Hefezeizen Yeast Exbeeriment (Norwich Amateur Brewers)

[MartinHaworth]

NAB Proposed Exbeeriment – Hefeweizen Yeasts – exbeerimental design phase

Aim: To compare performance and flavour of a range of yeasts in a hefeweizen.
(brew 24l, split into 6 batches of 4l, ferment in demijohns)

Recipe (basically James Morton Hefeweizen recipe)

OG 1048
FG 1012
ABV 4.8%
Bitterness 12 IBU
Colour 6 EBC


Batch size 20l
Efficiency 70%

Grain Bill
German Pilsner 50% 2.2kg
German Wheat Malt 50% 2.2kg

Hops
HMF (4%AA) first wort 16g
HMF (4%AA) 15 mins 16g

Yeast: Munich, WB06 Safale, Mangrove Jack M20 Bavarian Wheat Yeast, CML Gretel ,CML Krystallzeizen, Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephaner

Pitching Rates: For this study to applicable in ‘full length’ (24l) fermentation, appropriate pitching rates need to be applied.

For the dry yeasts, the manufacturers suggest that the 10grams will ferment 24l, so for a 4.5L split segment I would use 2g. For the liquid yeast, I will calculate an underpitch (2/3 of calculator recommended) once I know the manufacturing date of the yeast – it will be in the region of 1/5 of the smack pack.

Method

Using generic single vessel system. Mash in 24l of water at 65C for 1 hour. Mash out at 75C. Sparge with 4L at 75C. Boil for 75mins. No finings. Chill to 18C. Split into demijohns and pitch. Ferment in single inkbird controlled fridge.

Note: chilling wort at this time of year is problematic. I have frozen 4x1L of boiled, treated water, and propose to add these ice blocks to the wort as needed to aid the chilling of the last 10C. This will be lieu of liquoring back.

Fermentation Temperature Profile: Start at 20C for 3 days, then push 1C per day up to 28C

Packaging: carbonation to 3 volumes, using table sugar in 500ml new PET bottles.

Timeline: 2 weeks to ferment, 2 weeks to carbonate. These beers are best consumed young, tasting should take place as soon as possible after this.

Questions:

Water treatment. I’ve read different things, but my instinct would be to go for 2:1 Chloride forward.

Are there any other dry hefeweizen yeasts that I could include?

Please can I have your advice on the fermentation temperature profile?

 

[chthon]

Hm, I think this is really yeast dependent. @Drunkula did a test with the CML Kristallweizen, and didn't he report up to 40° C, and a very good beer? Don't know if it has banana.

I brewed two months ago a weizen with the MJ M20, and my fermentation temperature went from 22°C to 30° C, because it was in a room which caught rather much sun. Fermentation was done in two days, and I bottled a week after pitching the yeast. Doesn't taste like banana, not even bubblegum, but slightly clovey (is that a word?). My recipe was about the same as presented here, with 15 g EKG at the start of the boil, and 15g after 45 minutes.

I have brewed hefeweizen in a couple of variations, the only thing I didn't change yet was the pitch rate.

And about the chloride? Do 1:1 with your sulfate, and go for 75ppm Ca. I presented my beer to people who go hunting in Germany, and they found my beer fantastic.

 

[Drunkula]

@Drunkula did a test with the CML Kristallweizen, and didn't he report up to 40° C, and a very good beer? Don't know if it has banana.

No banana.

I've got a gretel on the go at the moment and 20c and 36c you get banana and some clove and I think that yeast is going to make me some good wheat beers.. It's part of the 11 way split I'm doing. From the smell in the brew freezer somebody in there is kicking out acetone. MJ44 West Coast also is a laggster even at 36c. It's a week today they were pitch and loads of the others finished days ago and have dropped bright. M44 is still shuffling along.

 

[MartinHaworth]

No banana.

I've got a gretel on the go at the moment and 20c and 36c you get banana and some clove and I think that yeast is going to make me some good wheat beers.. It's part of the 11 way split I'm doing. From the smell in the brew freezer somebody in there is kicking out acetone. MJ44 West Coast also is a laggster even at 36c. It's a week today they were pitch and loads of the others finished days ago and have dropped bright. M44 is still shuffling along.

Nice one. I haven't seen much on Gretel, I'll keep an eye on your posts!

Hefe is all about that balance!

 

[MartinHaworth]

..and they're off!

Brew day today. 6 european wheat beer yeasts all tucked up, split from the same wort.

Big thanks to Keith for lending me his remarkably clean demijohns/airlocks.

More reports will follow....

 

[Pennine]

do you sample with the club? or are they virtual these days?

 

[cushyno]

In my limited experience I found banana esters came from underpitching with Wiehenstephan strain.

 

[starseeker]

I am looking forward to the results from this experiment ,as like others i really like this style of beer in particular the subtle different flavours ,and as my next brew day is for a dunckleweizen this could be very handy :)

 

[Maxonian]

Great experiment. Looking forward to seeing what your results are.

 

[MartinHaworth]

do you sample with the club? or are they virtual these days?

Thanks Pennine,

That's a good question.

The last exbeeriment (base malt) that we did (led by @keith1664), was socially distanced and we all had a full pint of each of the 5 beers, meeting via zoom. We have reflected that this is a little bit wasteful, as we probably only needed half a pint of each. After all this is about taste and analysis, not having a session!

This exbeeriment will only yield 8 bottles of each beer, and I want the maximum data possible.

My preference would be to have a socially distanced physical gathering. One of our members has a lot of identical 1/3 glasses, and this would perhaps be ideal. Imagine, you line up 6 identical glasses, numbered 1-6, and you spend time offering critical evaluations on the differences.

This would give me up to 24 sets of data - and depending on how the tasting is framed (and if I can be bothered), this would be sufficient for a statistically robust study.

Let's see!

Martin

 

[MartinHaworth]

In my limited experience I found banana esters came from underpitching with Wiehenstephan strain.

Yes! I calculated a 1/3 underpitch, using 20g of the 125g smack pack.

 

[MartinHaworth]

Incidently, the day before I brewed I treated, boiled, cooled and froze 3z1L of water in old ice cream tubs,

I built the brew so I would need to liquor back.

When I was cooling the wort, and got it down to 35C, I added the ice 1L at a time and it got me down to 20C in no time at all.

i recommend this technique, and I will be keeping a few frozen tubs in reserve ready to go.

Martin

 

[MartinHaworth]

So, overnight two yeasts were notably vigorous and flooded the airlock. Clean up time...

 

[MartinHaworth]

Hefeweizen Yeast Exbeeriment bottled today. 7 bottles of each of 6 yeasts. Now to wait 2 weeks before tasting can begin!

Note: The trial jars seemed to suggest that the yeasts are different!!

 

[starseeker]

looking forward to this :)

 

[MartinHaworth]

Let tasting begin!

 

[Oneflewover]

Don't keep us in suspenders, what was the result??!

 

[uDicko]

suspenders

 

[UKSkydiver]

Today at 7:23 AM
Let tasting begin!

Blimey!

 

[MartinHaworth]

LOL! 7.23am!

The photo was from the night before.

At present I only have the 6 feedback sets, and I should be able to get a total of 20 sets of data.

COVID rules and gov't encouragement to dob your neighbour in have made me stick to groups of 6.

What I can say is that the beers did taste different, and that last night's group had clear preferences. I can't in all conscience go further until I have more data.

I promise to do the maths as soon as I can!