Hefeweizen taste

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Niv

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I just bottled this today so I am not worried yet but I wanted to get some thoughts from anyone who has made a few hefeweizens. I just bottled it today. This was an all grain brew with an OG of 1.046 and FG of 1.011. It smells like a decent hefe but when I took a taste from the tester there seemed to be no banana or cloves flavors and an almost sour taste. Is this common until it is done conditioning? It seems way more off than my other brews have been as far as an original taste test compared to finished taste.
Just for information it fermented at 64-66 degrees for a week and a half then the last few days I raised it slowly to about 70.

Any comments on the taste? Anyone with experience with hefe's know if this is common until it finishes conditioning?

Thanks
 
to get more bannana and clove you would need the primary fermentation at around 68-70 (first 4 days or so)

as for the sour... is it like tart fruit sour or like vinegar sour?
 
According to the 2008 BJCP STYLE GUIDELINES

15. GERMAN WHEAT AND RYE BEER
15A. Weizen/Weissbier
Aroma: Moderate to strong phenols (usually clove) and fruity esters (usually banana). The balance and intensity of the phenol and ester components can vary but the best examples are reasonably balanced and fairly prominent. Noble hop character ranges from low to none. A light to moderate wheat aroma (which might be perceived as bready or grainy) may be present but other malt characteristics should not. No diacetyl or DMS. Optional, but acceptable, aromatics can include a light, citrusy tartness, a light to moderate vanilla character, and/or a low bubblegum aroma. None of these optional characteristics should be high or dominant, but often can add to the complexity and balance.
Appearance: Pale straw to very dark gold in color. A very thick, moussy, long-lasting white head is characteristic. The high protein content of wheat impairs clarity in an unfiltered beer, although the level of haze is somewhat variable. A beer “mit hefe” is also cloudy from suspended yeast sediment (which should be roused before drinking). The filtered Krystal version has no yeast and is brilliantly clear.
Flavor: Low to moderately strong banana and clove flavor. The balance and intensity of the phenol and ester components can vary but the best examples are reasonably balanced and fairly prominent. Optionally, a very light to moderate vanilla character and/or low bubblegum notes can accentuate the banana flavor, sweetness and roundness; neither should be dominant if present. The soft, somewhat bready or grainy flavor of wheat is complementary, as is a slightly sweet Pils malt character. Hop flavor is very low to none, and hop bitterness is very low to moderately low. A tart, citrusy character from yeast and high carbonation is often present. Well rounded, flavorful palate with a relatively dry finish. No diacetyl or DMS.
Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body; never heavy. Suspended yeast may increase the perception of body. The texture of wheat imparts the sensation of a fluffy, creamy fullness that may progress to a light, spritzy finish aided by high carbonation. Always effervescent.
Overall Impression: A pale, spicy, fruity, refreshing wheat-based ale.
History: A traditional wheat-based ale originating in Southern Germany that is a specialty for summer consumption, but generally produced year-round.
Comments: These are refreshing, fast-maturing beers that are lightly hopped and show a unique banana-and-clove yeast character. These beers often don’t age well and are best enjoyed while young and fresh. The version “mit hefe” is served with yeast sediment stirred in; the krystal version is filtered for excellent clarity. Bottles with yeast are traditionally swirled or gently rolled prior to serving. The character of a krystal weizen is generally fruitier and less phenolic than that of the hefe-weizen.
Ingredients: By German law, at least 50% of the grist must be malted wheat, although some versions use up to 70%; the remainder is Pilsner malt. A traditional decoction mash gives the appropriate body without cloying sweetness. Weizen ale yeasts produce the typical spicy and fruity character, although extreme fermentation temperatures can affect the balance and produce off-flavors. A small amount of noble hops are used only for bitterness.
Vital Statistics: OG: 1.044 – 1.052
IBUs: 8 – 15 FG: 1.010 – 1.014
SRM: 2 – 8 ABV: 4.3 – 5.6%
Commercial Examples: Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier, Schneider Weisse Weizenhell, Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, Hacker-Pschorr Weisse, Plank Bavarian Hefeweizen, Ayinger Bräu Weisse, Ettaler Weissbier Hell, Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse, Andechser Weissbier Hefetrüb, Kapuziner Weissbier, Erdinger Weissbier, Penn Weizen, Barrelhouse Hocking Hills HefeWeizen, Eisenbahn Weizenbier
 
to get more bannana and clove you would need the primary fermentation at around 68-70 (first 4 days or so)

as for the sour... is it like tart fruit sour or like vinegar sour?

more of a tart taste but very slight.
 
btw: I used Wyeast 3638

I did some research before I used this for my Hefe. It said the colder, the more clover/banana flavor... the warmer, the more bubble gum. I have strong clove, light banana and mine was under 68, but never warmer then 64 thru the entire ferment.

Also, I noticed a slight tart taste when I bottled as well... 2 and a half weeks later, i noticed its still not as carbed as i'd like (giving it another two weeks before I crack anymore), however the tart has mellowed out and is barely noticeable.
 
I did some research before I used this for my Hefe. It said the colder, the more clover/banana flavor... the warmer, the more bubble gum. I have strong clove, light banana and mine was under 68, but never warmer then 64 thru the entire ferment.

Also, I noticed a slight tart taste when I bottled as well... 2 and a half weeks later, i noticed its still not as carbed as i'd like (giving it another two weeks before I crack anymore), however the tart has mellowed out and is barely noticeable.

That's good to know did the esters become more pronounced?
 
I can see a little tartness (but not sourness) being appropriate in a hefe. I've always fermented mine between 68 and 70, but I know Jamil insists that colder is better, recommending 62. I've never been satisfied with the levels of clove or banana I get, so next hefe I do I'm gonna try it his way.
 
Well, I did a lot of reading an settled on around 64-66 and right now no esters. I've been seeing a lot of people claim hotter is better for esters so. I dunno. I think I'm just going to do hefes for my next few batches and experiment. I'm going to try under pitching a bit more as well.
 
i've done dozens of hefe's over the years (1 of my favorite types), and i used to only run into that flavor when i pitched onto a wb-06 cake. fresh yeast, no problem; wheat yeast cake... almost a sour beer. never any problem with any other type yeast
 
I have also heard that 62f fermentation temps and underpitching give the best ester characteristics.
 
I did some research before I used this for my Hefe. It said the colder, the more clover/banana flavor... the warmer, the more bubble gum. I have strong clove, light banana and mine was under 68, but never warmer then 64 thru the entire ferment.

Both the "banana" and "bubble gum"/Juicy Fruit flavor comes from isoamyl acetate and some of the other friendly esters -- Heat would help produce both.
Colder will push it more phenolic (clove) while warmer will push towards esters (banana/gum). That's why you got strong clove but less of the banana.

The method described above (62 and underpitching) makes a lot of sense.. the colder side will bring out the clove, and yeast reproduction is what contributes most to ester formation. Encouraging more budding in a colder environment should give you both!
 
That's good to know did the esters become more pronounced?

The clove is most pronounced. Its still slightly under carbed and i feel it needs to mellow a bit more so im thinking a few more weeks might round the clove down and maybe make the others a bit noticeable. Not that the flavors would increase with the mellowing, just that the additional carbonation but help my palette with it.
 
The clove is most pronounced. Its still slightly under carbed and i feel it needs to mellow a bit more so im thinking a few more weeks might round the clove down and maybe make the others a bit noticeable. Not that the flavors would increase with the mellowing, just that the additional carbonation but help my palette with it.

Yeah, I'm hoping that I get just a tad bit of banana from my bottle conditioning at around 74 degrees. Other than that I think I'm not going to get much esters wise. Thanks for the feedback. I'll keep you posted on how mine turns out. Please let me know how yours is when you taste it again.
 
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