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Author Topic: Give me your best practices with WY3068...  (Read 3692 times)

Offline dee

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Give me your best practices with WY3068...
« on: April 22, 2013, 08:51:34 am »
I'm about to brew a hefeweizen with WY3068 and I need you advice.  I've used WLP300, 351 and 380 in the past and haven't been satisfied with my results.  I want banana, clove and bubblegum(yes, I want it all) with a full body(no thin, tart weizens) if I can squeeze all of that out.  I'm plan on using pils and wheat with no cara malts.  I can follow any fermentation schedule so pitching low and raising temps isn't an issue.  What's your secret?   

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Give me your best practices with WY3068...
« Reply #1 on: April 22, 2013, 08:57:41 am »
I think it's much better fermented cooler - between 62 and 64.  Brings out more of the clove profile, which I like better.  If you're after the banana and bubblegum, 68-70 will get you there.
Jon H.

Offline slarkin712

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Re: Give me your best practices with WY3068...
« Reply #2 on: April 22, 2013, 09:16:16 am »
Pitching rate is very important with this yeast.  I suggest pitching less than you would for a typical ale.  Pitch somewhere in the 4-7 million cells/mL range.  Here's a great thread with much discussion on pitching rate:
http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=12789.0

Offline reverseapachemaster

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Re: Give me your best practices with WY3068...
« Reply #3 on: April 22, 2013, 09:17:05 am »
WLP300 and WY3068 are the same strain. I've used both company's strains with good success. It's really more how you treat the beer through the whole process that will give you good results.

If you want a good clove flavor you need to hit a feuric acid rest around 113F but unless you are using undermodified malts you should skip the protein rest.

People disagree whether a decoction mash is necessary. Personally I prefer to do them with my weizen beers but my favorite commercial hefe (Live Oak Hefeweizen) is not decoction mashed so I am not committed to either side. I think with the mash you want to set your mash temperature higher or lower based upon how much wheat you use. Wheat malt adds a lot of protein, which will give you body, so the more wheat you use the lower you can set your mash temperature without getting a thin beer. You can use a lot of wheat plus a higher mash temperature for a very full body. Using two row in conjunction with or instead of pilsner can also add body.

The clove/banana/bubble gum complex is all fermentation-controlled. I don't particularly like to underpitch or under-aerate to drive those flavors because I don't get good consistency on my system. I repitch a lot of yeast so I rely on making a starter based on good pitching rates to ensure the yeast are healthy. If you are pitching fresh yeast from a smack pack then it's easier to know the health of the yeast and control your underpitching. So I rely on temperature control to drive flavors. I like 66-67 as a combination a little heavy on the banana but little or no bubble gum. The upper 60s, maybe even up to 72F, would be the place to go to get the bubble gum flavors. In my early brew days with less fermentation control I let a hefe get into the mid and upper 70s. Not enjoyable at all.
Heck yeah I blog about homebrewing: Brain Sparging on Brewing

Offline brianmchi

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Re: Give me your best practices with WY3068...
« Reply #4 on: July 17, 2013, 10:56:44 pm »
reverseapachemaster: What pitching rate are you using?