What is my Bavarian Hef supposed to taste like?

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boomtown25

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My second batch ever, a Bavarian Hef Kit, had some mold floating on top. I decided to tough it out and I racked the beer out, bottled and it has been conditioning. It was in primary 3 weeks and bottles now for 2. I have now tried some that I had in the fridge for 2 days and it is carbonated, but no head, and has a rather weird taste if I am being honest. This is the first time I have ever had a Hefeweizen that I know of, and unless it is just green beer, I either have a bad batch thanks to the mold in primary OR I simply do not like Bavarian Hefs. Can someone give me their best description so I can compare to see if I should junk it or let it ride out in bottles a little more? p.s.- no sign of infection in bottles at all, just an odd taste to me (still didn't keep me from polishing the bottle off, but I doubt I would give it to my friends I was trying to impress).
 
Hefeweizen signature flavors are clove and banana esters. Kind of hard to describe - best to pick up a couple of commercial examples. Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss is one of my favorites.
 
Hefe's do taste quite a bit different from most other beers. "Banana and clove" is the stereotypical flavor profile. If you want a full description, you can't go wrong with the BJCP guidelines

http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style15.php

Even better is to go get yourself a commercial example, preferably a German one.
 
It takes a lot of practice and luck to not have off flavors in your beer. You gotta remember you are controlling a 5gal batch in a kitchen rather than a 50bbl batch in a computer-controlled factory.

The easiest thing to do is to compare it to one in a store. In the northeast, my favorite example is Fishermans Bavarian Wheat from Cape Ann Brewing Company.
 
The only one I have ever had was Hoegaarden. My beer tastes slightly like that. I think I dedect slight banana esters (I did ferment on the higher side of temp). I guess I will keep drinking it until I get sick or run out. Maybe the longer bottle conditioning will help it out. :)
 
Pick up a German Paulaner or a Franzikanner in a BROWN .5 liter bottle.

Those are true bottle conditioned Bavarian Hefe's. Some times you will see a Hefe in a green bottle, steer clear of those.
 
Well,in my experience,not all Hefe's taste like Brach's banana candies. Never got the clove flavors claimed. But the one I think taste like they should is the German Franziskaner Weissbier. Natural,slightly sweet wheat beer flavor. Maybe a hint of the banana candie thing,but not much. Just a smooth,light,excellent weissbier flavor.
You can see a pic of the bottle in my gallery with my small start of a collection. Dang,Ed,ya beat me!
 
Hoegaarden, while being a wheat beer is not a hefeweizen so wouldn't be a good example to compare yours to. As others mentioned, Franzikaner and Sierra Nevada Kellerweiss are good examples of the style. I'd go as far to say you're likely to get more banana and clove due to the freshness of your beer (compared with a Franziskaner for instance) and that is probably more authentic. It does mellow with a bit of time, but fresher is better for hefes.
 
I drank a couple more last night and tried to concentrate on the taste more. I defintely got a full mouth of bananas mixed with something else. I was even hoping for banana esters when brewing it (so I brewed around 70-72), but I guess never having tasted a banana flavor in my beer before I didn't put two and two together. Not bad, and actually pretty neat how if brewed colder I would get more clove. Still no head though unless I our it hard in the glass. Has a bit of murkiness to it as well.
I have given some thought about brewing a Guinness clone or a chocolate stout and using this strain of yeast and bringing out the banana flavors creating a chocolate banana stout.
 
The "hefe" in Hefeweizen means yeast, so the beer (especially homebrewed batches) might have a characteristically yeasty flavor... This could be part of what you're tasting.

I echo what other people said, pick up something at the store, but I'd recommend finding a micro-hef rather than Pyramid, Widmer, or the like... Those are usually less hef-ish
 
I made a batch that consisted of Bavarian Wheat LME (Briess) and a leftover can of Weizenbock HME. I can't put my finger on the taste, but anything "Bavarian" I ever had has this aftertaste I don't like. It doesn't seem banana or clove, but has to be b/c its always prevelant. I have a case I don't touch. I don't think the beer came out bad, but I just don't like the taste. I tried with lemon, maybe I should with orange...or let it sit another month to mature more.

Otherwise it will be my brat boiling beer going forward. :)
 
Ironicially tried mine again yesterday and actually liked it. The aftertaste was less prevalent and the lemon made it even less. It was hot/humid yesterday and was a perfect beer for that. I still wouldn't replicate that recipe of mine, but at least it won't be my brat boiler anymore.
 
One of my Hefes has cleared up a lot while in the Keezer,,, yeast settles to the bottom and now the banana flovor is really strong...

I think my next batch is going to use a yeast strain with more cloves BUT

The temperature of you fermentaion can make a big difference in the final flavor.

In my case,,, with the above Hefe; I fermented slightly above the recommended temp...

I normally don't brew in the summer and forgot to check the Water Temp out of the tap,,, it turned out it was coming out about 78 degrees and I had no ice to lower the temp any further...

So you want more Banana and Clove? Ferment at the high end of the yeasts recommeded temp and if bottling give you Hefe a shake before you serve it to get the yeast back in suspension...
Any disagreements fellow brewers? I ask because I have been wrong before..
 
I wouldn't shake any beer. for a Hefe or wheat, pour half the bottle into the glass, then swirl the bottle and pour straight into the middle of the glass.
 
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