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Beer · Guide
Wheat Beer Brewing Guide: How to Make Hefeweizen at Home
What is Hefeweizen?
Hefeweizen (“yeast wheat”) is a traditional Bavarian wheat beer known for its cloudy appearance, fluffy white head, and distinctive banana and clove flavors created by the yeast. It’s refreshing, slightly sweet, and perfect for warm weather.
Hefeweizen Recipe (5 Gallons)
Fermentables
- 6 lbs Wheat Dry Malt Extract (50% wheat minimum)
- 3 lbs Pilsner Dry Malt Extract
Hops
- 1 oz Hallertau or Tettnang (low alpha, 60 minutes)
Yeast (Critical!)
- Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan or White Labs WLP300 Hefeweizen
- Make a starter for best results
Expected Stats
ABV: 5.2%
IBU: 12-15
Color: Pale straw to gold
Where to get the ingredients
The two yeast strains above are refrigerated stock, so Amazon does not carry them; both links go to the maker’s own page, which lists shops that do. Everything else in this recipe comes in a kit.
The whole grain bill in one box
Brewer's Best Weizenbier Ingredient Kit
Covers the fermentables, hops and priming sugar for a 5-gallon batch of this style, so the only thing left to source is the yeast. Buy one of the two strains above separately and pitch that instead of whatever dry sachet the kit ships with.
Refill, if you already own the gear
Craft a Brew Hefeweizen Recipe Refill
An ingredients-only refill for 5 gallons. Cheaper per batch than a full starter kit and the right choice if you have a fermenter and a kettle already.
Brewing Process
The Boil
Heat 3 gallons water, add malt extracts, bring to boil. Add hops for full 60 minutes. No late hop additions – hefeweizen is about yeast character, not hops.
Fermentation (The Key!)
Cool to 62-65°F and pitch yeast. Temperature control is critical for hefeweizen.
62-64°F: More clove character
65-68°F: Balanced banana and clove
70°F+: Dominant banana, possible off-flavors
Ferment 7-10 days. Don’t be alarmed by vigorous fermentation – hefeweizen yeast is very active!
Bottling
Prime with corn sugar and bottle. Carbonate 2 weeks at room temp. Hefeweizen should be highly carbonated.
Style Tips
- Don’t filter – Hefeweizen should be cloudy
- Serve in proper glass – Tall weizen glass shows off cloudiness and head
- Swirl the bottle – Traditional to swirl last ounce to suspend yeast
- Serve fresh – Best within 2 months
- Proper pour – Leave small amount in bottle, swirl, then add to glass
Troubleshooting
No banana/clove: Fermentation temp too low or wrong yeast
Too much banana: Fermentation temp too high
Phenolic (band-aid flavor): Chlorine in water – use filtered
Not cloudy enough: Need more wheat or authentic hefe yeast
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