hefeweizen

[pist]

Hey guys ive got no idea when it comes to brewing with wheat malt, never done a wheat beer before so prob after a bit of guidance. Looking to do a hefe, aiming towards a more bananary than clove flavour. Have read that the wheat yeast strains are responsible for this at higher temperatures. Just after a bit of guidance with this

 

[lael]

Banana = 3068. Higher temps for more banana. Lower for bread / clove. Depends on how much banana you like, but I would go easy the first time around.

 

[rcsoccer]

I just made a Heffeweizen for our brew club Oktoberfest party next weekend. I didn't want too much banana aroma or flavor, so I did a ferulic acid rest at 42 C for about 20 mins along with a decoction to bring it up to 64 C for the main mash, then another decoction to bring it to 76 C for a mash out. Ferulic acid is the precursor to the clove phenol that the yeast will produce. I wouldn't muck around with 2 decoctions, especially if you haven't done one before. If you want to do one, just do it for mash out. Or, you could just do a single infusion at 64-ish.

Basic recipe would be 50% wheat and 50% Pilsner. Make sure you boil for 90 mins. I added Tettnang hops at 60 mins and 20 mins left in the boil, then fermented at 19.5 C for 10 days. It has a more pronounced clove aroma and flavor than banana, but there is still a little banana. Nicely balanced, I think.

I used White Labs WLP300 for mine, but Wyeast WY3068 (Weihenstephan strain) would work the same way. I think they are actually the same yeast strain.

Cheers!

 

[warra48]

Here's one of mine that turned out really well.

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/recipe/932-try-again-hefeweizen/

 

[mr_wibble]

Hey guys ive got no idea when it comes to brewing with wheat malt, never done a wheat beer before so prob after a bit of guidance. Looking to do a hefe, aiming towards a more bananary than clove flavour. Have read that the wheat yeast strains are responsible for this at higher temperatures. Just after a bit of guidance with this

Here's a video of an interview with a Wyeast micro-bio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEkwp_2Yezo

In it (at around 15:30) he says that the banana/clove banace with Weizen yeasts (like 3068 Weihenstephan) is effected by pitching rate.
Underpitch for more banana, overpitch for more clove.

(This post is basically is based on some great advice I received from Pete at CCCB - Thanks again Pete!)

Wyeast 3068 goes off like a rocket, so maybe you'll want a blowoff tube, towel underneath the fermenter etc.

IMHO try to keep the fermentation temperature down a bit, below 20°C for sure, most other people say 18°C. Fermenting this too warm gives way too much of everything.
I made a bigger starter for my last batch, and the swing from banana to clove is quite noticable.