# 🍺 Top-down Brew: Weissbier (Hefeweizen)

Original Gravity

Enter the desired original gravity as specific gravity (1.0XX) or degrees plato (°P).

Specification: 1.044 to 1.052; 11 to 13 °P

Target volume

Enter the desired volume at the end of the boil. The volume units can be either liters, gallons, or US barrels.

Measurement Units Metric US US Barrels

Select the preferred unit of measurement for the inputs and outputs. Metric uses liters, grams, and kilograms. US uses gallons, ounces, and pounds. US Barrels (31 gallons = 1 barrel) is in barrels, pounds, and ounces.

Mash Efficiency

Enter the anticipated mash efficiency percentage. If this is not known, try the following values based on the sparge method: Steeping (50%), No-sparge or brew-in-a-bag (65 to 75%), Batch sparge (80%), or Continuous (fly) sparge (85 to 90%).

Grains

Enter the name, fermentable %, Lovibond, and yield (SG or percent) with comma separations.

Wheat malt is typically 50 to 60% of the grain bill. The rest is pilsner malt. Small amounts (1 to 2%) of acid malt can be used for achieving the proper mash pH if needed. Body-building dextrin malts can be used up to 5%. The adjacent dunkelweizen style is similar, but with the addition of about 3% chocolate, roasted wheat, or Carafa malt. Rice hulls may help to prevent stuck sparges.

- Beer-analytics.com German weissbier analysis
- Brew United's grain database
- BYO magazine grain and adjunct resource

Sugars

Enter the name, fermentable %, Lovibond, and yield (SG or percent) with comma separations. The grain and sugar percentages must add to 100%.

Sugars are not needed. Malt extract brewers can use 100% wheat malt extract.

- BYO magazine sugar resource

Bitterness

Enter the desired bitterness in international bittering units (IBUs).

Style specification: 8 to 15 IBUs. The beer-analytics.com averages suggest a BU/GU of .25.

Hops

Enter the hop name, IBU %, AA %, and boil minutes with comma separations.

The hops are classic European varieties such as Hallertau, Tettnang, Saaz, and Herbrucker. American hops bred from Hallertau could be substituted for European hops. Many recipes use a single bittering hop charge. This is not a hoppy beer style because bitterness plus the phenolic yeast character is unpleasant.

- Beer-analytics.com German weissbier analysis
- Brew United hop database
- BYO magazine's hop resources

Late Boil Additions

Enter late boil additions like spices with the name and dosage (grams/liter), with a comma separation.

Spices are not needed for this style.

Dry Hops

Enter dry hops with name and dosage (grams/liter), with a comma separation.

Dry hopping is not typical for this style.

Yeast Ale Lager

Select the yeast type, ale or lager.

A hefeweizen yeast strain is essential - yeast flavors are the heart of this style. Fermentation temperatures at 60 to 64 °F (15.5 to 17.8 °C) restrains banana flavors while retaining clove flavors. Pitching at a slightly lower rate, like .50 to .75 million cells/mL/°P, may enhance banana and ester flavors.

← Click here when the data entry is done.

## Results

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## Notes

2021 BJCP 10A - Weissbier style characteristic ingredients: "Malted wheat, at least half the grist. Pilsner malt. Decoction mash traditional. Weizen yeast, cool fermentation temperatures."

Vital Statistics: OG: 1.044 – 1.053, FG: 1.008 – 1.014, IBUs: 8 – 15, SRM: 2 – 6, ABV: 4.3 – 5.6%

There are numerous mash possibilities. The easiest option is a single temperature infusion mash of 150 to 154 °F (66 to 68 °C). A more advanced possibility is a step-mash that begins with mashing-in at 110 to 113 °F (43 to 44 °C) to increase ferulic acid and clove flavors. A third option is decoction mashing.

## Sources

Strong, G. (2020, March-April). German weiss: Weissbier in the south, hefeweizen in the north. Brew Your Own, 26-29.

Zainasheff, J. (2011, January-February). German hefewiezen: Wheat meets yeast. Brew Your Own, 19-22.

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