A bit sour Hefeweizen saving?

[Mathias1993]

Hello guys!

Idk my hefeweizen brewed with safwb yeast feels a little bit sour. I think its not from bacteria its rlly slightly sour and a bit watery. Body is thin tho its around 4,5% atm. O.G was 1,045 my F.G atm is 1,010. My panic idea was to do some dryhopping with american hops. I've added Galaxy and Citra, not so many, 13 gramm for 9 liters. My plan is to leave it like that for 2 or 3 days and then bottle it still, because it was drinkable.

What are your opinion about this? My bet is the beer has been oxidized.

Cheers : ).

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Oxidation doesn’t taste sour/tart. Contamination may be the culprit, so be cautious about bottling. If you can keg any built up pressure can be released, bottles break open.

Once the bottles carb up put them in the fridge to slow any changes and dink them within a month or so.

 

[Mathias1993]

Thanks for the advice! I'll follow your suggestion for sure : ).

 

[mashdar]

I don't suppose you have a pH meter?

What was the recipe?

 

[lumpher]

Hello guys!

Idk my hefeweizen brewed with safwb yeast feels a little bit sour. I think its not from bacteria its rlly slightly sour and a bit watery. Body is thin tho its around 4,5% atm. O.G was 1,045 my F.G atm is 1,010. My panic idea was to do some dryhopping with american hops. I've added Galaxy and Citra, not so many, 13 gramm for 9 liters. My plan is to leave it like that for 2 or 3 days and then bottle it still, because it was drinkable.

What are your opinion about this? My bet is the beer has been oxidized.

Cheers : ).

If it's a tart taste, but not sour, that's typical of WB06, because of it's Belgian roots. It's closer genetically to a Saison than it is a Hefe yeast. If you want to make a Hefe closer to the real taste, and still use dry, go for Lal Munich. It's MUCH better in a Hefe, which is 1 of my favorite styles. In case you're not sure which 1 I mean:

https://www.lallemandbrewing.com/en/united-states/products/munich-classic-wheat-beer-yeast/

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

I’ve never noticed a sour or tartness to my Wits using wb06 before, it doesn’t mean it’s never there, but I’ve never gotten feedback about it either.
I have used acidified malt in some brews and got dinged in comp for it being present in the final product.

 

[Mathias1993]

I don't suppose you have a pH meter?

What was the recipe?

I don't suppose you have a pH meter?

What was the recipe?

I dont have a pH meter sadly.

Water was mineral water from the supermarket 9,5l start and 4L sparge water.

Not planned recipe, Ive used what I had.
1,2kg Pilsner malt
1,2kg Wheat malt

Mashed at 35C
Protein rest around 52C for 20m
And 64 celsius 60m

I`ve used Saaz hoops, 60m boiling 15 gr.

Yeast: Safalewb06


I did no chill (As I Always do) and pured the beer around 80 Celsius to my plastic container with an airlock and closed from the air. Ive added yeast when the wort was 25 Celsius. I didnt make a starter just pitched it from the bag.

My container was almost full. There wasnt enough space As for me. I Always let 10% free space in my containers. At the fermentation ive used alcohol in the airlock. Smell was fine really during the fermentation process. The beer is drinkable only a little bit sour to me. I cant tell tbh. I fu*** up beer before but tasted not like this. Its behind but I can taste it. My wife didn't realized tho.

 

[Mathias1993]

Oxidation doesn’t taste sour/tart. Contamination may be the culprit, so be cautious about bottling. If you can keg any built up pressure can be released, bottles break open.

Once the bottles carb up put them in the fridge to slow any changes and dink them within a month or so.

When should I bottle?

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

When should I bottle?

Best practice is when you have consistent gravity readings 2-3 days apart after you think it’s done. While airlock activity is an indicator, if there’s a leak somewhere it’s just not reliable. How long has this been fermenting?

 

[G_robertus]

WB-06 can be rather tart in my experience (and it's not really the best for weizens). Wheat itself can also be quite tart, so that can all lead to a slightly sour experience. Whilst oxidation does not necessarily lead to souring, barring infections and acetobacter activity, the oxidation of ethanol leads to acetaldehyde which people sometimes perceive as sour due to the association with green (sour) apples.
I'd say after two weeks you're probably safe, but checking the gravity won't hurt. Dry hopping can help mask it. Adding fruit/vegetables is also an option if you think they'll match up nicely.

 

[hungupdown]

I dont have a pH meter sadly.

Water was mineral water from the supermarket 9,5l start and 4L sparge water.

Not planned recipe, Ive used what I had.
1,2kg Pilsner malt
1,2kg Wheat malt

Mashed at 35C
Protein rest around 52C for 20m
And 64 celsius 60m

I`ve used Saaz hoops, 60m boiling 15 gr.

Yeast: Safalewb06


I did no chill (As I Always do) and pured the beer around 80 Celsius to my plastic container with an airlock and closed from the air. Ive added yeast when the wort was 25 Celsius. I didnt make a starter just pitched it from the bag.

My container was almost full. There wasnt enough space As for me. I Always let 10% free space in my containers. At the fermentation ive used alcohol in the airlock. Smell was fine really during the fermentation process. The beer is drinkable only a little bit sour to me. I cant tell tbh. I fu*** up beer before but tasted not like this. Its behind but I can taste it. My wife didn't realized tho.

Hefeweizen (Schneider Weisse recipe) is my go to brew, and I do 2 or 3 23l batches a year.
I use Mangrove Jack's M20 Baverian wheat (19°C for 3 days then 22C for 5days), or WHC Banana Split (19°C for 3 days then 24C for 5days). The latter giving more banana.

For good flavour, t's important for the wort to be quite well oxygenated before adding yeast. And I normally ferment in a bucket fermenter, with a wide surface area (for extra oxygen), rather than a pressure fermenter..

I use 53% malted wheat; 19% Vienna malt; 17% lager malt; 6% Caramunich 150. With oat hulls @10% of wheat. Hops Hallertauer Mittelfreuh, 30g boil 60min; 10g boil 15min (for 23l batch).
The recipe was 60% malted wheat, but recirculation in my system, struggles with that much. The 53% wheat used, is still above the legal minimum for Baverian wheat beers, of 50%.