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Heat Wave Hefeweizen


Vital Statistics:

Batch Number:25
Style:Hefeweizen
Brew Date:10 July 2010
Original Gravity:1.044 (10.96 °Plato)
Final Gravity:1.006 (1.54 °Plato)
ABV:5.0%
ABW:3.9%
Calories per pint:188
Estimated IBU (Rager):21.9
Estimated IBU (Tinseth):18.0
Mash Temperature:152°
Mash Efficiency:83%
Days in Primary:22  
Days in Secondary:0 (kegged on 1 August 2010)
Ferm. Temp. Notes:80°, falling to about 70° later on
Yeast Used:3068 Weihenstephan Weizen
Apparent Attenuation:86%
Real Attenuation:70%
Rating:3.85
Entirely Consumed:Yes (finished 1 October 2010)
Availability:61 days
Recipe:

4 lb 2-row pale malt
4 lb wheat malt

3 AAU (28g @ 3% AA) Hallertauer @ 60
3 AAU (28g @ 3% AA) Hallertauer @ 20
3 AAU (28g @ 3% AA) Hallertauer @ 5

Wyeast 3068 - Weihenstephan Weizen
General Notes:

First time I've brewed without using a secondary. Kegged directly from primary on 8/1/10.
Tasting Notes:

Tasting notes taken 5 September 2010. Keg carbonation is still imperfect, but we have to deal with what we've got. Poured from the tap into a weizen glass.

Appearance: murky golden yellow hue with very little head. Body is super hazy, possibly due to the fact that I did not employ a secondary -- a good decision, I think. This beer is looking very good but I would like a big, white foamy cap on it. (3.5)

Smell: aroma is very good, but its intensity is a little low. Lots of good banana character with a little bit of clove to balance it out. I feel like a little better carbonation might bring the bouquet out a little bit more, but I'm going to give the aroma a "good" because the banana is quite nice and is really what I was going for. I want to note that when I had this a few weeks ago, the clove aroma was a bit stronger, but now the banana is in ascendance. (4)

Taste: refreshing wheaty flavor with a touch of citrus. Again, banana flavor is in ascendence, though the clove backs it up. Bitterness is present, but is quite low and the finish is sweet rather than bitter. While this is far from the most perfect hefeweizen out there, it is basically just what I was going for. I'm really loving the Weihenstephan yeast. (4)

Mouthfeel: even cheating a little bit by doing a vigorous pour at high PSI, there's still not a lot of carbonation here. Still, the body is spot-on for what I was going for: medium feel with a little silkiness. This has the potential to be very good, but I've got to get my carbonation sorted out first. (3.5)

Drinkability: this beer is very tasty and quite refreshing, plus it clocks in at a moderate 5% ABV; it's got all the hallmarks of a very drinkable brew. I like it a lot, and once this baby is better-carbonated, I think I'll have a serious winner on my hands. (4)

Overall score 3.85 (B+). I'm very happy indeed with how this beer turned out. In fact, I don't see the need to change anything in the recipe, except maybe throw in some flaked wheat and see what happens. Once I have my carbonation worked out, this could be an A-category beer.
Hops Table
Hop Variety Addition Time AAU AA% Quantity (g) Type IBU (Rager) IBU (Tinseth) Notes
Hallertauer 60 3.00 3.0 28 Pellet 12.9 10.0  
Hallertauer 20 3.00 3.0 28 Pellet 6.6 6.0  
Hallertauer 5 3.00 3.0 28 Pellet 2.4 2.0