First batch = gross.

Due to what I've heard here and what a guy at my LHBS said, I think I'll chalk it up to the yeast used. The LHBS guy said that for what I'm going for I should have used White Labs American Hefe yeast instead of the Safbrew WB-06 they packaged with my first extract ingredient set. It's pretty heavy on the banana, which is fine, but it's got some nasty flavor that I thought might even be off flavor for fermenting to high, but LHBS dude said, "No, that's what it's supposed to taste like."

The recipe was:
6lb Wheat DME
1.5oz 60min Tett
0.5oz 3min Tett
Safbrew WB-06

My actions:
Primary for 9 days (69F)
Secondary for 9 days (5 days at 69F, 4 days at 57F - tried to crash cool)
And it has been bottled now for 3 days.

When I asked if the nasty flavors would go away, LHBS dude said it would probably stay tasting the way it tastes now.

So, as this second, I'm starting my second batch:
3lb Amber DME
3lb Light DME
1.5oz 60min Nugget
0.5oz 3min Nugget
Nottingham

Will pitch at 75F and ferment at 65F I suppose, unless I read some better Nottingham temps somewhere.


Damn.

 

Good to know, and thanks for the Nottingham pitching temp tip. I'll pitch and ferment at 65F.

 

Hefe's and hefe yeasts are much more popular than they deserve...in my opinion.

People just swarm to hefe recipes without understanding that they are going to end up with a large mug of sudsy clove flavored beer.

I like a hefe, but I've yet to meet anyone locally who also enjoys a hefe.

 

I love a hefe, but I've never had one flavored like this. I'm guessing this is a German style, whereas the hefe I've tried and really liked was a Widmer - which I've now heard requires an American hefe/wheat yeast. Mine has no clove flavor whatsoever.

Ugh!

I'm 15min into the boil of my next batch, though And the batch after that will be apfelwein.

 

Give it some time. If your wheat has been bottled for only four days, it will be VERY difficult to determine how it will turn out. It's tough to follow these directions, but I recommend you forget about those bottles for at least six weeks. Flavors can change dramatically.

 

I don't like Hefes period. I'd actually take a Bud instead. I keep trying them, even brewed one, just can't.

 

I made the mistake of making a dunkelweizen once... man... banana clove piss juice. YUK. I'll stick to Double IPA's, Stiff Stouts, and Badass Belgians.

 

Give it time bro!!! I cannot stress this enough. After 7 days, my wheat tasted terrible too, but given 3 weeks, it's an entirely different beer. It will have a yeasty, sometimes banana-esque-tart component but that's basically what wheat beer tend to taste like. Give it time!!

Greg

 

Boy, I sure hope so.

Thanks for the encouragement, guys!

 

Be careful with Nugget hops. They have extremely high alpha amounts.
1.5oz will get you around 80 IBU's. Thats pretty damn bitter.

nick

 

Try another wheat, but use Safale S-05 for your yeast; it's a nice clean American yeast. I just made an American Wheat with it and came pretty close to a Widmer, at least at bottling. Drinking comes in a couple of days.

 

I can't believe that the guy at your LHBS said that how it tasted after 4 days in the bottle is how it is going to stay. NOT TRUE! Your beer is still young, even for a wheat, and is going to be constantly developing its flavor. It will be similar to what you have now, but it will definately mellow out and the flavors will come together.

 

Well...if the LHBS guy was referring tot he clove/banana flavor, he's right. That is how it's going to taste indefinitley.

The other flavor strangeness (bitterness, yeast bite, thinness...) will fix itself, but that clove juice ain't gonna improve with time.

 

Second batch:

You should consider reducing the Nuggett for bittering, unless you are doing a 2-3 gallon boil. If you are doing a full boil, I'd start with 0.75 oz. and put another 0.75 oz. in at 20, keep the aroma add. All Nuggett ales can be really nice.

 

Fantastic news, thanks.

Second batch was a 2.5gal boil with 1.5oz Nugget for 60min and 0.5oz Nugget for 3min.

Is this one going to be gross, too?! Should I be considering getting my recipes or extract kits from somewhere other than this LHBS?!

 

Now, now. I wouldn't describe my Bavarian Hefe that way.

 

Yeah, mine neither, it has no clove properties and only banana (and lots of it!). If the nasty off stuff actually _does_ go away, I'm going to be extremely happy because other than that it's pretty good. The aroma and the first sip are "yumm, this is pretty tasty!" - after a few sips, though... bleh.

 

That's funny...I haven't had a Bud since drinking my first Hefe Weizen in Feb 1975!!