[fredthecat]

This thread gave me nightmares... I was being chased by giant bananas, a huge clove and a tall glass of beer with a lemon in it.  I didn't sleep a wink.    Sorry... I love beer but for the love of man I can't do hefeweizens.  I have used this yeast (LONG time ago) and believe me when I tell you it will do everything you want.  In all seriouslness, I did know a number of hefeheads who were local brewers and they were very serious about making the perfect hefeweizen and 3068 was their unanimous yeast of choice.  They would go to local craft breweries and sample their Hefeweizens to get ideas.  Eventually they did find their perfect recipe and they got very good at brewing this style and 3068 was the cornerstone.  Good luck, Megary.

i know what you mean, i definitely appreciate those weisse beer specialist breweries.

im far from an expert on it but its a fascinating style.

-on the whitelabs youtube page there is a 50 min article on brewing a hefeweisse
-ive heard mention stuf about certain mash procedures to create more glucose for more banana esters, but i also thought - why not just add glucose then?
-i tried underpitching with munich classic dry and i did not like the results i believed were caused by underpitching. i dont do any of that suggested "stress the yeast to get x flavour" because of that experience.

And then there's the way Sierra Nevada makes theirs....open fermentation in huge vats in a negative pressure room. Bigfoot gets the same treatment.

open fermentation is a hope of mine some day, but not in the foreseeable future. you mean sierra nevada's weizen beer is done this way? ive never had it.

[Megary]

Thanks to Denny for making this happen.  This puts to rest my question regarding pitch rate, though now, after reading their last response, I’m scratching my head a bit about fermentation temperature!   

Niceties removed…

To Wyeast:
Regarding 3068, my hope is to make a nice, balanced Hefe with both a banana and clove presence. But I definitely want banana. My concern is pitching a full pack into my 3-gallon, 1.048 batch. This, I assume, would be a classic example of over-pitching and the possibility of losing all banana character.

Assuming a healthy, full-blown smack-pack is good for 5 gallons of wort, would you recommend I only pitch 60% of the pack? Less?

(I also believe that fermentation temperature is another way to manipulate esters. On the colder side of the yeast's temperature range, esters will be reduced, and clove will be more dominant. Warmer side, more esters, more banana. Mid-range, a balance of the two.)

Reply from Wyeast:
Thank you for contacting Wyeast Laboratories and regarding your questions about the banana esters, you would need to pitch 75 ml (60%) or 62.5 ml (50%) if the Activator is fresh, likewise, set the fermentation temperature in the warmer range at 72-73 degrees Fahrenheit.

Back to Wyeast:
To clarify, if I want a balance of clove and banana, I assume I would still pitch 75ml or 62.5ml but keep the fermentation temperature in the middle of the yeast’s range, say 69 degrees or so?

Reply from Wyeast:
That is correct, though since the beer planned is a hefeweizen generally the fermentation temperature is a bit higher.

[denny]

Thanks to Denny for making this happen.  This puts to rest my question regarding pitch rate, though now, after reading their last response, I’m scratching my head a bit about fermentation temperature!   

Niceties removed…

To Wyeast:
Regarding 3068, my hope is to make a nice, balanced Hefe with both a banana and clove presence. But I definitely want banana. My concern is pitching a full pack into my 3-gallon, 1.048 batch. This, I assume, would be a classic example of over-pitching and the possibility of losing all banana character.

Assuming a healthy, full-blown smack-pack is good for 5 gallons of wort, would you recommend I only pitch 60% of the pack? Less?

(I also believe that fermentation temperature is another way to manipulate esters. On the colder side of the yeast's temperature range, esters will be reduced, and clove will be more dominant. Warmer side, more esters, more banana. Mid-range, a balance of the two.)

Reply from Wyeast:
Thank you for contacting Wyeast Laboratories and regarding your questions about the banana esters, you would need to pitch 75 ml (60%) or 62.5 ml (50%) if the Activator is fresh, likewise, set the fermentation temperature in the warmer range at 72-73 degrees Fahrenheit.

Back to Wyeast:
To clarify, if I want a balance of clove and banana, I assume I would still pitch 75ml or 62.5ml but keep the fermentation temperature in the middle of the yeast’s range, say 69 degrees or so?

Reply from Wyeast:
That is correct, though since the beer planned is a hefeweizen generally the fermentation temperature is a bit higher.

I think what they're saying is that since hefe brewers generally want higher ester levels, it's generally fermented on the warmer side.

[erockrph]

open fermentation is a hope of mine some day, but not in the foreseeable future. you mean sierra nevada's weizen beer is done this way? ive never had it.

Open fermentation is easy on the homebrew scale. Just leave the top off of your fermentation vessel. I've done this in buckets and kegs, and I just put a sanitized paint strainer bag or BIAB bag over the top to keep bugs out.

Also, I've tried using dextrose in my last hefe and I didn't think it made much of a difference. But that's just one data point, and I don't brew them super often. That said, I'd probably give it another try just to confirm. YMMV

[denny]

This thread gave me nightmares... I was being chased by giant bananas, a huge clove and a tall glass of beer with a lemon in it.  I didn't sleep a wink.    Sorry... I love beer but for the love of man I can't do hefeweizens.  I have used this yeast (LONG time ago) and believe me when I tell you it will do everything you want.  In all seriouslness, I did know a number of hefeheads who were local brewers and they were very serious about making the perfect hefeweizen and 3068 was their unanimous yeast of choice.  They would go to local craft breweries and sample their Hefeweizens to get ideas.  Eventually they did find their perfect recipe and they got very good at brewing this style and 3068 was the cornerstone.  Good luck, Megary.

i know what you mean, i definitely appreciate those weisse beer specialist breweries.

im far from an expert on it but its a fascinating style.

-on the whitelabs youtube page there is a 50 min article on brewing a hefeweisse
-ive heard mention stuf about certain mash procedures to create more glucose for more banana esters, but i also thought - why not just add glucose then?
-i tried underpitching with munich classic dry and i did not like the results i believed were caused by underpitching. i dont do any of that suggested "stress the yeast to get x flavour" because of that experience.

And then there's the way Sierra Nevada makes theirs....open fermentation in huge vats in a negative pressure room. Bigfoot gets the same treatment.

open fermentation is a hope of mine some day, but not in the foreseeable future. you mean sierra nevada's weizen beer is done this way? ive never had it.

Yes, as is their Bigfoot BW
https://photos.app.goo.gl/p6u8MrYqfiKhHEpV9

[dannyjed]

I haven’t used 3068 in a while, but I think you might want to ferment around 70-72. Also, you can ferment with the lid on loosely if you’re using a bucket or similar fermenter. I do this when I make my Barleywine each year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Megary]

I haven’t used 3068 in a while, but I think you might want to ferment around 70-72. Also, you can ferment with the lid on loosely if you’re using a bucket or similar fermenter. I do this when I make my Barleywine each year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I use a Speidel with some, but not a lot, of head space.  From the tales I have heard regarding the fermentation of this yeast, a blow-off is a must.  I could run the blow-off hose into a sink and let the spillage just drain freely.  I don't think that counts as "open fermentation", but it would save me cleaning a mason jar and wasting star-san.

[Rudy]

I was stationed in Germany for 10 years and drank way more than my fair share of Hefeweizen. I tried for years to recreate, tried all the tricks with mash schedules and yeast pitch rates and temperatures and nothing tasted like German Hefeweizen.

I finally figured it out.  Lallemand Munich Classic dry yeast @168f. I also open ferment in a 15 gallon sterilite container from Walmart. Tastes just as good as the Hefeweizens I drank in Germany. I took some to my old drinking buddy and he said “now THAT’s the taste I’ve been missing.”

[ynotbrusum]

I was stationed in Germany for 10 years and drank way more than my fair share of Hefeweizen. I tried for years to recreate, tried all the tricks with mash schedules and yeast pitch rates and temperatures and nothing tasted like German Hefeweizen.

I finally figured it out.  Lallemand Munich Classic dry yeast @168f. I also open ferment in a 15 gallon sterilite container from Walmart. Tastes just as good as the Hefeweizens I drank in Germany. I took some to my old drinking buddy and he said “now THAT’s the taste I’ve been missing.”

  Do you mean 68F? or is it a mash temp at 168F?  That would seem right for the fermentation at 68F and too high at the mash of 168F...but maybe I am missing something.

[fredthecat]

I was stationed in Germany for 10 years and drank way more than my fair share of Hefeweizen. I tried for years to recreate, tried all the tricks with mash schedules and yeast pitch rates and temperatures and nothing tasted like German Hefeweizen.

I finally figured it out.  Lallemand Munich Classic dry yeast @168f. I also open ferment in a 15 gallon sterilite container from Walmart. Tastes just as good as the Hefeweizens I drank in Germany. I took some to my old drinking buddy and he said “now THAT’s the taste I’ve been missing.”

  Do you mean 68F? or is it a mash temp at 168F?  That would seem right for the fermentation at 68F and too high at the mash of 168F...but maybe I am missing something.

fermenting at 168F really brings out the esters.



but lol, i had to assume he meant 68F, munich classic.

[goose]

Make sure to use a blow-off tube.  3068 is an aggressive fermenter and will blow off quite a bit.  I learned this the hard way, although I was fermenting in the basement and not in a room where I could damage the carpet or floor.

[Megary]

Make sure to use a blow-off tube.  3068 is an aggressive fermenter and will blow off quite a bit.  I learned this the hard way, although I was fermenting in the basement and not in a room where I could damage the carpet or floor.

Indeed.  I intend to let the blowoff drain freely into a sink instead of into a mason jar of Star-San.  Then I’ll set up an air-lock once fermentation dies down.

Brew day kicks off bright and early tomorrow.  I hope to pitch around 65-66F and let the main part of fermentation ramp that up to 70-72. 

[Megary]

Make sure to use a blow-off tube.  3068 is an aggressive fermenter and will blow off quite a bit.  I learned this the hard way, although I was fermenting in the basement and not in a room where I could damage the carpet or floor.

Indeed.  I intend to let the blowoff drain freely into a sink instead of into a mason jar of Star-San.  Then I’ll set up an air-lock once fermentation dies down.

Brew day kicks off bright and early tomorrow.  I hope to pitch around 65-66F and let the main part of fermentation ramp that up to 70-72.

Pitched 60-65% of a very fresh, fully expanded pack at 66°.  I had a krausen forming in about 5 hours and a very busy blowoff when I woke up this morning, approximately 14 hours post-pitch.  Wort temp is currently at 70° in a 67° basement room.  I suspect the beer will go up another degree or two before it settles down.  Noticeable but not overwhelming banana aroma, not sure if that is telling in any way.

[fredthecat]

i wonder when say, bavaria, first tasted bananas?

they may just have been enjoying this flavour in wheat beers before anyone or likely peasants had ever tasted a banana. pretty interesting.

[Megary]

Make sure to use a blow-off tube.  3068 is an aggressive fermenter and will blow off quite a bit.  I learned this the hard way, although I was fermenting in the basement and not in a room where I could damage the carpet or floor.

Indeed.  I intend to let the blowoff drain freely into a sink instead of into a mason jar of Star-San.  Then I’ll set up an air-lock once fermentation dies down.

Brew day kicks off bright and early tomorrow.  I hope to pitch around 65-66F and let the main part of fermentation ramp that up to 70-72.

Pitched 60-65% of a very fresh, fully expanded pack at 66°.  I had a krausen forming in about 5 hours and a very busy blowoff when I woke up this morning, approximately 14 hours post-pitch.  Wort temp is currently at 70° in a 67° basement room.  I suspect the beer will go up another degree or two before it settles down.  Noticeable but not overwhelming banana aroma, not sure if that is telling in any way.

(I realize many of you are already familiar with this yeast and don't need updates, but for anyone looking for a data point, I'll see this thread through.)

And the show is over.  At about 36 hours post-pitch, the blow-off went quiet so I removed it (what a mess) and set up an air-lock.  Temp maxed out around 71° and started to drop.  I moved the fermenter to a 70° room and will leave it there for another week at least.  The krausen inside the fermenter is insane, super thick.  Quite interesting to look at.  I should have taken a picture.