In praise of WLP300

Just wanted to say how much I like this yeast, although I've yet to have a taste of the product it creates

First, I'll start with my recipe:

1/2 lb. Flaked wheat
1/2 lb. Cara-pils
6 lbs. wheat DME
1oz. Tradition for 60 min.
1oz. Tradition for 15 min.
Quart starter(my first) WLP300

Simple, I know, but the stuff just smells great!

I made the starter with light DME and I was worried that monkeys would invade my house as the bannana aroma was crazy!

Upon cooling and pitching I had more of the same(bannana aroma) less than 12 hours later and for about two days as the blowoff (also my first) bubbled like mad. The crazy thing is the krausen never got within an inch of the lid of my 6.5 gallon bucket. I guess the water bath with bottled ice cubes does work. It has stayed in the low 60's for six days with decreasing ice additions to the water bath. After three days I switched to an airlock, and the aroma quickly changed to a mix of sour/sulphur/clovey/peppery mix. It was pretty nasty smelling. The airlock has continued to slowly bubble the whole time, and I pulled the lid last night because I just couldn't stand it! There was a nasty looking creamy foam with hunks of what looks like yeast sitting on top! This stuff is crazy-nasty and I like it.:rockin: I took a quick whiff before sealing it back up and found the bannana aroma that had been missing. It'll go to bottle on Memorial day or the day after, and the two weeks after that will be HELL waiting to sample.

I don't know if I'm just excited to break away from the simple american ales I've been brewing, or this stuff is just magic in a vial. I'm inspired to save some and have paid great attention to Berniebrewer's washing thread as I intend to try another new technique with this brew.

This is batch number five in my "homebrewing re-birth", and the next should be another wheat with peach (via the wife's request).

Two questions:

1)How much DME to carbonate this? I've always put in the 5oz. packets from the LHBS but I feel like this needs more carbonation and I have some extra DME to use.

2)Anyone recommend a good peach wheat extract recipe so that I can appease SWMBO and have something to drink on the lawnmower? I already bought 2oz. of strisselspalt for this and would like to use a dried yeast. I have the other 1/2 lbs. of cara-pils and flaked wheat mixed in a bag to use as well. I know I'm almost there, I guess I just need a wheat yeast reccomendation so that I can brew and wonder how to add the peach as this will be my first fruit addition.

WLP300 is definitely my favorite hefeweizen yeast. i've been using WLP380 lately (HW IV) and found it to be quite pleasant as well, although i get more of an apricot flavor than a banana/clove.

i actually didn't have the best of luck using DME in my hefeweizen...it seems to take longer and never really worked as well as i'd hoped. i'd say that 5 oz of corn sugar may be a little short for a weizen, as they need a little more carbonation that most beers.

can't help ya on the peach, sorry.

Good info. to know about the DME for carbing hefes. I'll just do a little more than one pack of corn sugar and save the DME for starters and carbing beers that need some aging, like the IPA that I'm bottling this weekend along with this beer.

cuinrearview said:

Good info. to know about the DME for carbing hefes. I'll just do a little more than one pack of corn sugar and save the DME for starters and carbing beers that need some aging, like the IPA that I'm bottling this weekend along with this beer.

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3/4 cup corn sugar is perfect for 5 gallons. I used WLP300 for my hefe also and was amazed at the strong banana smell coming out of the airlock. I'll be bottling it tomorrow and can't wait until it's done.

Go here to play around with your carbonation numbers. Be aware, though, that if you get that carbonation up around the normal range for hefeweizens, you need sturdy bottles. You'll make bombs out of the thin glass ones.


TL

I used to buy the Franziskaner Hefe bottles, unfortunately they started making thinner glass. I suppose they certainly handle the pressure, but are not the hefty bottles they once were . You want that high carbonation to set the Wheat out, it is one of the things that really makes it imo. Iirc, I have varied the amount of prime and 5.5 oz and 6.0 oz is about right in 5 gallons...but you have to be careful as you can easily overdo it and have a beer that takes 10 days to pour .

WLP300 is very good. I buy the Wyeast equivalents now, because I like the packaging much better. The 380 is my favorite yeast for a DunkelWeizen.

I've never tried using 380, but 300 makes an excellent beer. I usually ferment 300 batches around high 60s to low 70s, and it comes out great.

300 is my fav as well, and If you use that Yeast Nutrient Capsul it really works well.

TexLaw said:

Go here to play around with your carbonation numbers. Be aware, though, that if you get that carbonation up around the normal range for hefeweizens, you need sturdy bottles. You'll make bombs out of the thin glass ones.


TL

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Thanks for posting this link, TexLaw. Am I missing something or do they not state how long to keep at the calculated pressure to achieve the desired CO2 volume? Is a period of 7 days assumed?

As to the OP, I've had great luck with WLP300 and will continue to use it in all of my hefe's.

The weach beer I've had in the past is a peach wheat, though I can't find a clone recipe on the web just yet. I'd aim that way cause it's dang tasty, my wife even likes it.

Dycokac said:

The weach beer I've had in the past is a peach wheat, though I can't find a clone recipe on the web just yet. I'd aim that way cause it's dang tasty, my wife even likes it.

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Usually with a fruit hefe, you wanna use the WLP 320 American Wheat yeast. The 300 gives too much banana and clove notes to mix Fruit with IMO.

I've not used the wlp300 yet (well, I might have gotten it once when I got some hefe slurry from a local brewery, but to my knowledge, I haven't used it), but I ordered some from AHS during the weekend sale and it should be here soon. I'm scheming on a Wheat Doppelbock a la Aventinus.

ohiobrewtus said:

Thanks for posting this link, TexLaw. Am I missing something or do they not state how long to keep at the calculated pressure to achieve the desired CO2 volume? Is a period of 7 days assumed?

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That's an equilibrium pressure, so I guess it's like the great French chefs would say: It's done when it's done. In my experience, 7-10 days seems to get it done if you do not shake the keg. When I do shake the keg (at the equilibrium pressure), I have good carbonation in less than 7 days.


TL

"Usually with a fruit hefe, you wanna use the WLP 320 American Wheat yeast. The 300 gives too much banana and clove notes to mix Fruit with IMO."

I don't intend to use this yeast for the peach wheat. I guess I don't have enough experience to select something on my own for this. I would like to use a dry yeast (safale seems to have a few wheats) and would like someone with experience with a fruit wheat and dry yeast to chime in with some feedback on their batches. At this point the yeast is the only thing in question, and if I don't get a good suggestion before brew day, I guess I'll probably use Notty. or 05 since this is what I have, and it should ferment cleanly and put emphasis on the peach. Here's my tenative recipe, pending yeast:

1/2 lb. cara-pils and flaked wheat
~5-6lbs. wheat extract
1oz strissel at 60 and 15
~62 degree ferm. for a cleaner flavor.
5lbs. peaches in secondary for two weeks after a one week primary

RICLARK said:

Usually with a fruit hefe, you wanna use the WLP 320 American Wheat yeast. The 300 gives too much banana and clove notes to mix Fruit with IMO.

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So you think that a citrus weizen should use the 320 because of the strong banana and clove notes? I am getting ready to brew within the next week and I have been trying to tinker with this. The LBS has both the 300 and 320.

I just made one with 380 and I was surprised at how much banana aroma I got during fermentation. I just kegged it and it seems to be almost gone and replaced with a lot of clove, I hope I get some of this apricot you guys are talking about after it has a chance to settle in the keg. I will be sure to try 300 next time.

Choguy03 said:

So you think that a citrus weizen should use the 320 because of the strong banana and clove notes? I am getting ready to brew within the next week and I have been trying to tinker with this. The LBS has both the 300 and 320.

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You know im not sure, I have never made a citrus Weizen, However the 320 is pretty Neutral and It is great with fruit so im thinking it would probably be your best option.

My hefeweizen has been fermenting with WLP300 for 24hrs in a 6gal carboy and I had to take down the krauzen a bit with some boiled then cooled water. It's going like gangbusters, and I didn't even use a starter. The blow off tube is blurping away...I'm happy

Update: This batch is gone!! But, I made another for our annual party on the 4th of July. I used the same recipe as the first, but used yeast washed from the first batch and did my best to keep the primary ferm. around 68 this time. I think that I could have went even hotter but everyone that tried this loved it. A pontoon full of people pulled up to the house while I was out pulling kids around the lake on tubes and the wife fed them all this beer. As I came back in about a half dozen people were getting back on the pontoon (I only knew one of them) and they were all telling me how good the beer was. I still have three pints of the yeast canned in the fridge, with only a week and a half left of vacation and only two six packs of this beer left. Oh the humanity!