Bleicherweiß 3.0: TOPLESS

Bleicherweiß 3.0 (sometimes called "Bleicherweizen," "hefeweizen," "Weißbier," or "that yellow one in the big glass") is the current iteration of my house Bavarian Hefeweizen recipe; it's been a work in progress since summer 2006, variously brewed with slight modifications as an extract, all-grain, and places in between. In Episode 1.4, we learn what happens when it undergoes an open fermentation.

Five gallons, partial-mash

OG: 1.048
IBU: 16

grist:

• 1.5 lbs Weyermann Pale Wheat
• 1 lb German Munich (20 EBC)

mash: multi-temp infusion

• 100 F for 5"
• 122 F for 10"
• 152 F for 30"

boil additions:

• 3 lbs wheat malt syrup @ 60"
• 0.5 oz Palisade (plug, 9%) @ 60"
• 3 lbs wheat malt syrup @ 15"

Second krausen: creamy and activefermentation:

• Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen
• primary: an uncovered 8 gallon bucket
  • 3 days @ 64 F
    • 18 hours: flecks of foam, aroma is worty
    • 20 hours: first krausen, clove and plastic aroma
    • 22 hours: krausen is scuzzy; clove, ripe banana, and bread dough
    • 24 hours: skimmed krausen (discarded) and roused, SG 1.042
    • 26 hours: second krausen; bubblegum, clove, cinnamon
    • 48 hours: krausen is creamy and very active; banana cream pie; skimmed krausen (saved) and roused; SG 1.028
    • 72 hours: krausen still creamy but no longer bubbling; cloves back; SG 1.018, rack to closed secondary
• 7 days @ 64 F in an airlocked 5 gallon carboy, SG 1.012
• crash cool 3 days
• package, carb it high, and drink it like you brewed it

all extract?

• swap the Munich & pale wheat malts for 1 lb wheat DME

no Palisade hop plugs?

• yeah, I have that problem now too ... that was my last 0.5 oz. I usually use German Tradition for this recipe (thought I had some on brew day, but I was out), but you could use Palisade pellets as well.

is this crazy?

Not if you mind your p's and q's (it still feels weird, though): keep everything very sanitary and rack to a closed secondary as soon as you sense things slowing down, fermentation-wise. I got away not doing a yeast starter this time (I had a very fresh yeast pack) but I will be making one next time; if I had older yeast or yeast shipped by mail, I would definitely make a starter - how's that for do-as-I-say-not-as-I-do?

Comments

[KW]

Would it be cheating to cover it with muslin or cheesecloth, just in case!? I can see something falling in there (i don't have so much extra space to keep things out of the way...) or even just dust! or fruit flies!

[James oravec]

I was wondering if I could substitute the liquid malt extract with a dry malt extract to keep it light in color? If so, what extract to use?
And can I add real bananas in to get even more flavor? When do I add them? To the secondary? Dried or fresh?

[Dawson]

@KW - if that's what it takes to make good beer and the beer that you want, then it's not cheating, IMO.

@James - I would use Briess wheat DME, and if you're really concerned with a pale color, replace the Munich 20 EBC with German Pils malt as well. If you're gonna go bananas, add a couple-three peeled, frozen, very ripe ones to the secondary, and/or use an extract at bottling.