Got a friend coming over for a brewday tomorrow and we just picked up the stuff to make a hefe. How does this look:

3.3# Wheat LME
0.5oz Hallertau @ 30 mins (11 ibu according to qbrew)

WLP300

Sounds good? Only a 30 min boil, trying to save some time. Should turn out nicely!!

i think you'd want to boil them the full hour... to get the bitterness to balance out the sweetness. i mean, IBUs are IBUs, but you might not get the "bitterness" effect with that short of a boil. other than that, looks fine! love the WLP300, and it should do well at the warmish ambient temps you're dealing with.

Nah, I had a recipe that was only a 15 minute boil, had plenty of bitterness (also, lots of flavor and aroma). This should give a good bitterness, with a small touch of hop flavor that's not entirely out of place in a recipe like this.

I still suggest at least fermenting in a swamp cooler, if not to reduce temps, to at least keep them steady. WLP300 gives *great* banana and clove character anywhere from low 60s (potentially even into the high 50s, if you use enough yeast) all the way up to the low 70s...but you get more consistent results (also, less overpowering naner flavor) at cooler temps.

68° really does make a great beer from the WLP300, though...even though I, personally, prefer the results when fermented cooler.

Good luck!

We got a thermometer today and ambients where he keeps the fermenter are around 65 so he should be good. might hit 70 in the LBK during the first couple of days but I told him to place a couple frozen water bottles around it for the first 3-4 days.

Jon, maybe a full oz for 15 or 20 mins?

Nah, I'd stick with the 1/2 oz for 30 minutes. It'll give a touch of flavor, but you really don't want the amount of hop flavor you'll get from a larger addition at 15 or 20 minutes.

I think I'd split the hops and do two boils. One for 30 to get flavor and bitterness and one for 15 to get flavor and aroma.

Nah, not for a hefe...you don't want a lot of hop flavor and/or aroma interfering with the yeast character.

If you want to do an american wheat, sure...add hop flavor and aroma, but you'll also want to use a less assertive yeast.

good point.

so what didja go with? my vote would have been the 1/2 oz @ 30
low teens for an IBU in a german hefe is PERFECT! for an american version, I'd use a citrus hop and get 25-30 IBUs and make darn sure most of that came from late additions!

mmmmm...wheat beer

0.5 oz @ 30. 30 min boil. everything went well