Active fermentation for a long time / Schneider Yeast

I cultured some yeast from a Schneider Edel-Weiss bottle since that's my favorite wheat beer by far and away. The first time I fermented with it I got a beer that had no head, was clearer than anything I've ever made, and lacked body (recipe was a simple 2:1 wheat DME to pilsner DME with an SG of 1.056). I thought the problem was that I'd fermented at a temperature too low (~64F) to produce the great wheat flavors I identify with Schneider beer (though that wouldn't account for the utter lack of head).

This time I used the same recipe but I've kept fermentation at 70F. It's been two weeks and the ferm is still super active yet the gravity has only dropped to 1.036 from 1.056.

Thoughts, opinions, advice, reactions, experiences?

Nobody has any ideas?

Perhaps the yeast they use to bottle condition their beers is completely different than the yeast they use for active fermentation. What sorts of smells are you getting from the fermenter?

I think they use their fermentation strain for bottling if the link is true.
http://byo.com/stories/article/indices/58-yeast/1693-yeast-culturing-from-bottles-techniques

Here is another link, but they had temp control issues:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/culturing-schneider-weiss-yeast-bottle-77670/

Schneider yeast seems to drop out quickly, but I've never had problems with lack of body or head. I cultured mine from a bottle of regular Schneider-Weisse. My Hefe's frequently looks like Krystalweizen after a week in the keg fridge. I've found 66F works pretty well for this yeast.

BigRob said:

Schneider yeast seems to drop out quickly, but I've never had problems with lack of body or head. I cultured mine from a bottle of regular Schneider-Weisse. My Hefe's frequently looks like Krystalweizen after a week in the keg fridge. I've found 66F works pretty well for this yeast.

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Did your fermentation take along time? I'm two weeks in and gravity has only dropped 30 points at 70F.

I don't usually take gravity readings, but krausen drops after about 7 days @66F with Schneider yeast, I let it sit another week ~72F (room temp) after that, then rack to keg and start carbing.

I do however find, it's a slow starter sometimes, takes up to 3-4 days to get going, even with the starter I tend to use.

How did the second batch turn out?

I am brewing a dunkel right now but I just had the schneider edel-weiss this weekend and OMG it was AMAZING! I see why it's your favorite.

How did you procure the yeast from their bottle? That is something I've never done before and never thought to do until I tried this beer!

Buy 3-4 bottles, save the last dregs in a sanitized jar. Pitch into a small starter and build it up.