[roguejim]

Jamil recommends 62F for fermenting a hefe.  He says it gives the best balance betweenclove and banana character.  What has been your experience with hefe
fermentation temp?

Also, my last batch threw a lot of sulphur.  If this happens, is it best to simply leave it in the fermenter until all of the sulphur has dissipated?

[euge]

This is a good question as I'm about to do one. I was thinking 65.

[tomsawyer]

I like anywhere between 62-65F for my hefes.  I might bring them up a few degrees after the peak of fermentation just to ensure they finish quickly.

As for sulfur, I've had that a time or two and it will generally blow off by the end of fermentation.  However, I think a good aeration and a little nutrient blend added to the wort will prevent sulfur from even happening.  H2S is formed by yeast that are stressed, and I think wheat malt doesn't maybe have quite the available nitrogen thats in barley malt so you have this tendency for a nutrient deficiency in wheat beers.  If you don't ahve a nutrient beldn then don't worry about it, the beers that I've detected sulfides in during fermentation have still been good.

[Mark G]

I like to pitch in the lower 60's as well. I've tried higher temps and found the ester/phenol profile unpleasant, at least for my taste. This is using WLP300 or WY3068. The sulphur, if you detect it, will usually be gone by the end of fermentation. I've only had sulphur using WLP380.

[Hokerer]

My last three (two hefe's and a dunkelweizen) were all fermented at the recommended 62F.  I feel all three had a really subdued ester/phenol character.  That is, couldn't hardly detect any banana nor any clove.  I think I might bump up to at least 65F the next time I do one.

[bluesman]

I have very good results pitching in the lower 60's. I believe you'll get a more balanced banana/clove profile in this range.

Sulfer will come out of solution over time. Krausening helps rid the beer of sulfer.

[rjharper]

I've had much better ester profiles in my weizens with WLP300 fermenting in the upper 60s.  I've done the same dunkel recipe at 62 and 68, and the cold fermented was as bland as get out.  I much preferred the higher temp batch.

That said, I'm trying WLP380 this time, aiming for 65F.

[jmcamerlengo]

I actually to blend WLP300 and WLP380. Pitch one vial of each

I also like to pitch at 56 and ramp up to 62 in the first day.  Produces great balance for my taste buds.  I wouldnt go higher than 65 unless you like a banana bomb. Get closer to 70 and youre gona get bubblegum...ick, but thats just me!

If youre doing all grain, I also strongly recommend a rest at 111 for 20 minutes.  It really helps bring out the subtle nuances of hefe yeast.

[majorvices]

I also like to pitch at 56 and ramp up to 62 in the first day.  Produces great balance for my taste buds.  I wouldnt go higher than 65 unless you like a banana bomb. Get closer to 70 and youre gona get bubblegum...ick, but thats just me!

If youre doing all grain, I also strongly recommend a rest at 111 for 20 minutes.  It really helps bring out the subtle nuances of hefe yeast.

+1!

[hamiltont]

I also like to pitch at 56 and ramp up to 62 in the first day.  Produces great balance for my taste buds.  I wouldnt go higher than 65 unless you like a banana bomb. Get closer to 70 and youre gona get bubblegum...ick, but thats just me!

If youre doing all grain, I also strongly recommend a rest at 111 for 20 minutes.  It really helps bring out the subtle nuances of hefe yeast.

+1!

Yes, the ferulic acid rest is definitely a must for a good hefe IMO. Once you've gone there you'll never go back...  Cheers!!!

[narcout]

I like the flavor of WLP380, but I've had trouble getting it to attenuate fully at 62.  I've had much better success pitching it in the low 60's but fermenting a few degrees warmer.

That being said, the yeast that Jamil recommends fermenting at 62 in Brewing Classic Styles is WLP300 or Wyeast 3068, so maybe that strain does better in the low 60's than the WLP380.

[majorvices]

I like the flavor of WLP380, but I've had trouble getting it to attenuate fully at 62.  I've had much better success pitching it in the low 60's but fermenting a few degrees warmer.

That being said, the yeast that Jamil recommends fermenting at 62 in Brewing Classic Styles is WLP300 or Wyeast 3068, so maybe that strain does better in the low 60's than the WLP380.

RReally? I have never had any problems at all pitching as low as 56 and fermenting most of it in the high 50's low 60's. I always warm up near 66-68 near the very end though.

I like the idea of blending WLP300 and 380 mentioned about. I'm going to try that on my next one.