Hefe-Hefe Hefeweizen

Ken Hilton • Greenfield, North Carolina
(6 gallons/23 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.050  FG = 1.009 IBU = 12  SRM = 5  ABV = 5.3%

Ingredients

6.5 lbs. (2.9 kg) malted wheat
4 lbs. (1.8 kg) Europils malt (Canadian version of Pilsner)
1.5 lbs. (0.7 kg) Vienna malt
4 oz. (112 g) Caramunich® malt
3.2 AAU Tettnanger leaf hops (60 min.) (0.5 oz./14 g at 6.5% alpha acids)
0.6 AAU Saaz leaf hops (60 min.) (0.25 oz./7 g at 2.5% alpha acids)
1 pk. Wyeast 3068 (Weihenstephan Weizen Yeast)

Step-by-step

Add 1 tsp. lactic acid to 10 gallons of very soft water for the mash and sparge. This was a single decoction mash. Infuse 3.6 gallons (13.7 L) water at 143 ºF (62 ºC) to do a protein rest at 120 ºF (49 ºC) for 30 minutes. Then remove 40% of the mash and raise to 150 ºF (66 ºC) and hold for 30 minutes. Raise the decoction to boiling  and boil for 15 minutes. Add back to the mash and adjust the mash temp to 150 ºF (66 ºC) for 60 minutes. Add 3 gallons (11.4 L) boiling water and mash out at 168 ºF (76 ºC) for 30 minutes. Sparge with 170 ºF (77 ºC) water down to 1.000 OG hit (1.013 ambient). Ferment at 68 ºF (20 ºC). With this beer, I bottled half the batch after 1 week, and added 1 quart (~1 L) of sour cherries to the remaining 2 gallons (7.6 L). The cherry brew was pretty good, but not as good as the straight Hefeweizen. The sour, tart taste competes with the banana/clove esters of the Weihenstephan yeast. Enjoy!