Great post with a precious pictures. I love hefeweizen and when i travel in Germany i drink em almost everyday. during my visit in Germany i learn the recipe of Hefeweizen , i would like to share it with you.
Developing a hefeweizen recipe is straightforward, and it’s a lovely beginner style. Aim for an original gravity around 1.050 (12.3° P), or a couple of ticks on either side, using a grist of anywhere from 50 to 70 percent malted wheat. The remainder can be Pilsner malt, or use light Munich malt for a little extra bready character. Some acidulated malt may be called for to get the mash pH into the sweet spot. Extract brewers can simply use liquid or dried wheat malt extract, which is usually 65 percent wheat and 35 percent pale malt. Steeping a bit of dextrin malt can add fresh malt character.
Tettnang hops are intimately associated with this beer style, but any noble (or noble-ish) variety will do. You only need a bittering charge to the tune of 12 IBU or so, and truth be told, you can achieve that with just about any hop you happen to have on hand. Stay away from hops that deliver a harsh bitterness, though. We’re after a soft, inviting sort of bitter.
The mash can be as simple as a single infusion at 150° F (66° C), but a traditional decoction mash with rests in the mid to upper 140s °F (mid 60s °C) and the upper 150s to low 160s °F (low 70s °C) can promote a more attenuative wort with enhanced malt character. An optional mash rest at 110° F (43° C) promotes the development of ferulic acid, which hefeweizen yeast later converts to 4-vinyl guaiacol, the compound responsible for the style’s signature clove character. Once you’ve collected your wort, an hour’s boil with a single hop addition at the beginning is all that’s needed.
Fermentation temperature is fairly forgiving, and great hefeweizen can be made just about anywhere in the 60 to 66° F (16 to 19° C) range, but a relatively cool fermentation around 62 to 64° F (17 to 18° C) tends to produce the best results. This is a beer style that benefits greatly from an open fermentation, so if your sanitation is good, consider simply covering your bucket or carboy with loose sanitized foil. If you’re unsure, just use your usual sealed fermentation protocol, but leave plenty of headspace and use a blowoff tube. Hefeweizen yeast is aggressive!
When fermentation is complete, package and enjoy your hefeweizen as soon as possible. It’s meant to be consumed young, and it’s entirely possible to go from grain to glass in two weeks if you keg your beer. Aim for 3 to 3.5 volumes (6 to 7 g/L) of carbon dioxide, but beware—this level of carbonation can cause many “normal” beer bottles to explode. If you bottle, use a thicker glass that can handle the elevated pressure, or go with plastic PET bottles to be totally safe.