El Jeffe Weizen

I figured Hefeweizen would be the next wise choice to ferment while the weather is still warm. Knowing that a target fermentation temperature of 70 degrees is preferred, mine will probably do its thing around 75. I did not do major calculations on this one. Instead, I used books at the brewshop to come up with a very simple Hefeweizen recipe:

The Malt Bill:

7.25 lbs Wheat
5 lbs Pilsner

The Hops:

1 oz Spalt (3.5%AA) -- 60 minutes
.5 oz Spalt (3.5%AA) -- 15 minutes

IBU = 15.97

Weihanstephaner Yeast

4 gallons strike water at 165 degrees hoping for a 150 degree mash. This is the first time I am calculating my heat loss at 15 instead of ten degrees. This would have gotten me right on the money this time.50 Minutes into the mash: temperature was about 142, which is crazy. I am heating up one quart of water to add.
63 Minutes into the mash: I added a quart of 200 degree water, and I am not doing anything else until I sparge.

This ended up with an O.G. of 1.045, which is a little sad = around 60%, which I cannot believe since I primed the tun and wrapped it in a sleeping bag. After a little research, I suspect my sparging techniques are to blame. I let it run out too fast when I should let the sparge water sit in the grains for a few minutes. I boiled about a half pound of DME to add to the fermenter which is not yet active. I do not see the harm in this, and it should boost the O.G. to somewhere in the 1.048 neighborhood. I will not know the exact figure, but at least this is a learning experience.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

8.31.08 -- We had an explosion this morning. When am I going to learn and use a blow-off tube? Temperature hung in there around 70 yesterday, but was 73-74 this morning. I moved it to where I can blow the fan on it.
9.3.08 -- Putting ice jugs in the water in which the carboy sits has been helping, but this crude method of temperature control provides results that are anything but precise. I have read the temperature as low as 68 degrees and as high as 74. Things could be worse.
9.26.08 -- Debuted this one last night with my good pal Meat Snacks. My first impressions are that this is a good, very normal heffeweisen. While it lacks some of the character found in other examples that have been brewed for centuries, it is still very pleasing. The crude temperature control methods seemed to have worked okay since the banana flavors are not present.

11.12.08 -- All done.