Hefeweizen and Wlp 300

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Aschecte

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This happened to be my first AG batch ( side note I hit all my numbers and efficency's dead on ) and I choose to do a hefeweizen using White labs Wlp300. My question to brewers more knowledgable than myself is this. I have never ever ever in any extract or partial mash beer I've made ever had a more crazy fermentation. I completely understand about motion in the carboy but I swear it looks like pizza dough huge bulbous clumps of dough flying around the carboy and I don't mean a few I mean thousands. I'm kinda worried as I've never seen this extreme action before is this normal with this strain ? or is it because of the wheat content ? how do I get this strained out at bottling time assuming it's a low floculating yeast ? any input is greatly appreciated.

 
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Hah I had the exact opposite happen to me. That yeast did almost nothing in the starter OG 1.045 - 1.044 maybe? And I pitched it anyways, barely getting any bubbling at all.....
 
WLP300 is like yeast on crack. It was the only yeast I have ever used in which I need a blow off tube.
 
How funny, I just did my first all grain yesterday with a wheat beer accept I used WLP380. I have not noticed this reaction however my fermentation chamber does not allow me see into the wort this well. One thought is did you try a protein rest, I tried one (don't know if I got the temps exactly right so I might have been a little high), this could be a larger amount of protein in the wort caused by the wheat in the recipe leading to increase amount of hot break and hence these clumps are being moved around by the CO2 movement in the fermenting wort, you normally see this on a smaller scale with bit of hops etc.

Clem
 
How funny, I just did my first all grain yesterday with a wheat beer accept I used WLP380. I have not noticed this reaction however my fermentation chamber does not allow me see into the wort this well. One thought is did you try a protein rest, I tried one (don't know if I got the temps exactly right so I might have been a little high), this could be a larger amount of protein in the wort caused by the wheat in the recipe leading to increase amount of hot break and hence these clumps are being moved around by the CO2 movement in the fermenting wort, you normally see this on a smaller scale with bit of hops etc.

Clem
Hey that's awesome another first time All grainer same day , same stye and all even though we're half a globe away. Well I did do a protein rest at 125 degrees for a half hour though I'm not sure it worked as I'm a AG newb. What your saying makes sense ... did you watch the video above the gunk actually looks like pizza dough.
 
Just a fyi but along with crazy fermentation I should have known I'd need a blow off tube. I don;t care what John Palmer or charlie Papazian say you are not safe in a 6.5 gallon carboy !!! Maybe it's because it's a hefe but it's blowing off like crazy. Thank God I have a blow off tube that fits this carboy.
 
I cheated a bit I tested my AG equipment brewing up some yeast food (4 pounds of 2Row) on Thursday. I canned this in the pressure cooker after boiling it and separating the hot break, I still found a higher amount of hot break material both from the boiling and in the canning process. I guess as we are new to AG that perhaps we aren't getting a perfect filtering or conversion of the wort and hence we have more proteins that coagulate and make your dancing Pizza dough show. It makes sense with how active your is that it is able to move those big chunks around. Mine has a healthy 5" of krausen this morning but no blow off, I'm trying to keep it as cool as possible to allow more clove and less banana flavors, hence the WLP380 instead of WLP300. What temp are you @

Clem
 
My hefeweizen decided it would try to crawl out of the carboy this weekend. Instead of a blowoff, I just threw in a few drops of Defoamer 105.
 
I'm tempted to try Fermcap-S or other type of foam control in my starters but I don't know if I can put silicone in anything to do with my beer, it just does not seem right. I know I have read the reviews everyone seems to swear by it... it.... it is just I don't know, I think I imagine eating caulking or drinking caulking.

Especially considering my starters keep exploding. I like the term "crawling out of the carboy", I will borrow that in future! (credit given of course)

Clem
 
Don't add anything

It's WLP 300, and its wants your sugars. BADLY.

It's hectic yeast, let it do its thing, you will be pleased.
 
I used WLP300 in my hefe and it blew the airlock, spalttered the ceiling and drenched the blanket I wrapped around the carboy (to keep it relatively warm in my chilled house). Just bottled and its pretty good (Franziskanner clone).
 
I used WLP300 in my hefe and it blew the airlock, spalttered the ceiling and drenched the blanket I wrapped around the carboy (to keep it relatively warm in my chilled house). Just bottled and its pretty good (Franziskanner clone).
:rockin: That reminds me of the BYO where is says you might be a home brewer if.... one the comments was you have cleaned beer off your ceiling! Love it. (My answer is yes!)

Back at the OP I think my beer is done! The krausen reached its peak last night 20hrs after pitching it was 8"-10" and now it is dropping back 30hrs later, I know a pitched a big starter but really! How is yours doing? I'm in Hawaii 6hrs behind you guys and running late for work but I could not help checking on my couple hundred billion friends working hard for me!

I want a web cam in my fermentation chamber.

Clem

Ok I lied I did not leave for work yet and I just had to edit my post, I checked her and yep she is just about done, reading somewhere around 1.010ish (foam on hydro sample making it hard to read)
 
What sort of attenuation do people usually get from 300? I've got some for an upcoming batch and see it should be mid 70% area, is this normal?
 
:rockin: That reminds me of the BYO where is says you might be a home brewer if.... one the comments was you have cleaned beer off your ceiling! Love it. (My answer is yes!)

Back at the OP I think my beer is done! The krausen reached its peak last night 20hrs after pitching it was 8"-10" and now it is dropping back 30hrs later, I know a pitched a big starter but really! How is yours doing? I'm in Hawaii 6hrs behind you guys and running late for work but I could not help checking on my couple hundred billion friends working hard for me!

I want a web cam in my fermentation chamber.

Clem

Ok I lied I did not leave for work yet and I just had to edit my post, I checked her and yep she is just about done, reading somewhere around 1.010ish (foam on hydro sample making it hard to read)
Yeah at appx 20 hours I had to throw on the good old blow off tube as my airlock was filled and it was running down the side of my carboy !!!! should have seen the mad rush of me at 10:30 at night cleaning and sanitizing my blow off gear. as of this post it's been a solid 20 hours since blow off tube was affixed and the krausen has resided and activity has slowed dramatically as the big chunks are gone only small remaining. I'm fermenting at 70 degrees fahrenheit though I saw a small peak to about 71 deg. I'm sure the heavy ferm is over now and I'm hoping those tiny pieces fall and bind nicely to each other. I won't bottle for 21/3 weeks from now and have high hopes for this beer though I guesstimate more of a bannana flavor than I wanted.
 
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