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Following up on a question buried in this thread:

http://www.brewnosers.org/forums/viewto ... 316#p79316" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Why no whirlfloc in weizens?

Although most here seem to say "no", there doesn't seem to be much of a consensus. After canvassing other forums from North America, Australia, and Europe, I'm no closer to an answer to the question. The best justified position on this so far has been this: if you would normally use whirlfloc in an ale you might as well use it in your weizen because the haze in a weizen should be from yeast not protein. So, at best, shouldn't adding whirfloc help to showcase a yeast rather than protein haze and, at worst, do nothing to either hurt or harm your beer?

I may test this myself since I want to know how this stuff works and I'm not one for just taking someone's word -- especially when no one seems to agree! -- but I figured I'd highlight the question and see what you guys have to say.

-Kirsten

I'd say for German beer law nazis, floculant would not be used.

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mr x wrote:I'd say for German beer law nazis, floculant would not be used.

Of course! I forgot about that pesky purity law! By the way, you are the first I've seen mention it on many continents so bravo (not that I lay any claim to expertise since all I did was Google the crap out of the question).

Would whirlfloc mess things up under BJCP guidelines? Would it have any ill effects on one's weizen generally? Or is it just a matter of "German beer law nazis"?

Thanks, X.

-Kirsten

I don't use it in weizens, and am pretty happy with the results. It's not going to clean up the wheat in a weizen anyway Afaiac.

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I don't use the stuff in anything!

I really wouldn't bother using it in Weizen either, carrageenan and or Irish Moss aids protein coagulation in the kettle, somewhat. It wouldn't be wrong to use it, but why try to make Weizen clear(er)?. You'll get good protein-break results with proper brewing technique, treat the water appropriately for ion concentrations and PH levels. Hefe = with yeast. So there's Weizen, and Hefeweizen. IMO they should both be somewhat cloudy. Only one has a portion of that cloudiness as yeast, both should have chill-haze from long chain proteins derived from the malted wheat. Nobody wants a Weizen that looks like a Kristall-Weizen do they?

I don't think the old purity law permitted use of kettle coagulants but it did permit the use of finings like poly-clar, and defoamers like fermcap

Proper brewing technique?! Crap. I'm screwed from the get-go.

This all makes sense, Nash and X, so many thanks for sharing your wisdom about weizens. It sounds like whirlfloc either won't do anything or assuming divine intervention (or maybe just crap brewing) that clears your beer can actually harm it, at least in terms of the style and no doubt the taste.

Thanks again.


-Kirsten (who just put Hieronymus' "Brewing with Wheat" on order at Amazon so as not to drive you all to distraction with questions about weizens)

You got better answers on here than Google gave you. I’ve often found that.

Keep asking your questions Kirsten. We all learn from the answers. Well, I did any way.

Listen to As It Happens on CBC radio tonight. About German purity law.

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