How critical is ferm temp with a Hefe?

moxie · Post by **moxie** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 12:05 pm

I am just putting a recipe together for a simple hefeweizen, and I am a bit concerned that "room temp" is simply not going to cut it. I don't have a fermentation chamber, and ambient temp in my house ranges from about 70 to 80 or so. I have to be careful what I brew in the Summer time! It's my understanding that this type of brew is a vigorous fermenter, so would it be safe to assume +8 degrees inside the vessel than ambient temp?

The recipe is just a basic 60/40 Ger. Wheat & Pilsner ratio, with some rice hulls... Hopped to about 15 IBU with Hallertau.

Should I save this one for the fall?

Post by **mr x** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 12:42 pm

Yeah, that might get a bit heavy on the banana. Unless you can swing a swamp cooler type thing, basically a bucket full of cool water to keep the beer in.

moxie · Post by **moxie** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 12:48 pm

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I did a Dunkel last spring and was concerned about a "banana bread ale," but it turned out pretty good, not too heavy on the banana esters, for me at least. I might give it a go and see what happens! The dunkel was a similar recipe but with a bit of crystal.

KMcK · Post by **KMcK** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 1:45 pm

I had a banana bread ale in England a few years back. It was delicious. Accidents sometimes result in great new discoveries. Give it a try now and even if it's not what you're hoping for it may be interesting.

Duinker's banana wine, on the other hand, was an experiment best not repeated.

NASH · Post by **NASH** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 2:39 pm

Imo you should hold off or control the temp with a water bath. Ideal pitch and ferment temp combined is 29c for weizen. A warm fermentation can get into sickly ester levels.... all around esters and higher alcohols. Not just about or limited to banana which is moreso controlled by compounds derived from the malt according to the mash schedule and/or type of malt. I LOVE the banana ester in full force when generated at cooler fermentation temperatures.

Oh and don't forget to HAMMER that bad boy with melanoidin....

Sent from the hop-phone.

Post by **mr x** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 4:38 pm

There's a brew-off a comin'

Post by **chalmers** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 4:56 pm

I'd be up for a brew-off! Hefes are my most favouritest beer style, and I still haven't brewed one in earnest yet.

NASH · Post by **NASH** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 4:56 pm

mr x wrote:There's a brew-off a comin'

Damn fucking straight there is

I'm gonna rock the ass out of every BJCP in the country with a 99% melanoidin batch of insane hefe, the remaining 1% of the grist bill being Wheaties then I'll pound it hard with lactic acid to emulate that lovely wheat tang, pitch it full of wyeast 3711 in the bright beer tank along with 100 lbs of bananas and give it a constant steady feed of CO2 at 30 PSI to keep it good and cloudy and to drive off any foolish esters created during fermentation

Post by **mr x** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 4:59 pm

akr71 · Post by **akr71** » Tue Jul 05, 2011 9:03 pm

NASH wrote:Oh and don't forget to HAMMER that bad boy with melanoidin....

Sent from the hop-phone.

How critical is ferm temp with a Hefe?

How critical is ferm temp with a Hefe?

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