hefeweizen pitch rates for non-WLP300/WY3068 yeasts

[ebbelwoi]

So the general consensus here and around the web seems to be that one needs to be careful not to overpitch WLP300 and WY3068. Doing so may result in lower ester production.

Does this apply to other hefeweizen strains, particularly WLP351, WY3638 and WLP380? Has any one had success (in terms of esters) despite pitching at what would be considered high rates for WLP300/WY3068?

It'd be nice to hear from those with some experience with these yeasts, but if all you've got is hearsay and conjecture, I'll take it.

When making my weizen starters, I usually shoot for about 7 billion cells/liter, for a 1.052 OG, FWIW.

 

[DuncB]

Might be some clues in here for you.

https://braumagazin.de/article/brewing-bavarian-weissbier-all-you-ever-wanted-to-know/

 

[ebbelwoi]

Thanks! I've read that article dozens of times, in English and German, and I still go back to it often.

It briefly discusses pitch rate, and gives a general 3-8 billion cells/liter recommendation. It doesn't address pitch rates of various strains, though.

 

[DuncB]

Have you looked at this thread, it's in Australian so a little more challenging than English and German!

https://aussiehomebrewer.com/threads/bavarian-weissbier-tips.95586/

 

[dmtaylor]

Many of the hefeweizen strains are very closely related and will perform in similar fashion. The exceptions might be WLP351 and 3638, which evolved from a completely different area on the genomic tree. It is my own belief that most of these should be underpitched to stress them out on purpose, as doing so has resulted in my best hefeweizens. However, I have never used WLP351 or 3638 so I cannot speak to the best advice for those two in particular. I imagine they could be very different from the others.

 

[SFC Rudy]

I've tried step mashes, single infusion mash, under pitching, pitching one pack of yeast, over pitching, ferment low, ferment high, ferment low and ramp up and vice versa and on and on......

The best Hefe Weizen I have made was with Lallemand Munich Classic dry yeast fermented at 68 degrees. I open ferment 6.5 gallons in a 15-gallon sterilite storage container from walmart. For temp control I use a blichman cooling coil hooked up to my jery-rigged cooling system.

This is the closest I have gotten to the Hefe Weizens I used to drink while I was stationed in Germany.

 

[ebbelwoi]

May I ask what your pitch rate is? 1 sachet of Munich Classic into 6.5 gallons? How long do you keep the fermentation open?

I became a bit of a hefeweizen fan during my days in Germany as well.

 

[1Pivoman]

Each time I underpitched Bavarian wheat beer yeast I ended up with under-attenuated beer. Not sure why, but I brew up just short of a half-gallon starter for a 5 gal batch and pitch at high krauesen. No more troubles.

I've tried every Bavarian weizen beer yeast out there except for the dry packets. To date the most authentic to having Weissbier in Germany is CL-930, Bavarian Weiss. It came on a slant that Brewer's Resource used to sell. Some of those yeast strains were picked up by other companies, I don't think this one ever was. I have been very much pleased with WLP-380, White Labs Hefe-Weizen IV, then to round out the beer I do what a lot of Germans do, pitch 34/70 lager yeast at the end. I add dry 34/70 lager yeast at the end of fermentation and it was like being transported back to Germany at a Bierstube. It just cleans things up a bit without detracting from the character of the beer.

I still get decent banana out of WLP-380, but a lot of spicy, earthy phenolics and clove character. I shoot for 66F fermentation temp, and I am hardcore, double decoction mash all the way.

 

[SFC Rudy]

May I ask what your pitch rate is? 1 sachet of Munich Classic into 6.5 gallons? How long do you keep the fermentation open?

I became a bit of a hefeweizen fan during my days in Germany as well.

View attachment 757218

Ahhhh Tucher Hefe Weizen was my favorite!!!!! I have a lot of those glasses myself.

I use one packet of yeast for the 6.5 gallons. This last batch I open fermented for 13 days then packaged. The nice thing about the sterilite container is the lid locks on but it is not airtight, so I don't transfer to a closed fermenter, just to a bottling bucket and package.

Still working it, but my last batch was pretty damned good, even got to share it with a few buddies I was stationed with in Germany and they were impressed.

 

[crippled1]

I brewed a hefe years ago with 3638 fermented at 68 it had a crazy bubblegum flavor that slowly disappeared as we drank a 5 gal keg. I could never do it again.