Don't Call Me Hefe - Very Sour?

Hello,

About a month ago, I made a batch of AG "don't call me hefe." I did make a starter and let it sit in primary for 2 weeks. When the FG stabilized, I cold crashed it for a week and then kegged it up.

It's got a real vinegary taste which seems to be improving with time but, I'm trying to figure out what happened. This was my first batch with hefeweizen yeast.... hmmmm... did I do something wrong? I thought hefe's finished up fast.

?

Well, a "vinegary" taste is often used to describe the results of an acetobacter infection. But, I imagine that would be getting worse over time, not better.

General astringency, though, could be caused by your mash pH being off, sparging with water that is too hot, oversparging, etc. Any of that seem to fit?

I don't think its infected... I'm pretty zealous about sanitation and have never had an infection before. However, it could well be my first.

I wouldn't really describe this as astringency... it is more of a vinegary taste and aroma. It's weird too because I've probably only pulled 6 glasses off that keg. The first 3 were awful vinegary... the 4th was a lot better... the 5th was a lot better even still and nearly there... and the 6th was vinegary again.

Here's a site you need to place in your favorites:

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



I suspect the changes you taste are just your tongue's ability to transform flavors.

Ever wonder why in nature some things taste nasty? It's because they're not supposed to be consumed. It's all apart of our bodies protection systen.

Some people will immediately tell you to dump it. I'm not one of them. I'd let it sit a couple of months and come back to it. If it's still funky then dump it.

I have an almost identical problem with my Weizen Bier from BB. My first glass was so sour that I had to dump the rest. I keep trying one each week with the sourness subsiding little by little. I tried one yesterday and the sourness is really down now. It still kind of smells sour but the taste is much more mild. I'm guessing another couple of weeks and it will be good to go. I'm also almost positive there was no infection.

Just give it a few weeks and see if it keeps improving. If it seems to be already, then it should turn out fine. RDWHAHB

When I brewed my hefe with Wyeast 3068 last summer it was nearly undrinkable due to the yeast flavor. Very cloudy. I tried one of these hefes yesterday after almost a year in the bottle and it was 500 times better at 10 months old. The beer was almost like a Krystalweizen now cause the yeast settled. What then was an undrinkable beer was one of the best beers I've tasted in a long time. I think it just may be that the beer is too yeasty and that's the vinegary taste you describe. Give the beer time and once some of the yeast settles I guarantee it will be a good beer.

If you dont like the taste of yeast, dont drink a hefeweissen.