Franzenscaner Heifenweizen Clone recipe Question!!!!!!

Hey all:

Brewed a clone hefenweizen kit last month, bottled, and waited two weeks for carbonation to take effect at 72 degrees.

Everything turned out great in regards to color, clarity, and carbonation. Only thing is that I am not getting any banana or clove flavor that I expected.

I have not began to cold condition it yet...but my question is what do you think could be the problem? Why no banana or clove flavor? I followed the recipe to a "T"....

Any advice would be great!!!!!

What yeast did you use?

At what temp did you ferment?

The banana and clove flavors are going to come from the German-style hefe yeast, and the higher your fermentation temperatures the more will come out.

I am fermenting a hefe right now ~70* and I am smelling a TON of banana (hopefully not too much in the finished product)

If you used a different yeast, or fermented particularly cold you won't get those flavors.

fermented at 72 degrees, no aging in a secondary, went 10 days in primary, then bottled, you think that could be the issue? Would cold conditioning bring out the flavors?

Thanks

What yeast did you use? Those flavors are going to be created by the yeast during the fermentation process, so if they're not there now, they're probably not going to come out. If it was an American Hefe yeast you likely won't get a lot of those characteristics.

LOL, everyone always butchers the name Franziskaner. My father-in-law calls it Frankensheiner

We definitely need to know what yeast you used. My hefe's with Wyeast 3068 fermented about 68 degrees had a nice banana taste and aroma, but balanced, not overdone. As mentioned you can increase the banana type esters by fermenting warmer, so towards the upper end of the yeast specified temp (up to 75F I believe) you'll get a lot more banana. But it's all about the yeast and temps.


Rev.

Everyone talks about fermentation temp, but what I find to be even more important is pitching temperature.

What temp did you pitch at?

For example - I get more banana pitching at 60 and then letting it heat up to 68, then I do if pitched and fermented at 72.

It was Munich German Wheat Dry Yeast....like I said fermentation was at 72 degrees.

Should I have gone with a liquid yeast instead? Aged the beer in a secondary? If I am not getting the banana and clove taste and it's already bottled, can I store the bottles in warmer temps. and hopefully get the flavor to come out?

No, it happens during fermentation not after. So you can't later get those flavors. Try Wyeast 3068 next time and you'll be pretty guaranteed to get that flavor.


Rev.

any recommendations on a good hefe kit?

andoniu83 said:

any recommendations on a good hefe kit?

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I really enjoy Midwest supplies hefeweizens, their barvarian wheat. The hank's hefe gets great reviews too.

Also make sure you pitch mid sixties or less, and then heat it up after fermentation starts, but I've had hefes heat up 10 degrees on their own before.

That dry yeast is probably why you didn't get what you were looking for.

Found this thread talking about it: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/danstar-munich-wheat-yeast-vs-liquid-hefe-yeasts-153171/

Danstar Munich
Slightly cloudy(almost clear)1 finger of thick white head, Golden color. Aroma as the slightest hint of clove and touch of bread. Taste is very clean with a touch of breadiness. Mouth feel is light and the finish is crisp.

Thoughts: This is spot on for an American hefe but nowhere near a German hefe.

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As for kits, hefe's are fairly simple on the grain bill (mine is 50/50 wheat/pilsner malt) just go with a liquid yeast from Wyeast or White Labs (I used White Labs - WLP300)

If you're just looking for a kit for convenience's sake, this one looks fine:
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_452_42_163&products_id=318

FWIW, Jamil swears that fermenting the 300/3068 yeast at 62 gives the 'ideal' combination of clove and banana in the finished beer. i fermented one around 68 and the banana was too much for me, i don't make many hefes, but when i do try one again, it will be fermented at 62.

edit: and i tried that munich wheat yeast once also and it didn't taste german at all.