Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe  (Read 24700 times)

Offline JT

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1556
  • Bloatarian Brewing League - Cincinnati, OH
    • Bloatarian Brewing League
Re: Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe
« Reply #165 on: June 12, 2018, 04:47:55 pm »
This is one of those gem threads that just takes off and takes on its own life - remember "Right RPM for stir plate?"
I actually had no intention of brewing a Weissbier this month but had to give it a go because of this thread.  Cheers!

Offline dannyjed

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1494
  • Toledo, OH
Re: Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe
« Reply #166 on: June 12, 2018, 07:02:14 pm »
In my book, it takes a big person to admit that they’re wrong. This attitude makes this forum a better place.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Dan Chisholm

Offline macbrews

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 172
Re: Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe
« Reply #167 on: June 13, 2018, 10:51:07 am »



My target pitchrate is ~0.8M/mL/°P or .4L of fresh slurry in my 10 gallon batches. Obviously shoot for ~200-250mL of fresh slurry for you 5 gallon batches. 

Follow up question: what type of wort aeration are you utilizing, if any? I was concerned about the date and rarely pitch without a starter, but I did hit it for over a minute with pure o2.
I use open fermentation + 5 min with aquarium pump

Wheat yeast is a sensitive to pressure, open fermentation helps develop a lot of yeast character. In my recipe/process development those have been my favorite brews.  Perfect balance is my goal.

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk
Cool, I have no liquid in the airlock. It is just covered with foil.
I’ve seen a lot of people talk about making an open fermenter by replacing the airlock with foil. I find it hard to believe that the pressure of the airlock makes any significant difference in the pressure at the surface of the beer especially considering the hydrostatic pressure of the beer in the fermenter. Does it really make a difference?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Offline JT

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1556
  • Bloatarian Brewing League - Cincinnati, OH
    • Bloatarian Brewing League
Re: Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe
« Reply #168 on: June 13, 2018, 11:09:36 am »



My target pitchrate is ~0.8M/mL/°P or .4L of fresh slurry in my 10 gallon batches. Obviously shoot for ~200-250mL of fresh slurry for you 5 gallon batches. 

Follow up question: what type of wort aeration are you utilizing, if any? I was concerned about the date and rarely pitch without a starter, but I did hit it for over a minute with pure o2.
I use open fermentation + 5 min with aquarium pump

Wheat yeast is a sensitive to pressure, open fermentation helps develop a lot of yeast character. In my recipe/process development those have been my favorite brews.  Perfect balance is my goal.

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk
Cool, I have no liquid in the airlock. It is just covered with foil.
I’ve seen a lot of people talk about making an open fermenter by replacing the airlock with foil. I find it hard to believe that the pressure of the airlock makes any significant difference in the pressure at the surface of the beer especially considering the hydrostatic pressure of the beer in the fermenter. Does it really make a difference?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I thought the same thing, but noticed a difference with certain Belgian strains in avoiding the "stall."  This is the first time I've tried it with a weissbier yeast. 
I believe the IGORs from Experimental Brewing ran a test on this. 

The Beerery

  • Guest
Re: Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe
« Reply #169 on: June 14, 2018, 07:22:49 am »



My target pitchrate is ~0.8M/mL/°P or .4L of fresh slurry in my 10 gallon batches. Obviously shoot for ~200-250mL of fresh slurry for you 5 gallon batches. 

Follow up question: what type of wort aeration are you utilizing, if any? I was concerned about the date and rarely pitch without a starter, but I did hit it for over a minute with pure o2.
I use open fermentation + 5 min with aquarium pump

Wheat yeast is a sensitive to pressure, open fermentation helps develop a lot of yeast character. In my recipe/process development those have been my favorite brews.  Perfect balance is my goal.

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk
Cool, I have no liquid in the airlock. It is just covered with foil.
I’ve seen a lot of people talk about making an open fermenter by replacing the airlock with foil. I find it hard to believe that the pressure of the airlock makes any significant difference in the pressure at the surface of the beer especially considering the hydrostatic pressure of the beer in the fermenter.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

110% correct.

The reason for the stall is that most of the yeast is trapped in the krausen and not in the wort in the height of fermentation. The krausen will start to then fall and yeast will mix back with the wort. Bubbling an airlock is absolutely nothing.

Offline JJeffers09

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1127
Re: Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe
« Reply #170 on: June 14, 2018, 08:17:31 am »



My target pitchrate is ~0.8M/mL/°P or .4L of fresh slurry in my 10 gallon batches. Obviously shoot for ~200-250mL of fresh slurry for you 5 gallon batches. 

Follow up question: what type of wort aeration are you utilizing, if any? I was concerned about the date and rarely pitch without a starter, but I did hit it for over a minute with pure o2.
I use open fermentation + 5 min with aquarium pump

Wheat yeast is a sensitive to pressure, open fermentation helps develop a lot of yeast character. In my recipe/process development those have been my favorite brews.  Perfect balance is my goal.

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk
Cool, I have no liquid in the airlock. It is just covered with foil.
I’ve seen a lot of people talk about making an open fermenter by replacing the airlock with foil. I find it hard to believe that the pressure of the airlock makes any significant difference in the pressure at the surface of the beer especially considering the hydrostatic pressure of the beer in the fermenter.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

110% correct.

The reason for the stall is that most of the yeast is trapped in the krausen and not in the wort in the height of fermentation. The krausen will start to then fall and yeast will mix back with the wort. Bubbling an airlock is absolutely nothing.
So beery - question for you, or anyone else to chime in. Now some stairways to heaven amongst others have a channel for krausen/yeast to spill over.  Is that generally getting the mothers out so they dont fall back into the wort leaving the daughters behind? And so on and so forth. Or is that to allow the most o2 exposed to the yeast, low pressure, and an easy cleanup vs Yorkshire squares?  IIRC the open circles are more shallow than squares allowing a better surface area for Weiß.

Not that there really needs to be an answer for those questions, it was just a curious thought from a waist deep enthusiast.

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin

AHA Member
Indiana Brewers Union (IBU)

Offline JT

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1556
  • Bloatarian Brewing League - Cincinnati, OH
    • Bloatarian Brewing League
Re: Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe
« Reply #171 on: June 30, 2018, 07:46:28 am »
You brilliant SOBs!  Will be enjoying this keg. 

Offline Brewtopalonian

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 188
Re: Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe
« Reply #172 on: June 30, 2018, 09:51:51 am »
You brilliant SOBs!  Will be enjoying this keg. 
Looks beautiful! 

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Keep It Simple, Stupid!

Offline BrewBama

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 6035
Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe
« Reply #173 on: June 30, 2018, 01:30:33 pm »
You brilliant SOBs!  Will be enjoying this keg. 
Looks beautiful! 

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Absolute work of art. That’s my on deck brew.  Brewday planned for early on the 4th. I hope to have the same success.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
« Last Edit: June 30, 2018, 01:39:04 pm by BrewBama »

Offline JT

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1556
  • Bloatarian Brewing League - Cincinnati, OH
    • Bloatarian Brewing League
Re: Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe
« Reply #174 on: August 18, 2018, 07:00:23 pm »
You brilliant SOBs!  Will be enjoying this keg. 
Took a bunch of medals tonight, but need to dedicate one of them to this thread!!!

Offline JJeffers09

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1127
Re: Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe
« Reply #175 on: August 19, 2018, 03:03:37 am »
You brilliant SOBs!  Will be enjoying this keg. 
Took a bunch of medals tonight, but need to dedicate one of them to this thread!!!

Well done! Congrats

Sent from my SM-G955U1 using Tapatalk

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin

AHA Member
Indiana Brewers Union (IBU)

Offline dannyjed

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1494
  • Toledo, OH
Re: Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe
« Reply #176 on: August 19, 2018, 10:17:27 am »
Congrats JT!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Dan Chisholm

Offline Brewtopalonian

  • Assistant Brewer
  • ***
  • Posts: 188
Re: Quest for the Ultimate Traditional Weizen Recipe
« Reply #177 on: August 19, 2018, 10:25:50 am »
Congrats!!!  That's what I'm talking about!!

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Keep It Simple, Stupid!