New Brunswick Craft Brewers Association
Beer Recipes and Food => All Grain => 15 - German Wheat and Rye Beer => Topic started by: Kyle on January 26, 2011, 05:00:28 PM
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This is the Hefe that I served at the Jan 22 beer club meeting.
7# malted wheat
4# bohemian pilsner malt
Mash 70 minutes @ 153F
Sparge 15 minutes @ 168F
0.65 oz Cascade hops (4.6 a/a) @45 minutes
0.25 oz Cascade hops (4.6 a/a) @15 minutes
Blackberry extract 4 oz @ flameout
Fermentis Wheat Beer yeast, pitched at 75F, fermented at ambient of 62F
(I did post this on the old website, but I thought I'd copy it over here)
Despite Dave's concern that the WB-06 yeast is too clovey for him, I think it turned out pretty well. Great, long-lasting head retention, citrusy. I've read that the Hefe style does not improve with age. I disagree. I'm sipping a glass of it now, and I brewed it on Dec 7th. It is quite good now. Hefe, though, I've realized is not among my favourite styles.
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I think when they talk about aging a hefeweizen, they're more referring to months and months, as opposed to weeks. Everyone's results are different, of course, but I had a hefe I did last year that turned pretty good, but when I still had a few bottles several months later, it was definitely starting to taste a little stale, poured a bit darker, etc.
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"If you see a beer, do it a favour, and drink it. Beer was not meant to age." -- Michael Jackson (the beer one)
Such a lapse from such an otherwise wise man... but I think the general concept is that beer is not meant to undergo *years* of ageing, but then there are those who would disagree even then.
I think perhaps there is a distinction between "reaching maturity" and "aging", that needs to be made (or perhaps has, and I am just ignorant of it... anyone?)
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When I hear "aging", I think "cellaring"... ideally keeping it at a cool temp and letting the beer change for the better.
"Reaching maturity", should, I think, apply to every beer, if possible.
And, yes, MJ must have had a lapse of judgment for that quote, because I've read other things from him that indicate X beer tasted better after Y years of aging.