Maisel's Weisse Yeast - Any Advice

[A3k]

Hi guys

Im going to make my first weisse beer, and was going for something like Schofferhofer or Maisels weisse. I was intending on using Weihenstephan Weizen 3068, but then I heard on the forum that Maisels Weisse primary strain can be cultured from the bottle, and I can get this beer from my local, that way getting beer and yeast for about the same price as just the yeast..

Has anyone had any experience with this yeast, and could share some advice on specifics. Ie, fermenting temperature, culture temp, anything else I may have overlooked.

Also, will the flavor be worse as it is imported? How does it compare to 3068?

I have cultured up coopers several times, so I know the basics.

Cheers
Al

 

[tyoung]

Hey Al,

Check out the Wyeast site because they list the commercial beers that use that or a very similar yeast. A Wyeast smacker is more convenient and more reliable IMO. And you can get 6+ brews from one packet.
Also - It pays to do your research because a lot of German Wheats use a lager strain for bottling.

Cheers,

Tim

 

[Zwickel]

yes you can use the sediment of Maisels for culturing the yeast.

Maisels and Schneider are using the original yeast for bottle fermentation, hence they are very popular over here for culturing theire yeast.

You should have a look after the freshest bottles you can grab.

Good luck to you :icon_cheers:

 

[geoffi]

Freshness will be your problem, I'd say. If you get a few bottles that have just left the brewery I'm sure you'd be in business, but after sitting in trucks, containers, trucks, warehouses, shops etc etc for Gott knows how long...well, give it a go anyway. Worst case senario you'll get to enjoy most of a bottle of superb Weissbier as part of the experiment.

 

[A3k]

Cheers guys,

I'll buy a 6pack tonight and look for the newest one. Like you said Geoffi, if it doesn't work out, i still get to drink some nice beer. and it comes with a free beer glass... BONUS

Has anyone used this yeast - how did it turn out?

 

[alexbrand]

[...]and it comes with a free beer glass... BONUS

So you cannot lose!

Has anyone used this yeast - how did it turn out?

I did. Stripped it from a bottle at a party It was a bit tricky to reanimate the yeast. It took several days to get some vivid cells. But later in fermentation they fermented really virgous. The beer itself (30% wheat, 70 % pilsner) was Maisels-like. It was drinkable two weeks after pitching.

Cheers,

Alex

 

[Zwickel]

..... The beer itself (30% wheat, 70 % pilsner) ......

Alex, are you sure you didnt confuse with the numbers?

Im using 70% wheat and 30% Pilsener malt

Cheers :icon_cheers:

 

[alexbrand]

Alex, are you sure you didnt confuse with the numbers?

Im using 70% wheat and 30% Pilsener malt

Well, not this time!
When I milled the grains for this beer I made that mistake. But this did not really affect the beer's taste in a way I could recognize. The brew contained only ~ 30% bright wheat malt - no problem. One more point to say wheat beers get their taste from the yeast...

Alex

 

[A3k]

One more point to say wheat beers get their taste from the yeast...

yeah, that's what i've heard, making me more inclined to buy some yeast. But the savings are pretty enticing. Still in 2 minds

 

[alexbrand]

yeah, that's what i've heard, making me more inclined to buy some yeast. But the savings are pretty enticing. Still in 2 minds

Al,

there's no harm in trying. What should happen? The beer will turn out great anyway! :icon_cheers:


Alex

 

[ham2k]

Hey Al,

Check out the Wyeast site because they list the commercial beers that use that or a very similar yeast. A Wyeast smacker is more convenient and more reliable IMO. And you can get 6+ brews from one packet.
Also - It pays to do your research because a lot of German Wheats use a lager strain for bottling.

Cheers,

Tim

I've never seen anything like that on the Wyeast site. Have you got a link?

 

[A3k]

I've never seen anything like that on the Wyeast site. Have you got a link?

I had a look aswell, but no luck. All i could find was under the Yeast Style Guidethere's a list of beers for that style.

for
STYLE: Weizen/Weissbier

Commercial Examples: Schneider Weisse Original (unusual in its amber color), Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, Hacker-Pschorr Weisse, Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse, Penn Weizen, Capitol Kloster Weizen, Sudwerk Hefeweizen, Brooklyner Weisse, Barrelhouse Hocking Hills HefeWeizen, Sprecher Hefeweizen

but it's not yeast specific.

 

[Zwickel]

....a lot of German Wheats use a lager strain for bottling...

thats true, hence its not possible to use each yeaststrain of a Hefeweizen.

Usable ones are:

Schneider-Weisse (Kelheim),
Maisel Hefeweizen (Bayreuth),
Kuchlbauer Weisse (Abensberg),
Ritter St. Georgen-Brauerei (Nennslingen);
Gutmann Hefeweizen (Titting),
Pinkus-Hefeweizen (Pinkus Mller, Mnster),
Prinzregent-Luitpold-Weizen (Schlossbrauerei Kaltenberg)
Appenzeller Hefeweizen (Schweiz).
possibly Tucher Hefeweizen (Nrnberg).

not usable:

Erdinger, Schfferhofer, Oettinger, Franziskaner, Andechser, Pyraser


have fun :icon_cheers:

edit: spelling

 

[wessmith]

Great input Zwickel, but do you know about Unertl? They also have a very good hefe

Wes

 

[alexbrand]

Great input Zwickel, but do you know about Unertl? They also have a very good hefe

Unertl? Is it probably misspelled? Can't find such a beer.

Alex

 

[wessmith]

http://www.unertl.de/php/index.php

Should get you there.

Wes

 

[alexbrand]

Thanks, Wes!

Their homepage says this beer is fermented in open vessels und not pasteurized or treated with heat in any other way. So the yeast should be the original top fermenting strain and still alive!

Alex

 

[sinkas]

Hey Zwickel,
DO you know if the Schneider Aventius uses the same strain as the hefe?

 

[Zwickel]

yeah, I think you can use that yeast from Unertl. Thats a small Brewery in Bavaria, family owned, they are doing only 90hl daily and everything seems to be handcrafted.
Only the big breweries are enacting over the technology to exchange the yeast for bottling.

....but how the heck you can get that beer in Australia?

:icon_cheers:

 

[Zwickel]

Hey Zwickel,
DO you know if the Schneider Aventius uses the same strain as the hefe?

Sorry mate, I dunno, never heard about it.

:icon_cheers: