Beer Forum

Hey BN Army, I am looking to make a hefe that is similar to the hefe put out by Gordon Biersch. Does anyone have any tips. I am an extract brewer but I am open to ideas for partial mash and such. I plan on using the Wyeast 3068 and fermenting at 62 as Jamil suggests. I must also mention that right now I am planning a partial boil. My brew kettle is only five gallons and I brew on an electric stove. As of right now I have the recipe is as follows:


Batch Size: 5.00 gal Assistant Brewer:
Boil Volume: 3.56 gal Boil Time: 60 min


Ingredients Amount Item Type % or IBU
4 lbs Wheat Dry Extract (8.0 SRM) Dry Extract 66.67 %
2 lbs Pilsner Liquid Extract (3.5 SRM) Extract 33.33 %
1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] (60 min) Hops 13.1 IBU
1 Pkgs Weihenstephan Weizen (Wyeast Labs #3068) [Starter 1000 ml] Yeast-Wheat

Estimated Original Gravity: 1.049
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.012
Estimated Color: 6.1 SRM
Bitterness: 13.1 IBU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 4.88 %

Make sure you listen to all of the Dan Gordon shows. He's open book and discusses the malts, percentages, and process very openly. I believe their hefe was 60% wheat and 40% pils.

The wheat DME is usualy 50% wheat and 50% pale malt, so you can use it 100% in an all-extract batch.

Make sure you use the "late-extract" method - add half the extract and all of the hops for the boil; add the other half of the extract the last 15 minutes. This will give you a simialr hop utilization to full-volume boils and reduce melanoidin formation( toasty, caramel flavors) from concentrated boils.

Here are some stats from the website: http://www.gordonbiersch.com/brewery/hefeweizen.html

Gordon Biersch Hefeweizen is a true, unfiltered, Bavarian-style wheat (Weizen) beer with the yeast (Hefe) still present. It is brewed with 65% malted wheat and 35% malted barley. Our Hefeweizen is very effervescent with a higher level of natural carbonation - 20% higher than other craft-brewed wheat beers. A special top fermenting yeast strain is used to ferment this beer producing flavors hinting of citrus, banana, bubble gum and clove, which are all naturally produced by the yeast. In Bavaria, this beer is traditionally consumed Sunday morning after church (and sometimes before as well as during) alongside Weisswurst (white veal sausages) and freshly baked Brez'n (pretzels).

Alcohol Volume: 5.5% Bitterness: 12 IBU Residual Sugar: 2.7%
Yeast Strain: Weihenstephan 68 Hops: Hallertau aroma

Good Luck!

Mills

Thanks, I will definitely have to go back and listen to the Dan Gordon show!