Yeast Of The Week- 3/11/10 - Wyeast 3068

[np1962]

This weeks yeast of choice is Wyeast 3068- Weihenstephan Weizen Yeast

From Wyeast

YEAST STRAIN: 3068 | Weihenstephan Weizen

The classic and most popular German wheat beer strain used worldwide. This yeast strain produces a beautiful and delicate balance of banana esters and clove phenolics. The balance can be manipulated towards ester production through increasing the fermentation temperature, increasing the wort density, and decreasing the pitch rate. Over pitching can result in a near complete loss of banana character. Decreasing the ester level will allow a higher clove character to be perceived. Sulfur is commonly produced, but will dissipate with conditioning. This strain is very powdery and will remain in suspension for an extended amount of time following attenuation. This is true top cropping yeast and requires fermenter headspace of 33%.

Origin: Weihenstephan 68 (S. delbrueckii single strain)
Flocculation: low
Attenuation: 73-77%
Temperature Range: 64-75 F (18-24 C)
Alcohol Tolerance: approximately 10% ABV


Styles:
Dunkelweizen
Fruit Beer
German Hefe-Weizen
Roggenbier (German Rye Beer)
Weizen/Weissbier
Weizenbock

What styles do you use it in, what styles does it just not work for?
Any tricks for how to manage it - fermentation temperatures, starter sizes, re-using it by top-cropping or using the slurry, does it need rousing or will it conk out in high gravity beers?
Are there comparable yeasts from other manufacturers?
Anything else you like or dislike about this yeast?

 

[beerbrewer76543]

I prefer this yeast to the 3638 Bavarian Wheat

Balancing the clove and banana to your desired levels is the trickiest thing with this yeast

I have found so far:

More clove: Mash rest 45*C
Low banana: high oxygen wort, big yeast starter, cool ferment say 16*C
High banana: low oxygen wort, smaller yeast starter, warm ferment say 18*C to 22*C

I have only used it in a hefeweizen so far... Anyone with experience using 3068 in other styles?

Cheers :beer:

 

[Fourstar]

I prefer this yeast to the 3638 Bavarian Wheat

Balancing the clove and banana to your desired levels is the trickiest thing with this yeast

I have found so far:

More clove: Mash rest 45*C
Low banana: high oxygen wort, big yeast starter, cool ferment say 16*C
High banana: low oxygen wort, smaller yeast starter, warm ferment say 18*C to 22*C

I have only used it in a hefeweizen so far... Anyone with experience using 3068 in other styles?

Cheers :beer:

hefe and dunkel for me. both have turned out well in the past.

also on the 45 deg rest, a ferulic acid rest is at the optimum IIRC at 43. Also the pH plays a big part in this and should be as close to 5.7 pH

Im a clove man and shoot for a standard pitching rate, standard aeration and a ferment temp of 17deg~. Pitching 1-2 deg lower than ferment temp if possible. Ive got todo a couple of weizens again soon for the warmer months ahead. :icon_drunk:

Oh, the sulfur part as noted on the description seems to occur when the yeast is stressed, when i have top cropped this yeast and re-pitched, no sulfur on the second pitch.

 

[praxis178]

I prefer this yeast to the 3638 Bavarian Wheat

Balancing the clove and banana to your desired levels is the trickiest thing with this yeast

I have found so far:

More clove: Mash rest 45*C
Low banana: high oxygen wort, big yeast starter, cool ferment say 16*C
High banana: low oxygen wort, smaller yeast starter, warm ferment say 18*C to 22*C

I have only used it in a hefeweizen so far... Anyone with experience using 3068 in other styles?

Cheers :beer:

I do my ferulic rest (more cloves) at 37C for ~10mins then up to 50C for protein then 65ish for conversion.

I have also used it in Roggenbier with a cool 15-16C ferment and two rackings, very clean spicy finish with just a hint of banana....

 

[Fourstar]

I have also used it in Roggenbier with a cool 15-16C ferment and two rackings, very clean spicy finish with just a hint of banana....

Yesssss... must do a roggen. :icon_drool2:

 

[Weizguy]

+1 for Roggen.

Quite a versatile, if workaday, weizen yeast.

Do you think there's a good reason that this is the most widely used weizen yeast in Germany, as well as the rest of the world?

If you want banana, you can underpitch and ferment high for max yeast growth/ester formation.

Jamil recommends 17C for this yeast, IIRC.

Have used this yeast many times, and will definitely use it again.

Les out

 

[felten]

Great timing for this one, I was going to put down tony's dunkel tomorrow but unfortunately the builders are in and I can't put down a brew until the weekend

Can't wait though.

 

[manticle]

Used a couple of times in hefe- similar to Fourstar - ferulic acid rest ay 45 to push clove, single decoction mash then appropriate 3068 starter and fermented at around 17 degrees. A hint of bana still comes through but result verges on the tarter side which suits me. I like tarts.

Would use again. Am aiming to make a dunkelweizen at some point and would whack this one in there. If that works I'll look at a weizen eisbock a la schneider aventinus.

 

[jotaigna]

tried it for an attempt at cloning franziskaner dunkel. After day 2 of fermentation (@19C) the smell was so good I got some vials and started a yeast bank. I wouldnt got any close to matching if it wasnt for it.
I do extract brewing so I dont know how to manipulate clove, but if I want more/less banana stink, I vary the size of the starter.

 

[drsmurto]

Roggen is also on my to do list. :icon_drool2:

Not much of a wheat beer fan but have brewed a hefe and a dunkelweizen. Hefe was ok but not for me, the dunkelweizen turned me onto wheats so will be brewing another but using this yeast instead of the 3638 i used last time.

Interesting to note about the top cropping as i will be doing that a few times getting enough yeast on hand for a dunkelweizenbock (Pikantus) and possibly a rye/wheat wine.

 

[felten]

Put this down 2 days ago, pitched at 17c, krausen started receding today but it only got up to ~4 inches, nowhere near the top of the fermenter which was actually a little disappointing(20.5L in a coopers FV). Took a few samples so far and no clove! plenty of banana though and maybe a little bit of bubblegum.

 

[warra48]

I am a big fan of WY3068, and have had some very good results using it, including one brew where I couldn't distinguish it from Erdinger Hefeweizen. I'll use it again in future.

I've just not had that real Bavarian weizen character using dry yeasts.

However, I'm putting down a hefeweizen next week, and will use a fresh smakpak of WY3638 this time. I'll top crop it to harvest some if it for future brews, but the yeast cake will be used for a Pikantus clone, using Trough Lolly's recipe (I've brewed this a few times previously, and it's very impressive).

 

[aaronpetersen]

I'm going to make Tony's dark wheat dunkelweizen on the weekend and was planning to use this yeast. I want more banana than clove so plan to underpitch a little. I'll have 16L @ 1052 wort in the fermenter. What pitching rate do people suggest? MrMalty recommends 154 billion cells, but that would be the correct pitching rate. Should I just subtract 10 or 20%?