Hefeweizen "yazoo" Recipe

1. Mill & Heat

Mill the grains to a coarse grist (avoid flour). Heat mash water to strike temperature to target mash at 152°F (67°C). For a 5.5 + 4 + 0.5 + 0.25 lb grist in ~6.5 gal total liquor, use about 3.25 gallons strike water at ~163°F to land at 152°F mash temperature.

2. Mash: Add milled grains to strike water and stir to avoid dough balls. Hold mash at 152°F (67°C) for 60 minutes. This temperature produces a moderately fermentable wort with enough body for classic hefeweizen mouthfeel.

3. Mash out: Raise mash to 168°F (76°C) for 10 minutes to stop enzymatic activity, either by adding near-boiling water or direct heat while stirring.

4. Sparge: Lauter and sparge with ~3 gallons of water at 170°F (77°C) until you collect ~6.5–7.0 gallons of wort in the kettle (pre-boil volume).

5. Bring the collected wort to a vigorous boil. Start a 60-minute boil.

6. Bittering hop addition: Add 0.5 oz Hallertau at 60 minutes remaining in the boil for approximately 10–12 IBUs.

7. Kettle clarifier: If using, add 1 tsp Irish Moss or 1/2 tablet Whirlfloc with 15 minutes left in the boil.

8. Aroma hop addition: Add 0.25 oz Hallertau with 5 minutes left in the boil to impart a gentle floral/herbal note without overt bitterness.

9. Cool the wort quickly after the 60-minute boil using a wort chiller or ice bath to ~68°F (20°C).

10. Transfer cooled wort to a sanitized fermenter, leaving as much trub behind as possible. Top up with water to reach 5 gallons final volume if needed.

11. Aerate the wort thoroughly by shaking, splashing, or pure oxygen (recommended: 4–6 ppm O2 if available). Proper oxygenation is important for healthy yeast growth with hefeweizen strains.

12. Pitch yeast: Rehydrate and/or make a starter for one packet (recommended) and pitch at ~65–68°F (18–20°C). Proper pitching ensures healthy fermentation and good ester/phenol balance.

13. Primary fermentation: Ferment at 64–68°F (18–20°C) for 5–7 days until vigorous activity slows. Hefeweizen yeast typically produces banana (isoamyl acetate) and clove (4-vinyl guaiacol) character; temperature and yeast strain influence the balance.

14. Optional diacetyl rest: Not usually necessary for hefeweizen, but if off-flavors are present, raise to 68–70°F for 24–48 hours near end of fermentation.

15. Secondary (optional): Many brewers bottle or keg directly after primary fermentation reaches final gravity (often 1.010–1.014). If clarifying is desired, transfer to a secondary and condition cold for 3–5 days, but authentic hefeweizen is traditionally hazy and unfiltered.

16. Measure final gravity. Typical target OG: 1.048–1.054; FG: 1.010–1.014 (attenuation ~65–78%). Adjust if necessary before packaging.

17. If bottling: dissolve 3.5 oz (about 100 g) priming sugar in 1 cup boiling water, cool, and gently mix into the keg or bottling bucket. Bottle and cap. Allow bottles to carbonate at ~68°F for 10–14 days, then condition cooler for a few days before drinking.

18. If kegging: carbonate to ~2.5–3.0 volumes CO2 (a bit higher for hefeweizen to aid head retention) and serve at 38–44°F. When pouring, tilt glass and then stand upright mid-pour to build a large, persistent head and to leave yeast in suspension if a cloudy pour is desired.

19. Serve on the young side to showcase yeast-driven banana/clove aromas. Pour into a tall weizen glass, initially with a tilted pour to leave the yeast in the bottle/keg, then straighten glass and agitate slightly to incorporate yeast into the pour if you want a classic cloudy presentation.

20. Optional: Garnish with a lemon slice is common in the U.S., but not traditional in Bavaria. The citrus can complement the bright yeast esters for American drinkers (Yazoo-style).