Harvested yeast success. Well..

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

StusBrew

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2012
Messages
132
Reaction score
1
Location
Bingen
So...Brewed a dunkelweizen and decided to harvest the yeast. I had planned on doing a roggenbier afterwards and then possibly a weizenbock. All the recipes use the same yeast strain.
Decided on using the Wyeast 3068 I think. The Weihenstephan strain. A different fellow for sure.
So about 7 or 8 weeks ago, actually, I think it was Veteran's day, brewed dunkelweizen. 3 or 4 days later, high krausen. Very vigorous. Sanitizing racking cane, took out airlock, stuffed tubing down hole in bung. CO2 pushed out yeast into growler. I got some top-cropped yeast. Then 3 weeks later, bottled. I then boiled water (enough) to put in quart Mason jar), swirled carboy. Poured out everything. Well, took like 3 Mason jars. Bottom-cropped?? Anyway, I got a True Brew Hefeweizen extract kit. Probably going to brew tomorrow after work. Got the starter going last night. Poured in slurry I had in fridge for over 7 weeks. Within a few hours, activity! We'll see how flavor turns out in hefeweizen. If it's the same activity and length and attenuation I got when brewed dunkelweizen. then I can say whether or not it was a success harvesting yeast.
 
The extract hefeweizen turned out great. Managed to keep it fermenting at 62 or lower. Though at about day 6, when everything seemed to stop, wrapped heating pad around carboy for about 5 or 6 hours. Got it up to 67 or 68. so I guess success. Harvesting yeast, 1.5 months in fridge. The hefeweizen had none of the banana or ripe fruit aroma or taste. More clove like. A little disappointed really after using same thing for dunkelweizen. really liked it.
Brewed roggenbier yesterday. Using same strain of yeast for dunkelweizen, and hefeweizen. Hoping for same taste/aroma along the lines of dunkelweizen and not the hefeweizen. that hefeweizen extract was not my cup of tea it turns out. Only thing I could control was fermentation parameters. Made a good hefe though.
 
The extract hefeweizen turned out great. ..... The hefeweizen had none of the banana or ripe fruit aroma or taste. More clove like. A little disappointed really..... really liked it.
.......that hefeweizen extract was not my cup of tea it turns out. .....Made a good hefe though.

Well I am confused???
 
What are you confused about? Had a few of the hefe's. Liked them. Though missed the fruity ester/phenolic clove thing from dunkelweizen. Realized I had no control over anything because it was extract. Kept temps. around 60 - 62 for 2 weeks. I'm trying to say, I think it was a beer that was brewed best as could considering 2 cans of extract. Harvested yeast. the part I'm disappointed about, and conflicting, is I MISS the yeast character I got from dunkelweizen.
 
So. Further on. I harvested yeast from dunkelweizen brewed back in November 2012. Got an extract kit for hefeweizen for Christmas. Brewed on New Years' Eve Day. 2 weeks later. Harvested yeast from that. Both times I harvested the yeast (from dunkelweizen and hefeweizen) I used stuff I top-cropped within a day of high krauesen and then yeast I had washed and harvested from bottom of carboy after primary (fermentation). I brewed roggenbier 1 week ago. Got high krauesen. Activity about 4 hours after pitching. 2 Liter starter. Temps. ranged from 58 degrees to 62 degrees F for the week. In 5 days down to 1.012. When I did the dunkelweizen. It was 9 or 10 days of pretty steady fermentation activity. I'm wondering inadvertently selecting. So far after 1st tasting and gravity reading of this roggenbier, not getting the ester/phenolic stuff I got when did the dunkelweizen. I can't decide or nail down if it's temerature, or my yeast harvesting technique. But I'm suspecting since first time harvesting yeast: It's operator error.
 
Have you looked at Wyeasts website regarding the strain you're using? Typically those esters and aromatic compounds are formed at higher temps then what you seem to be fermenting at (you said lower than 62 right?) They say the range is from 64-75F, maybe try letting things warm up on your next brew. Seems like in order for most esters and such to form the temp needs to be around 70F regardless of the strain
 
yeah hopmonster. Could be. When I did the dunkelweizen. I tried to let it at low 60s. Got nervous because I had went to website and saw optimal temp. ranges. So I brought it upstairs when temps. were high 60s. You could be right.
Also kind of concerned. Dunkelweizen went 9 or 10 days of pretty steady fermentation activity. Hefeweizen and now the roggenbier was done with that activity in less than a week. Oh well.
 
It's tough to say with the yeast, but I'm willing to bet that because you had vigorous activity within 4 hours the yeast is viable. I'd imagine your technique of collecting top and bottom yeast would make for a well rounded colony which seems to work great. So both those brews after the dunkelweizen reached FG as well correct? I've never used the 3068 strain but used a Bavarian strain for a dunkelweizen and those banana & clove esters really came through when I fermented at about 68F. Maybe try and search this forum for "3068 fermentation temperature" it looks like most say they ferment this strain around 65-67F for a balanced clove and banana, but 70 or higher and the bubblegum becomes overpowering. The threads seem to say the temp is crucial to the resulting flavor. I'd look into that, your yeast sounds like its viable.
 
Actually Banana, and clove are desirable in a good Heff....My recommendation is go get some Fransikaner and do some research. Also cut back on the coffee a bit:D
 
It was a recipe from Jamil's book. Suggested that 62 degrees. The dunkelweizen at first (before bottling, while taking gravities), very strong banana aroma/flavor. Once I let it sit in primary for 3 weeks before bottling, it was a nice balance. 2- 3 weeks in bottle was magic. There was a balance I think. Like I said, the hefe and the roggenbier were in lower temps during fermentation. So...
Yes, the yeast is a monster. Reached expected FG and actually got a point or two lower than I expected. OGs in dunkelweizen and roggenbier were higher than what recipe called for and still got FG the same or a few points lower. Kind of like the yeast. I'm missing the dunkelweizen. xcited for the roggenbier.
Considering doing a North German Altbier. But kind of leaning towards: let's make more dunkelweizen and roggenbier. meh...
 
Back
Top