Hefeweizen

[mingo jct]

Hi all- I'm brewing my first Hefeweizen and plan to keg. Can I assume that since the beer is
naturally cloudy and fizzy I won't need to do a secondary, and probably don't even need to
let the primary go all the way to completion prior to kegging ?

 

[jeffpn]

Many people would tell you secondaries are never necessary. In my opinion, not letting fermentation complete is not a good idea.

 

[mingo jct]

Good points. Thanks, Nick

 

[J A]

I've been nursing along a Hefeweizen that I had hoped would complete fermentation in time to keg for yesterday's July 4th party. Was not to be, but we had enough beer, anyway.

I've had this recipe go faster, but this 5 gallons with an old, questionably stored packet of WB-06 just chugged along. I have been figuring on kegging right out of primary, though at this point I'll probably let it sit a little longer than I would have.

It seems to be done fermenting, or at least it's at a decent FG and the trub and break has dropped sufficiently. It's still got some CO2 in suspension, and I'm holding at 70 degrees, so maybe it's still just barely fermenting. I'm tempted to keg it now before it goes flat and letting it drop the last point (if it's going to) in the keg.

It's either essentially done and just hasn't gone flat or there's a little fermentation left that will produce some pressure in the keg. Either way, there's a little head start on the carbing process and if it sits for a week in "secondary" in the keg, it'll clear slightly and should have a nice, fresh Hefe flavor.

 

[Tar and Feather'em]

I would secondary ferment it just to let it clear up some. I recently did a hefe and it was way too cloudy and yeasty spoiling the flavor. 3 to 4 days in a secondary then into the keg would have saved it, live and learn.