WB 06 in a Raspberry Wheat

[zyx345]

I’m looking to brew a raspberry wheat beer and considering using either WB 06 or S-04.

I’m Brewing this for a friend and they want the beer to come out on the sweeter side rather than dry. Similar to Sam Adams Cherry Wheat or their Raspberry Lemon Gose.

I’ve read that WB 06 can leave a tart taste. Looking for opinions and experiences on this yeast in a wheat beer.

 

[thehaze]

WB-06 is a diastaticus yeast strain, which means it will make for a very dry beer. Also, it tends to leave a tart beer, moreso than a regular hefe yeast.

S-04 is an English yeast strain, which some have reported being bready and tart, but can be fermented cool for a neutral flavour.

I would recommend Danstar Munich Classic, which is supposed to be the Weihenstephaner yeast and it will make for a more traditional Hefe rather than an American Wheat. But I think if you mash high, use less than 40% wheat, ferment cool, you should be fine. Fruit additions will drop the pH of the beer, making for a tart beer, so it will work with a Hefe yeast.

 

[zyx345]

WB-06 is a diastaticus yeast strain, which means it will make for a very dry beer. Also, it tends to leave a tart beer, moreso than a regular hefe yeast.

S-04 is an English yeast strain, which some have reported being bready and tart, but can be fermented cool for a neutral flavour.

I would recommend Danstar Munich Classic, which is supposed to be the Weihenstephaner yeast and it will make for a more traditional Hefe rather than an American Wheat. But I think if you mash high, use less than 40% wheat, ferment cool, you should be fine. Fruit additions will drop the pH of the beer, making for a tart beer, so it will work with a Hefe yeast.

Thanks! Appreciate the info.

 

[rtstrider]

If you use WB-06 yes it's tart but that can be somewhat controlled. Pitch and ferment at 62F for the first two days, 64 the next two, 66 the next two, then let it ride out for at least a week at 68F it's not bad. That'll get you a "cleaner" tartness and it plays VERY well with orange peel and corriander and will probably play well with raspberry IF you're going for a tart raspberry ale. Now I will say this is not a muted tartness and will be up front, but MUCH less than what it would be fermented warm, so keep that in mind. If you're looking for something a tad more subtle then I would not use that yeast. Not my favorite yeast at all but it works with witbiers in a pinch

 

[zyx345]

Any opinions on K-97 for the above?

I will be using raspberry extract at bottling/kegging and 5 lbs. 2-Row, 4 lbs. Wheat Malt, 8 oz. Carapils.

 

[rtstrider]

Any opinions on K-97 for the above?

I will be using raspberry extract at bottling/kegging and 5 lbs. 2-Row, 4 lbs. Wheat Malt, 8 oz. Carapils.

Never used it

 

[zyx345]

Thanks!

 

[thehaze]

I have used K-97 a few times. I made an IPA with it and a hybrid Kolsch-like beer. Both of them were very good. The IPA had Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe and Chinook and it was a citrus bomb, with grapefruit juice and rind, medium hazy.

The Kolsch was made with 100% Weyermann Vienna, Mandarina Bavaria and Hallertau Mittelfruh for the hops. Citrussy, toasty, low to medium haze ( the yeast is powdery, but settles OK given enough time in bottles ), very tasty and refreshing.

I fermented both at around 68-72F. No off-flavours. The yeast is clean, no representative esters can be detected from it, but it is a bit powdery as it stays in suspension, but it can be cleared with gelatin, if you want.

It ferments well and attenuates somewhere around 75-78%, so pretty good. It forms a big, fluffy krausen, which stays forever, but will drop at some point.

It's one of the better dry yeast out there, or at least this has been my experience.

 

[dmtaylor]

WB-06 is tart and pretty dry.

For sweetness, try Windsor or Munton's ale yeast, those finish at very high gravity, low attenuation of 55-60%.

 

[zyx345]

Thanks to all for all of the replies.