Bavarian Hefeweizen
German Hefeweizen · 5 gallons
A traditional German wheat beer with banana and clove flavors from the yeast. Refreshing, effervescent, and perfect for warm weather.
Ingredients
Grains & Extracts
Must be wheat extract (typically 50/50 wheat and barley)
Steeped — adds bready depth
Hops
Yeast
Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Wheat or WLP300 Hefeweizen Ale
Instructions
Heat 3 gallons of water to 155°F. Steep Munich Malt for 20 minutes.
Remove grain bag. Bring to a boil. Stir in Wheat LME.
Add 1 oz Hallertau Mittelfrüh at boil start (60 min).
This is a single-hop, single-addition beer. The yeast is the star.
Cool to 62°F. Transfer to fermenter and top to 5 gallons.
Pitch yeast. Ferment at 62-64°F for the first 3 days (this promotes clove character).
After 3 days, allow temperature to rise to 68-70°F to promote banana esters.
Ferment for 10-14 total days.
Bottle with 1 cup corn sugar (hefeweizens are highly carbonated).
Condition for 2-3 weeks.
Brewer's Tips
Fermentation temperature is critical. Lower temps = more clove, higher temps = more banana.
Use the specific hefeweizen yeast — American ale yeast will not produce the signature character.
Do NOT filter. This style is supposed to be cloudy and yeast-laden.
Traditional serving: pour most of the bottle, then swirl the last inch to resuspend yeast, and pour on top.
Use extra priming sugar — hefeweizens should be highly carbonated (3.0-4.0 volumes CO2).