highgravitybacon
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- Joined
- Sep 28, 2012
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I've tried to get a good hefe for the last four batches. Nothing but hassle. Using the classic hefe yeast, Wyeast 3068, I tried extract batches using Briess DME, all grain batches with 50/50 pils/wheat, 70/30 wheat/pils batches with some torrified wheat, wheat malt, and pils.
In all cases, the results were awful. The last batch, the 70/30 batch, was absolutely amazing for maybe a week. Then it turned heinous. I fight with a horrifying sulfur aroma and flavor that develops after a few weeks in the bottle.
The first batch I bottled too soon. So sulfur came. The subsequent batches I left in the fermenter longer. On the last batch, I ramped temps from 63-75 and let it go for about 10-14 days. Not a single hint of sulfur. I figured the warmer temps would help drive off sulfur as it carried away as CO2 came out of solution.
So finding that the sulfur developed after a few weeks in the bottle was problematic. By the time the sulfur ages out, which takes a few weeks, the beer loses nearly all of its banana character and ends up totally flaccid and lacking in any unique aroma or flavor. It's just "beery" and little more.
If you've made a good hefe with this yeast, what did you do? I'm about to throw in the towel with this yeast and style for a while. It's frustrating. This seems, at face value, to be such a simple style. But its turn out to be anything but.
In all cases, the results were awful. The last batch, the 70/30 batch, was absolutely amazing for maybe a week. Then it turned heinous. I fight with a horrifying sulfur aroma and flavor that develops after a few weeks in the bottle.
The first batch I bottled too soon. So sulfur came. The subsequent batches I left in the fermenter longer. On the last batch, I ramped temps from 63-75 and let it go for about 10-14 days. Not a single hint of sulfur. I figured the warmer temps would help drive off sulfur as it carried away as CO2 came out of solution.
So finding that the sulfur developed after a few weeks in the bottle was problematic. By the time the sulfur ages out, which takes a few weeks, the beer loses nearly all of its banana character and ends up totally flaccid and lacking in any unique aroma or flavor. It's just "beery" and little more.
If you've made a good hefe with this yeast, what did you do? I'm about to throw in the towel with this yeast and style for a while. It's frustrating. This seems, at face value, to be such a simple style. But its turn out to be anything but.