Not a Hefe?

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rico567

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My first all-grain batch of Hank's Hefeweizen (a Midwest kit) appeared to be successful at first, but hasn't turned out to have much hefe in its weizen. I'd made several batches of the extract version before, and it was a great hit with my wife and other females in the family. I have made it as a Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat clone, or variant, with an ounce of coriander and two ounces of blueberry extract. I've always used the Wyeast Weihenstephaner Weizen yeast 3068. But the latest (AG) batch, although a hefeweizen, cleared completely after bottling in a very un-hefe manner, and although it has the characteristic SSW coriander and blueberry flavors, it lacks the usual hefeweizen banana-like complex that the extract batches had.
My beer is bottled in standard 12 oz. longnecks and primed with 5 oz. of dextrose per 5 gal. Fermentation was probably around 63-65F. Coriander is thrown in a few minutes before flameout, and the blueberry extract is added at bottling.

Any ideas?
 
if memory serves heff yeast produces the banana flavors you like at higher temperatures. maybe try keeping it around 68 next time will help.
 
You're actually supposed to ferment kind of low like you did. All the best Hefe's have just a hint of banana rather than being dominated by it like some American interpretations tend to be. Check out Weinsephaner or Paulaner for comparison.
 
Did you use a large starter? I am in the habit of underptiching my hefeweizens (a buddy recommended it, I couldn't tell you why).
 
This may be a stupid question, but are you giving the bottles a good couple of swirls before serving?

My hefeweizen cleared in the bottle too, and it lack a lot of character if you pour it straight, but if I pour half the bottle, give the rest a good swirl to resuspend the sediment and then pour the rest, its great and full of hefeweizen character.
 
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