Hefeweizen Flavor Issues

[MWM777]

My first hefeweizen batch has just completed fermentation, and is ready to bottle (SG readings 3 days apart confirm it's ready. Since I had beer left over in my test tube, I decided to give it a taste - boy, am I really bummed out. Almost no banana flavors, and very little clove notes. It tastes slightly bitter, almost like a pale ale, with slight hop notes. Not a typical Hefe flavor at all. It's spent the last two weeks fermenting at about 64-66°. Any clue what I did wrong? It's such an easy recipe, I don't know what went wrong. Will bottle conditioning bring out banana and clove??

Here's my recipe:

6.6lbs Wheat LME (half at boil start, and half added after 40 minutes of boil)
1.5oz Hallertau hops
WL 300 liquid yeast pitched at 74°

I'm at a loss. Any ideas?

 

[Euphist]

I don't do a lot of wheats, so I'm no expert, but I believe that in order to get more of the esters from the yeast you want to ferment a bit warmer than 65.

That said...RDWHAHB. The character of the beer will change a LOT over the next 3 weeks while it carbs up.

 

[golfish67]

I agree. I have done a few hefes and they always get better right before the keg kicks (about 3 weeks). The recipe I use is similar. I do steep 8oz of caravienne malt and I put all the extract in at the beginning of the boil. I like the German wheat wyeast, can't remember the number.

 

[MWM777]

I agree. I have done a few hefes and they always get better right before the keg kicks (about 3 weeks). The recipe I use is similar. I do steep 8oz of caravienne malt and I put all the extract in at the beginning of the boil. I like the German wheat wyeast, can't remember the number.

I'm guessing Wyeast 3068? The Weiheinstephan strain?

 

[jarnock]

Just recently bottled a hefeweizen and I thought the same thing. After 2 weeks though, it has a pretty good balance of banana/clove. I fermented at 64-66 as well, also using the White Labs 300. Mine was an all grain batch, don't think that will make a difference from the yeast output of flavor though. Hope it's good though!

 

[golfish67]

Went and checked my notes I used 3638 on one batch and 3333 on another one. I think the 3638 was better.