Describe Heineken - Tasting

[mickoz]

Hi Guys,

I'm a noob at this and need advice.

I've developed a taste for Schoefferhofer Hefeweizen and want to brew a clone but don't know what yeast to choose. This may sound dumb but I worry that German\Bavarian wheat yeast strains will make the beer like a Heineken (which I hate but I can't describe why) I don't like the flavour but I don't have enough tasting experience to describe why. What is the dominant Heineken flavour? There are many other German lagers that I don't like because of this flavour but I don't know if it is yeast generated flavour or relates to some other ingredients in the German beer styles.

 

[Adamt]

First of all, Heineken is not a wheat beer. Typical bavarian wheat beer characteristics are banana, clove and tartness, Heineken has (well should have) none of them.

Heineken is not meant to have a very dominant flavour. If you are used to drinking imported heineken, you may be experiencing the slight skunky flavour that occurs due to it being in a green bottle and sent across the globe. This slight skunk (smells and tastes a bit sulfury) is the taste I attributed to european beers for a long time before brewing.

To get similar yeast characteristics to schofferhoffer you will need to use a liquid yeast, Wyeast 3068 is good, and use very strict fermentation temperature control, otherwise your beer may end up way out of balance. There is a topic in the "style of the week" forum on weizens and this would be a good reference thread.

Cheers.

 

[Stuster]

First, a wheat beer yeast will definitely not make your beer taste anything like Heineken. Heineken is a lager and uses lager yeast which is clean. The main problem with European beers here tend to be too old and have been stored badly for the trip. Beers like Heineken can also have problems with skunking from being in green glass bottles, with UV/blue light reacting with hop products in the beer to cause a smell like a skunk. A fresh German lager will certainly not have that taste you object to. It might not be your favourite style, but I'm sure if you get some fresh German lager, you won't toss it away.

If you want to make a beer like Schofferhofer, I'd just choose any of the liquid wheat beer yeasts you can find from either White Labs or Wyeast, or the new dry wheat beer yeast (WB-06). Not sure if you're using kits or what, so it's hard to give advice on how to make a wheat beer, but there's a heap of info in this thread.

 

[mickoz]

Thanks Guys,

Sorry if I made it seem that I thought Heineken was a wheat, it was just the first beer I thought of that had that taste.

I can get my hands on WB-06 and the Wyeast 3068 but will go the 3068 as I prefer liquid yeasts.

I am an AG brewer but I do admit that my experience is limited at this point with only 7 AG batches to my name and I don't mind looking for advice from the gurus

Mick

 

[tangent]

your problem with your hefe's (is that the problem?) may be with your grist and mash regime, pitching rates and fermentation temps etc. rather than your yeast selection.

Otherwise, look at experimenting with Wyeast 3333-German Wheat if Wyeast 3068-Weihenstephen Weizen isn't ringing any bells. (I still prefer them over the dried varieties)

 

[mickoz]

your problem with your hefe's (is that the problem?) may be with your grist and mash regime, pitching rates and fermentation temps etc. rather than your yeast selection.

Otherwise, look at experimenting with Wyeast 3333-German Wheat if Wyeast 3068-Weihenstephen Weizen isn't ringing any bells. (I still prefer them over the dried varieties)

No problems yet as I haven't done one. Just being cautious and making sure I pick the right yeast. I couldn't bear the thought of spending 6 hours making a brew only to find it tastes like shite

Mick

 

[geoffi]

No problems yet as I haven't done one. Just being cautious and making sure I pick the right yeast. I couldn't bear the thought of spending 6 hours making a brew only to find it tastes like shite

Mick

50/50 wheat/pils, an authentic yeast for the style, fermented 18-20c, drunk when nice and fresh...it won't taste like shite...or even like Scheisse...