation temperature to try to bring out either more banana-like esters or more clove-like phenolics.