First Brew Tasting Impressions..Need Opinions..Photo

[arnobg]

This was my first brew ever, a Bavarian Wheat Hefeweizen extract kit. It came out VERY dark which I have realized can be fixed with later addition next time however, I am very disappointed with the taste as well, tastes very "hot" and not very good flavors at all.



A little bit about the brew:

Followed the recipe using a propane burner, then used an ice bath for cooling and added water. Was fermented for 2 weeks with WB-06 in a temperature controlled chest freezer at around 64-65. I am afraid I may have pitched the yeast at too high a temperature due to an inadequate thermometer which I have replaced. My guess is between 75-80F. I then bottled at 2 weeks about 4.8 gallons with 6oz of corn sugar. I stuck one in the fridge today just to test it out (it has been 6 days since bottling) and just cracked it open. The carbonation and head was fantastic however, the color is VERY dark and it tastes very "hot" and "dark/malty/dirty". Doesn't taste like a hefe at ALL in my opinion. Nearly NO banana flavor. Pretty disappointed considering the research and money I put into doing things "right" from the start such as using a fermentation chamber.

Will time heal this?

 

[A2HB]

Yes the flavor will most definitely evolve as the beer ages. I wouldnt lose faith just yet, give it a couple more weeks time to condition and youll be surprised how much its changed since your first tasting. IMO homebrew is not really at its best until at least 4-5 weeks in the bottle

 

[brew703]

Temp control is important, especially for the first 4-5 days. I'm on my 9th brew. The first two were extract kits (1 gallon) and I didnt find they were that great, taste wise. People who tried them say they basically tasted the same. One was a german blonde and one an Am Wheat. The wheat one didnt taste anything like wheat. The good thing was they were both drinkable and they were only 1 gallon batches.

I would think 4 weeks would be sufficient but I let both go three weeks in primary and two weeks bottle condition. Maybe let it go another week and try. Hopefully it mellows some as you have alot to drink.

I have since moved to BIAB and my brews are much better.

I actually did a Bav Wheat Hefe (BIAB) two weeks ago. Will be bottled this coming weekend but I had issues with the brew, I'm hoping it turns out good. Transferring to my ferm bucket, the color was no where near what you show.

Want to add that I normally try one bottle at 1 week and then another at two and for the most part the bottle of the 2nd week is much better.

Not sure if the color will change any though. As long as it's good, color really doesnt matter much in the beginning.

Hopefully all turns out for you. There will be more experienced brewers who will chime in and possibly answer your questions.

 

[doug293cz]

This was my first brew ever, a Bavarian Wheat Hefeweizen extract kit. It came out VERY dark which I have realized can be fixed with later addition next time however, I am very disappointed with the taste as well, tastes very "hot" and not very good flavors at all.



A little bit about the brew:

Followed the recipe using a propane burner, then used an ice bath for cooling and added water. Was fermented for 2 weeks with WB-06 in a temperature controlled chest freezer at around 64-65. I am afraid I may have pitched the yeast at too high a temperature due to an inadequate thermometer which I have replaced. My guess is between 75-80F. I then bottled at 2 weeks about 4.8 gallons with 6oz of corn sugar. I stuck one in the fridge today just to test it out (it has been 6 days since bottling) and just cracked it open. The carbonation and head was fantastic however, the color is VERY dark and it tastes very "hot" and "dark/malty/dirty". Doesn't taste like a hefe at ALL in my opinion. Nearly NO banana flavor. Pretty disappointed considering the research and money I put into doing things "right" from the start such as using a fermentation chamber.

Will time heal this?

The spec sheet for WB-06 says you need to ferment much warmer in order to get banana flavor.

Let it sit a couple more weeks at least, and then refrigerate a minimum of two days prior to tasting.

Brew on

 

[lookwow]

The spec sheet for WB-06 says you need to ferment much warmer in order to get banana flavor.

Let it sit a couple more weeks at least, and then refrigerate a minimum of two days prior to tasting.

Brew on

Beat me to it. looks like that yeast wants mid to upper 70s for banana so you probably wont get any of that in the mid 60s. Let it sit a while and you should have a decent wheat beer, but its not going to develop hefe flavors over time.

 

[arnobg]

Hmm interesting. I thought I was doing it a favor based off of all the posts I read on this forum regarding Hefeweizens. Most had said 65 produced great balanced flavor between banana and clove and that over 70 wasn't very good.

Well I guess I have learned something from this so I can't be mad. I still would like to know the causes of the bad flavors so I can improve on that.

In regards to the color I guess it doesn't affect taste but it doesn't "look" good either. How can this be improved, I assume just later additions? Does it appear to be "burnt" or caramelized"?

 

[pdxal]

Hmm interesting. I thought I was doing it a favor based off of all the posts I read on this forum regarding Hefeweizens. Most had said 65 produced great balanced flavor between banana and clove and that over 70 wasn't very good.

Well I guess I have learned something from this so I can't be mad. I still would like to know the causes of the bad flavors so I can improve on that.

In regards to the color I guess it doesn't affect taste but it doesn't "look" good either. How can this be improved, I assume just later additions? Does it appear to be "burnt" or caramelized"?

The temps you mention work for other yeasts, not necessarily for WB-06. Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan comes to mind as great at 65, not as good at 70.
Late additions will keep your beer lighter in color and less burnt tasting. Also, be careful to turn off the heat before adding extract, because it can sink to the bottom of the pot and caramelize quickly before it is stirred into solution.

 

[arnobg]

Thanks for all the feedback I'll take it as a lesson learned and improve my next one.

 

[passedpawn]

Are you sure that wasn't a Dunkelweizen kit (seriously?). For a wheat extract beer, the only thing in there should have been wheat extract. Wheat extract actually contains about 40% barley, which is the perfect ratio for a hefeweizen.
With only wheat extract, it should be light.

For a can't-miss hefe, make another beer with wheat extract and Wyeast 3068. Go ahead and ferment at room temperatures. It's got to be the easiest and most forgiving beer for new brewers to make.

 

[lookwow]

If I where you I would actually stay away from beers that are looking for a lot of flavor out of the yeast and get a few brews under your belt first especially if you are bummed your first one didn't turn out like you want.

Getting the yeast profile dead on can be tricky even with temp control. Im not sure on what styles you like but try something like a IPA/Pale ale/Brown ect that you can just use US-04/05. that way you can get nail down the process of actually brewing a nice clean beer and then start working on getting the yeast to give off the right character.

 

[arnobg]

Are you sure that wasn't a Dunkelweizen kit (seriously?). For a wheat extract beer, the only thing in there should have been wheat extract. Wheat extract actually contains about 40% barley, which is the perfect ratio for a hefeweizen.
With only wheat extract, it should be light.

For a can't-miss hefe, make another beer with wheat extract and Wyeast 3068. Go ahead and ferment at room temperatures. It's got to be the easiest and most forgiving beer for new brewers to make.

It was a Bavarian Wheat Hefeweizen kit and came with 6.6lbs of Bavarian Wheat extract which claimed to be 65%wheat 35% barley.

 

[aprichman]

Did your kit have a date? Maybe age is responsible for the dark color? That is crazy dark for 100% wheat malt extract. Oxidized beers also turn dark but usually not that fast.

 

[doug293cz]

...
Late additions will keep your beer lighter in color and less burnt tasting. Also, be careful to turn off the heat before adding extract, because it can sink to the bottom of the pot and caramelize quickly before it is stirred into solution.

Highlighted portion is very important. Did you (OP) turn the heat off prior to adding the extract? Not only can the extract caramelize if the heat is on, but it can also scorch - leaving a burnt taste in the beer.

Brew on