Hefeweissbier - Banana hints

Hi all,

I had a Hef a while back with hints of banana....very subtle, but still there. I'd like to try and create that taste. Tess at Moltose in Monroe, CT hooked me up with a Hefe recipe to start with (my first all grain)....(first home brew at all). I have a all the equipment, and more importantly a friend who knows what he is doing around all grain.

Recipe: Weinhenstephaner Hefeweissbier by Bayer Staats, Weihenstephan, Freising, Germany. (From "Beer Captured").

Anyone care to comment on 1.) Advice when doing the all grain version of this recipe, 2.) Obtaining the banana hints....(pitch temp dependent?)

Thanks...all comments, questions more than welcome.

Remember the beer now. It was called "El Jefe". Anyone had it?

I'm a noob, I have NOT had
1) El Jefe
2) Much experience
3) Any of the brew I describe below.

with that in mind, I have read that the yeast you use and fermentation temperature can have a profound effect on the flavor profile of your hefe.

I did a wiezen using Fermentis Safbrew WB-06 and there are a lot of comments about this yeast on the forums. One of the comments was when fermented at the lower end of the range it produces clove charateristics, I fermented at the warmer end of the range, ~66-68*f ambient, and it has a very pronounced banana aroma.

I have not tasted this yet as it is still conditioning, but this might be a direction to experiment with. I would at least check out the discussions on different wieze yeasts on the HBT forums

Good luck, Happy brewing!

Nice....thanks Doug!

No problem, hopefully one of the resident gurus will check this out and give some input. I'd like to hear a more seasoned brewer's take on this topic!

And there ARE some people around here with A LOT of experience.

To get the bananna esters in a Hefeweizen, you must use weizen yeast. There are a number of them offered by both Wyeast and White labs, as well as some dry strains. These strains produce the classic weizen bananna esters as well as other classic phenols.

Temp is debatable. Most will tell you ferment warm for bananna, and cold for clove. I call mild BS. The bananna flavor (isoamyl-acetate) is an ester. Yeast produce more esters when fermented warm. Thus, a weizen yeast will produce more isoamyl-acetate when fermented warm. I use Wyeast 3068 a lot and have good results pitching at 60°F and letting it free rise to around 65°F.

WLP300 Hefeweizen = Banana

Consider not making a starter so the yeast gets extra estery. Hefe's are low gravity anyway, and the esters and phenols are part (and parcel) to the flavor of a hefeweizen.

I used it on a Hank's Hefe and a Cherry Wheat... the Banana in that strain in the low 70's is remarkable. It does subside with age in the bottle though... so plan on drinking it pretty quick if you want the banana punch.

Edcculus said:

To get the bananna esters in a Hefeweizen, you must use weizen yeast. There are a number of them offered by both Wyeast and White labs, as well as some dry strains. These strains produce the classic weizen bananna esters as well as other classic phenols.

Temp is debatable. Most will tell you ferment warm for bananna, and cold for clove. I call mild BS. The bananna flavor (isoamyl-acetate) is an ester. Yeast produce more esters when fermented warm. Thus, a weizen yeast will produce more isoamyl-acetate when fermented warm. I use Wyeast 3068 a lot and have good results pitching at 60°F and letting it free rise to around 65°F.

Click to expand...

The best hefe I ever had was recently from another local HB'er and he used the 3068, and he said he starts it in the 50's and lets it rise. It was hands-down the best wheat beer I've ever had, but there was zero banana.

I have a hefeweizen going now and used White Labs WLP380 and the fermentation temp has been between 68-70*. Lots of banana scent. The closet where the fermentation bucket is sitting smells fantastic.

Warmth is one factor that assists in producing esters. I don't know if weizen yeast needs to go to high 70s but letting it go too high will produce ester overkill, along with possibly some undesired flavors.

ferment warm. will bring up that great banana ester, along with a nice clove ester

Wyeast 3068 is the key! Great yeast. I've done all extracts that came out better than my all grain using this yeast.

All grain use this recipe! no if ands or buts:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/bee-cave-brewery-bavarian-hefeweizen-35679/

Awesome! thanks guys~