First DUD. Was it temps?

After many brews, I've had a nasty brew. It was a basic Weizen recipe. I brewed over 11 gallons so I could compare yeast. I can't even describe the off-flavors yet. (Maybe that's the key to figuring this out).
1st fermenter used Dry Safbrew WB-06 and it fermented violently needed a blow off tube that flooded the catch-pot over.
The second fermenter used WLP300 and was also violent but did not flow out over the catch pot.
Both were at 62 degrees and still bubbled away after seven days. I heated the room so that the brew finally reached the 68 degree mark. This was an alarming long fermentation. After two weeks from pitching I took hydrometer readings. 1st was at 1.012 (on target) and the second was 1.009 (too attenuative?).
1st smells strong with sulfur compounds, the 2nd smells "ok" but has an indescribable weird off flavor. Nasty enough to make me gag but I can't put my finger on the off flavor.
Would a 62 degrees cause this???? or is something else going on? I don't suspect foreign bacteria or wild yeast. Sanitation was "as usual".
The only thing that was out of ordinary was I milled the grains and could not brew until two weeks later. They were sealed up, but is that a factor??
Nothing makes sense.

I've read that people get some sulfur during fermentation with WB-06, its been a while since I used it and I don't remember how it went. I don't think the low temps would be the issue with the WLP300. I'm pretty sure that's the strain recommended for a Weizen in 'Brewing Classic Styles' and the book recommends a fermentation temperature of 62F. I think a better description of the off flavors might help.

Thanks. Did not realize 62 was okay. Having some friends over to sip and help me define the off flavors. I have a stack of books to help trouble shoot. But without identifying these tastes, I'm in irons.

maybe this will help.........

http://www.winning-homebrew.com/off-flavors.html

How long did you let it ferment and how long since it has been done? Too short of time to let it mature will give you some weird flavors.

Ziggybrew said:

Thanks. Did not realize 62 was okay.

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62 was not just okay, it was perfect. If there was a point in fermentation that you may be able to point to as problematic, it was when you raised temperatures to 68F.

From the literature I have read, Weiss beers need to be pitched and fermented much lower than conventional wisdom would dictate. Obviously it would help if you could explain the off flavors a bit, but I bet that if on your next brew, you pitched around 58, and raised the temperature over the next 36 hours to 62, and left it there for the remainder of fermentation (2-4 weeks), you would eliminate potential problems.

I also saw that you milled the grains a bit ahead of time. I do not think that could be the reason for such strong off flavors, but I always mill and brew on the same day. Maybe someone else is better suited to address that concern.

I still lean toward fermentation temps. You were controlling ambient temperature, which is not really a great representation for wort temperature, but still better than nothing. Potentially, your 68 degree room could have yielded a 75/76 degree wort. That is pretty far from the prescribed 62F.

Joe

RM-MN said:

How long did you let it ferment and how long since it has been done? Too short of time to let it mature will give you some weird flavors.

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both were very active for 4 days and then bubbled strong and steady for almost two weeks. It has only been a few days since activity ceased in the airlock.
You know, I think you are on to something. Now that you mention it, that gross taste does remind me of green beer -- but on steroids. If you take that "young beer taste" and amplify it, that's sort of what it tastes like.

I may just let this sit a while and see what happens. This is my first All-grain Weizen. They say wheat is a quick beer and I was probably rushing it toward the keg too soon.

this is way too early to be considering it a dud. if activity just ceased a few days ago the yeast are still cleaning things up

Every weizen I've ever done produced some crazy smells, but they faded to nothing after a couple weeks of aging. Sometimes it's bananas and cloves, sometimes rotten eggs, sometimes other things I can identify. Also, the smell changes from day to day during the fermentation and can come and go. I don't have any experience with those specific strains, but do with 3068 and 3333. Give it some time and it should be fine.

Thanks everyone! Learning every day. You all have been helpful. Today there is already a noticeable shift in flavors. Yeast is an amazing friend of ours.