Wyeast 3068 - Weihenstephan, Any Good?

[Swinging Beef]

Well, I hope this yeast works well, Im about to pitch some tonight and was hoping after it lived in a 5.5%abv heffe for a while, I might have the volume to pitch a 7.5% dunkel on the top of the yeast cake.
Any thoughts?
Will using a whole yeastcake diminish the banana and clove aromas in the 2nd batch?

 

[braufrau]

A whole yeast cake is overpitching.

According to the wyeast website linky

High pitch rates can lead to:

* Very low ester production
* Very fast fermentations
* Thin or lacking body/mouthfeel
* Autolysis (Yeasty flavors due to lysing of cells)

According to mrmalty linky
you need about 1/2 cup of slurry!

 

[Dr Gonzo]

In Eric Warners book on brewing wheat beer he states that the comercial wheat beer breweries in Germany scrape the yeasty foam off the top at high krausen and use this to innoculate the next beer. According to him the commercial guys can do this consecutively from batch to batch up to 100 times before going back to the original culture.

The yeast at this stage is fresh and healthy, with less likelyhood of mutation, and therefore maitaining the original characteristics.
The catch is that you would need to brew another batch every second day to keep the train rolling.

Ive tried this method a few times, going as far as 3 consecutive pitchings. The second and third brews always seem to have better results than the first one.

 

[therook]

I need to make a quick beer as stocks are low so i'm going to do a double brew weekend and one of those beers will be a wheat. Reading different threads has told me that repitching 3068 from the yeast cake isn't as good as a fresh packet of Wyeast but i have a slant in the fridge, this should be okay ???? shouldn't it ????. also how big a starter would you make for a 20 litre batch 10ml, 100ml and then up to 1 litre would that be correct?

Rook

 

[Lachlan]

Hey Rook

I have used this yeast a couple of times. I used a smackpack for the first batch and made a 1L starter for 23L, it took off over night. Make sure you have heaps of head space in your fermenter as 3068 goes nuts. Both my batches have blowen the lid on my fermenter. My second batch was 150mL of the yeast cake in a 23L batch and once again it took off over night.

I found 1st Gen had a big bananna hit while it was fresh, after about 4 weeks it subsided gradually. 2nd Gen the bananna had disipated and i got more bubblegum flavours, both were fermented at 20C.

Lachlan

 

[braufrau]

I've just sat down after bottling my Hefe this very minute.

From the hydrometer I'm pretty optimistic. Esters are nice and subdued (although my nose is a bit off at the moment).

The yeast was from a slant (thanks MickOz!). I filled the slant tube for the first starter, then into ~100ml and then into ~1l.
So about 1.12 litres in all. :lol: Then settled it in the fridge and pitched just the dregs. OMG ... thank goodness you reminded me .. the stir bar is in there!

 

[SJW]

I need to make a quick beer as stocks are low so i'm going to do a double brew weekend and one of those beers will be a wheat. Reading different threads has told me that repitching 3068 from the yeast cake isn't as good as a fresh packet of Wyeast but i have a slant in the fridge, this should be okay ???? shouldn't it ????. also how big a starter would you make for a 20 litre batch 10ml, 100ml and then up to 1 litre would that be correct?

I split the yeast cake from my first brew with this and I fired up a stubbie of slurry after being in the fridge for four months and it was great. I used it to ferment my Double Weizenbock. I fermented this one cool 18 deg C and it was great.

#83 Weizen Doppelbock
Weizenbock


Type: All Grain
Date: 19/01/2009
Batch Size: 27.00 L
Brewer: Stephen Wright
Boil Size: 33.09 L Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 75 min Equipment: My Gear
Taste Rating(out of 50): 0.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 62.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
6500.00 gm Wheat Malt, Dark (Weyermann) (13.8 EBC) Grain 54.17 %
1500.00 gm Carawheat (Weyermann) (98.5 EBC) Grain 12.50 %
1500.00 gm Munich II (Weyermann) (16.7 EBC) Grain 12.50 %
1500.00 gm Premium Pilsner (Weyermann) (2.2 EBC) Grain 12.50 %
500.00 gm Chocolate Wheat (Weyermann) (1100.0 EBC) Grain 4.17 %
50.00 gm Northern Brewer [6.50 %] (60 min) Hops 22.4 IBU
25.00 gm Tettnang [4.90 %] (15 min) Hops 4.2 IBU
0.50 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
11.00 gm PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 min) Misc
500.00 gm Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (2.0 EBC) Sugar 4.17 %
400 Pkgs Weihenstephan Weizen (Wyeast Labs #3068) Yeast-Wheat



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.090 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.090 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.021 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.021 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 9.03 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 9.05 %
Bitterness: 26.6 IBU Calories: 883 cal/l
Est Color: 82.0 EBC Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Decoction Mash, Double Total Grain Weight: 11500.00 gm
Sparge Water: 14.60 L Grain Temperature: 20.0 C
Sparge Temperature: 75.6 C TunTemperature: 20.0 C
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

 

[stueywhytcross]

Any good?.................. YES!

+1, i prefer this over the 3638. a must for any german weizen.

 

[therook]

I've just sat down after bottling my Hefe this very minute.

From the hydrometer I'm pretty optimistic. Esters are nice and subdued (although my nose is a bit off at the moment).

The yeast was from a slant (thanks MickOz!). I filled the slant tube for the first starter, then into ~100ml and then into ~1l.
So about 1.12 litres in all. :lol: Then settled it in the fridge and pitched just the dregs. OMG ... thank goodness you reminded me .. the stir bar is in there!

Thanks braufrau, just the answer i was after

Rook

 

[puffer_pics]

I am making a Weizen/Weissbier beer on the weekend using 3068, Show i make a started or just use the smack pack? From what i have read underpitching is a good thing with this yeast ??? Or should a make a starter, if so what size ?


Thanks Col



Schneider Weisse Style

A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 27.00 Wort Size (L): 27.00
Total Grain (kg): 6.30
Anticipated OG: 1.055 Plato: 13.64
Anticipated EBC: 17.7
Anticipated IBU: 12.3
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Formulas Used
-------------


Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager



Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential EBC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
61.9 3.90 kg. Weyermann Pale Wheat Germany 1.038 4
17.5 1.10 kg. Weyermann Vienna Germany 1.038 8
15.9 1.00 kg. IMC Pilsner Australia 1.038 3
4.8 0.30 kg. Weyermann Caramunich II Germany 1.035 167

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
30.00 g. Hallertauer Mittelfruh Pellet 5.60 10.2 30 min.
12.00 g. Hallertauer Mittelfruh Pellet 5.60 2.1 15 min.


Yeast
-----

WYeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Multi Step

Grain kg: 6.30
Water Qts: 28.63 - Before Additional Infusions
Water L: 27.09 - Before Additional Infusions

L Water Per kg Grain: 4.30 - Before Additional Infusions


Protein Rest Temp : 50 Time: 20
Saccharification Rest Temp : 66 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 76 Time: 10
Sparge Temp : 72 Time: 60

 

[Sammus]

Interesting this topic resurfaced. I had a smack pack of 3068 dated jul07, smacked it and it didnt swell after a week, i poured it in 500ml of 1.020 on a stir plate, and a drop or two into a vial of sterile distilled water. no activity on the stirplate after another week, thought i mightve missed it so I added 1L of wort. Still no sign and the wort is sweet.

Plated what was in the vial and its been 3 days and no sign of life... I really need this yeast but I'm too stingy to fork out for a new pack haha. my grain has been sitting here cracked for over 2 weeks, probably going stale . I'm determined to find a single living yeast cell in there and culture it into the large powerful beast I hear 3068 should be in the fermenter!.

 

[kabooby]

I would buy another smackpack. It will cost you alot more when the yeast doesn't start and you waste a brew.

Kabooby

 

[Fourstar]

Thanks braufrau, just the answer i was after

Rook

Hey rook,

Just like any starter. Personally i fill the vial with wort. give it a good shke and leave for 12 hours (approx 25 ml). give it antohe rshake to rouse and pitch into a 100ml starter. ferment for 12 or so hours and top up with 500ml. Then i ferment out, chill and decant excess and top up with another 500ml. Then i ferment to high krausen and pitch it all. When following the stated steps, ive calculated to the 1st 500ml will get you to approx a smack pack stage, after that wil be approx 1.5 smack packs.

 

[clean brewer]

Well I made a 1ltr starter with the smack pack and divided it between 5 stubbies and used the rest for another 1 ltr starter and then used that for a 2ltr starter. Went off well in my 3ltr Juice Bottle, pitched onto brew and its coming along nicely, its not jumping out of the fermenter though but do have it at 18degrees....

Alot of co2 in there though as the cling film on the fermenter is one big dome...

 

[Sammus]

I would buy another smackpack. It will cost you alot more when the yeast doesn't start and you waste a brew.

Kabooby

Yeah I just picked up another smackpack. The first one wasn't bought, it was given to me in return for a favour I did for scotty and dave ages ago, so I don't really feel like i wasted a pack of liquid I dropped my hard earned cash on.

Walked into MHB today and he just handed me one dated dec08 (just a little better than jul07 lol) for nix, told me to cash him up if it works as expected. I can't imagine it wont work being so recent, but hey, why not take up the challenge haha. I'll skim this during ferement and store it vials under sterile distilled water. Hopefully itll store better than the ill-treated half swollen smack pack.

 

[Jazzafish]

A whole yeast cake is overpitching.

According to the wyeast website linky

High pitch rates can lead to:

* Very low ester production
* Very fast fermentations
* Thin or lacking body/mouthfeel
* Autolysis (Yeasty flavors due to lysing of cells)

According to mrmalty linky
you need about 1/2 cup of slurry!

Hmmm,

That explains the commercial lagers! All points true appart from the autoalysis

 

[Sammus]

Yeah I just picked up another smackpack. The first one wasn't bought, it was given to me in return for a favour I did for scotty and dave ages ago, so I don't really feel like i wasted a pack of liquid I dropped my hard earned cash on.

Walked into MHB today and he just handed me one dated dec08 (just a little better than jul07 lol) for nix, told me to cash him up if it works as expected. I can't imagine it wont work being so recent, but hey, why not take up the challenge haha. I'll skim this during ferement and store it vials under sterile distilled water. Hopefully itll store better than the ill-treated half swollen smack pack.

Sweet as, smacked it cold and it looked like it was about to burst within 4 hours. Gotta love that.

 

[Damian44]

Im planning on doing a Weizen, 50% Pils and 50% Wheat using 3068. I just have a couple of questions. How would it turn out if my OG was only 1.038? And could I substitute Hallertau for Sazz?
TYVM

 

[clean brewer]

Just tried my Wit Beer last night with the 3068, this beer is great, nice Banana flavour, very smooth.. Brewed at 18c, was crash chilled for about 5 days though before I got to keg it, needs a bit more carbonation to style but I really like this beer..

So, success on my first use of liquid yeast and starters.. Thanks guys for the advice.. :beerbang:

:icon_cheers: CB

 

[cdbrown]

Well I made a 1ltr starter with the smack pack and divided it between 5 stubbies and used the rest for another 1 ltr starter and then used that for a 2ltr starter. Went off well in my 3ltr Juice Bottle, pitched onto brew and its coming along nicely, its not jumping out of the fermenter though but do have it at 18degrees....

Alot of co2 in there though as the cling film on the fermenter is one big dome...

Prior to brewing an Erdinger clone I did similar to you, smack pack into a 1L wort starter, after a couple of days I shook it slightly and split into 2 PETs. Poured 500ml on each and let go. One PET went into stubbies for later use, the other into the fermenter. Made an absolutely cracking brew which will made again.