First Hefeweizen in Fermenter

[stanley1271]

So, yesterday I brewed my first Hefeweizen kit. It was AHS Anniversary Hefeweizen. I made my immersion chiller earlier in the morning and cooled the wort in an ice bath with the immersion chiller in the wort. Took about 20 mins to cool the wort. Much better than my last batch (IPA) that took about 8 lbs of ice and about an hour to cool.

Instead of using the air lock I normally used I put my 1000mL flask, about 400mL of sanitizer/water and some hose that was inserted into the stopper. Also I made a starter for this batch as well. Thats another first for me. I went back about 6 hours later and the activity just amazed me. It was just chugging away.

Now I know that wheat beers can ferment more actively/violently than say a Pale Ale, but I have yet to have a beer really show activity in that short of time and honestly I have yet to see a beer ferment quite to actively. I only wish I could have a time lapse camera in the fermentation chamber to watch it. Ya I know it's like watching grass grow at a certain point, but I just found it fascinating.

So far everything seems to be on track for a really good brew. I cannot wait to taste this one.

Up next I think I will create my own recipe since I am reading "Designing Great Beers". Man I love doing this.

-Stanley

 

[JohnnyO]

Awesome man! Glad to hear it's a success so far. I don't think we'll ever outgrow the urge to go check on your beer fermenting. I can only imagine the enthusiasm I will exercise when my first child arrives later this year!!

I'll be brewing my first hefeweizen in a few weeks. I need to read up more on the style, but to my understanding, it should be fully ferented out in 7-14 days. Sweet.

 

[stanley1271]

36 hours in and there was krausen in the tube and looked like the Sanitizer/water got some too. It's still fermenting like crazy at this point. It seems like it is fermenting loudly too. I went to get a beer from my keezer, which sits right next to the dorm fridge I am using as a fermentation chamber, and I could hear the bubbling faintly with the fridge door shut. Not sure if it is the wheat yeast or using a starter, but this one seems to be going a lot stronger than any others. I'm loving it.

-Stanley

 

[InLimbo]

What yeast are you using? Glad to hear it's going well, I'm planning on brewing a hefe soon.

 

[stanley1271]

What yeast are you using? Glad to hear it's going well, I'm planning on brewing a hefe soon.

I used Wyeast Labs #3056. I did a starter for it about two days in advance and made sure I was within about 5 degrees of my wort before I pitched it. This is also my first beer being done in the dorm fridge so I know that my fermentation temps are between 65 - 69 degrees F.

This batch was all about taking what I have learned and controlling every bit of it that I could.

-Stanley

 

[stanley1271]

Well I will be kegging this one tonight. Got 3 days of steady Gravity readings and damn does it taste good, even flat. I cannot wait to get this thing carbed. However, with this one I am going to set and forget the carbonation instead of doing the force carb.

I have learned lots on this one, well this beer and all the reading I have been doing. I think one more kit and then it's off to designing my own. Thinking an Irish Red or a California Common. Either should be fairly easy I would think, but I am going to do it all by hand as I am reading "Designing Great Beers" right now.

 

[stanley1271]

The Hefe is ready and damn is it good. I think my next hefe will be the blood orange though. This one is awesome, but I can seriously see how the blood oranges can make it better.



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