Weissbiers. What are the standards?

[AHammer16]

Just opened my weissbeer that has been bottled cond. for 2 weeks and it tastes great. In fact when i put it side by side w/ Hacker-Pschoor i cann't tell the differance.

I dont have the recipie on me now but i will edit or post again w/ the recipie.
The yeast was wyeasts german weissbier.

My question is what or how do you describe the flavor of this beer and where does the flavor come from? Is it the yeast that was used or a function of all wheat malt?

i can only come up with "rotten" as a description for the flavor. I've had wiess bier in germany and it had the same "rotten" aroma and flavor as Hacker-psch and my newly birthed beer.

 

[El Pistolero]

That's the first time I've heard it described as rotten. Most describe it as banana or clove or something like that...it comes from the yeast strain.

 

[AHammer16]

I thought banana was at one end of the spectrum (diactel)
and clove was at the other end (?)?

But you are familiar with the flavor i am talking about?

It is really unique, to me, in the beer world. I've never tasted any flavor like that before in beer exept in weissbeirs.

 

[Pumbaa]

I found this while looking for ideas for my next batch, maybe it will help

http://www.bjcp.org/styles04/

 

[El Pistolero]

But you are familiar with the flavor i am talking about?

Yes, and I really think it's present in some other beers besides hefes, but it's tough to pick out, until you've tasted it in a fermenting hefeweizen. Once you've tasted it at full strength, it's a lot easier to pick out in finished beers.

 

[Walker]

I thought banana was at one end of the spectrum (diactel)
and clove was at the other end (?)?

But you are familiar with the flavor i am talking about?

It is really unique, to me, in the beer world. I've never tasted any flavor like that before in beer exept in weissbeirs.

diacetyl tastes like butter (or butterscotch), not bananas. The banana taste comes from esters produced by the yeast. The weissbier yeasts are proficient at producing these esters.

I recently brought forth the banana taste in two of my beers (using american and british ale yeasts) simply because I let the fermenters get too warm. I agree with you that it tastes rotten (or at least "bad") but this is just my opinion. Many people love that taste.

-walker

 

[Darth Konvel]

I've heard it described as being a "ripe" flavor, which I guess is just a nice way of saying "rotten"

 

[homebrewer_99]

I've been drinking Hefe Weizens since my first visit to Germany in 1975. I can honestly say I have NEVER had a rotten weizen.

I think the flavor you are tasting is just plain old Wheat and Yeast.

These are the reasons why many people do not like weizens because they are too used to the rice and corn of American beers.

 

[inkbob]

i just posted about this... cool.

but i think i know what you mean by rotten. although i wouldnt call that a good thing. if i'm right, and my current HW isnt infected, that's DMS (dimethyl sulfide), as in the link previously in this thread. someone mentioned that it can be present in higher temperature lager fermentations, (and maybe some top-fermenting strains also?).

i had an interesting experience with that with my first batch. i was fermenting it at a friends studio because it was cooler than my apartment, and one day i went by to check the progress. it smelled "rotten" and i lost all hope. my friend got on the phone to a friend who had brewed before, and the guy basically told us to relax, dont worry, blah blah blah. anyway, that wasn't enough to calm me down, and i went home to sulk in my failure. i needed to have a beer, and since i live in munich, i had an augustiner helles from the fridge... the thing was... it also had this "rotten" smell, but in a minute, barely noticeable quantity. i had never noticed it before, as a single element, but it definately was not a bad thing in the augustiner. since then i have noticed that not every bottle i have, has the same exact aroma or flavor, but in small quantities, with the right complimentary aromas/flavors, i dont find it a bad thing at all.

 

[SkewedBrewing]

What part of Munich are you in? And, do you like Holledauer Weisses?

 

[Brewerbach]

Taste that your getting comes from the yeast. Best described as clovelike, or banana-like depending upon what you are picking up

 

[inkbob]

What part of Munich are you in? And, do you like Holledauer Weisses?

i live fairly central, actually right across the street from the augustiner brewery. ahh, the aromas that come in my window... i cant say that i've ever even seen Holledauer beer. in my neighborhood the beverage shops basically carry the standard stuff. i have to try pretty hard to find smaller brands, or styles not common in Bavaria. but i'll keep an eye out for that one.

 

[cweston]

I'm currently drinking a hefe made with that same yeast (Wyeast 3333 German). I would describe the phenols from that yeast as more medicinal than then other hefeweizen strains. Is that the flavor you're describing?

 

[Brewby, my beer]

I just opened my first Heffe (of my own making) on Saturday. I used the Wyeast 3068 Weinstephan yeast. I came out fantastic. It's a little bit darker than a Weinstephan, but the typical heffe flavors are all there. There is definitely a slight banana taste and the bulk of the taste is the wheat/yeast. Good levels of carbonation as well. I'm very happy with it.

AHammer16:
Which yeast strain did you use.

my recipe was:
6.60 lb Wheat Liquid Extract (10.0 SRM) Extract 100.0 %
0.75 oz Hallertauer [3.20%] (60 min) Hops 6.4 IBU
0.69 oz Hallertauer [3.20%] (30 min) Hops 4.5 IBU
1 Pkgs Weihenstephan Weizen (Wyeast Labs #3068) Yeast-Wheat

I harvested the yeast so I will be making another heffe next.

I think I'll buy a bottle of Weinstephan on the way home tonight to compare the taste.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I think I'll buy a bottle of Weinstephan on the way home tonight to compare the taste.

Definitely do that and let us know the results. I found mine to be a bit darker (despite being an AG recipe) and too bitter compared to the original. V2.0 is in the works now, and I imagine I've made strides in the bitterness problem, but probably not color.

 

[homebrewer_99]

i live fairly central, actually right across the street from the augustiner brewery...

I know the place. My last Oktoberfest was in 2003.

I lived in Bamberg for 5 years (99-04) and Augsburg (75-79). ...but as the song goes...I've been everywhere, man, I've been everywhere...

 

[inkbob]

I know the place. My last Oktoberfest was in 2003.

your last was my first. what can i say, i'm a late bloomer.

 

[homebrewer_99]

your last was my first. what can i say, i'm a late bloomer.

My first Munchen Oktoberfest was in 1975! Living only 45 miles away I went several times.