looking for a honey weiss recipe

well i started or hydrated the yeast about the start of the boil. with in 4 hours it was already kicking off at about every 3 seconds. and it has been steady ever since. just checked about 2 hours ago, it is now about every 3 seconds. i was finished at and waiting by 4:30 pm sat. it was bubling by 7:30. i think my gravity reading was a bit off though, i might recheck it since i made a stalite fermentor. maybe not too. it smelled so good, i think is will turn out really well.

No problem.

One thing you'll need to think about: Apparently honey takes it's sweet-ass time fermenting. I'd let it sit in the fermentor for at least two weeks (probably closer to three) before bottling it.

Are you taking gravity readings? That's the only way to really know when your beer's done fermenting.

I don't like to open my fermentor after I've thrown the yeast in (I don't want to risk contamination) so I just wait for a few weeks as opposed to trying to rush beer out of the fermentor.

thanks much for the quick reply!

You need to boil or pasteurize honey because it can harbor wild yeasts (among other things).

I'd add it at 20 minutes left in the boil (the same time you add the rest of your DME) because adding either of the two things will kill your boil, you might as well only lose it once. Bring everything back to a boil, then start your time for the last 20 minutes.

ok, i have the stuff to brew it, when will i add the honey? right from the get go? help please

I actually prefer to use DME rather than LME, so you've got no worries there.

The theory behind adding some of the extract late in the boil revolves around the fact that extract was already boiled once in the creation of the extract. Boiling it again won't hurt it (and is necessary before fermentation), but it can darken it and create some flavors that aren't present during a typical boil from a typical all-grain wort (often ranging from a caramelized-to-burnt flavor). Those flavors are sometimes desirable (like in Scottish ales) and undesireable in others (any light/subtly flavored beer).

For your wheat beer, I'd ad half at the beginning of the boil and the other half at 20 minutes left in the boil.

One thing to think about with the use of DME: it clumps up...a lot...really easily. DME is a moisture vacuum. I always use a 500mL Pyrex measuring cup and pour the extract in slowly, stirring with a wisk. You can dip the pyrex cup in the boiling wort to get the rest of the extract off of the measuring cup. DME doesn't sink much so you don't have to worry about scorching it as much as you do with LME so a wisk should be just fine for stirring it in.

Good luck, man. Let us all know how the brew day turns out (and save a few bottles to bring to a meeting).

ok, i am having to go with DME in stead of liquid. what are the opinions, on this. i guess in general what i mean is. why or why not boil all the malt for 60 min, or i understand some boil 1/2 for 60 min, then add the second half with 15 min. can't wait to hear

sounds good, thanks for the pointers, i will have to get jeff to price it out for me with the suggested changes.

I've not tried the recipe. I'm just imagining that, if you're going to be giving this beer to people who aren't beer nerds, they might not like the yeast character of the Weihenstephan Weizen Ale yeast. It's very "German" and has lots of clove and banana characteristics. I don't get a whole lot of those things in the Leinenkugel's flavor profile.

Switching to the American Wheat yeast (Wyeast 1010) or the German Ale (Wyeast 1007) will give you a flavor profile much more in line with the popular American wheat beers.

As far as the hop change goes, it doesn't REALLY matter much because there isn't a whole lot of hop character in this recipe. As long as you get about 18-25 IBUs out of your bittering addition to balance it, you should be ok.

have you tried this recipe? if not i would probably make the changes you have suggested. this is for a buddies open house so i really didn't want to shoot completely in the dark. thank you very much i hope to hear more

I know that Midwest Homebrewing Supplies has a "Honey Weizen" kit that I'm sure Jeff could put together for you:

––––––––––––––––––––––

6lbs Wheat LME
2lbs Clover Honey

8oz Carapils steeped

1oz Styrian Goldings at 60mins from end of boil
1oz Styrian Goldings at 2mins from end of boil

Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen Ale Yeast

––––––––––––––––––––––

Personally, I'd switch to a different hop than Styrian Goldings. They're great hops but I know that Leinenkugel's uses "Cluster" hops and I'd probably recommend "Brewers Gold" if you were trying to get close to Honeyweisse. Plus, I'm not sure how easy it is to get Styrian Goldings. I was pricing out the recipe for an English bitter with Styrian Goldings and I couldn't find any.

Also, if you'd like the beer to be a little closer to Honeyweiss, you might consider getting a different yeast like the Wyeast 1010 American Wheat yeast or the Wyeast 1007 German Ale yeast (that's what I'm using this weekend for an American Wheat beer that I'm brewing).

Good luck.

please remember i am a kit beer as of yet, i want to make a honey weiss for a buddy and i am looking to see if any of you have a good recipe. it would be very much appreciated. by the way it would have to ferment ale style, meaning i can't lager it at a cool temp. sooner the better is appreciated! thanks to all that may help!