hefeweizen yeast question

[brewshki]

i am looking into brewing a pretty sle hefeweizen and have a few yeast options that i can choose from. from what i understand, the flavor of a hefeweizen is really based off of the yeast used.

The recipe i am using is extremely simple:

2 lbs of DME - Bavarian Wheat
.25 oz Northern Brewer hops at 60 mins.
(I'm using the more beer recipe but making only 2 gallons)

the yeast options i have are:
White Labs - Hefeweizen
White Labs - American Hefeweizen Ale
White Labs - Hefeweizen IV Ale
plus anything else that more beer offers.

my main question is if anyone has any experience with any of these yeasts or has any suggestions. I've never made a hefe and am really just going off of a little of what i have read and what more beer suggests. i have had a few hefeweizens before but my favorite is a local southern CA brewery that i don't know if many people have had the opportunity to try.

one additional questions: the recipe is made with LME and at 5 gallons. it uses 6 pounds. i came to 2 pounds of DME based on a ratio i found online that 1.2 lbs of LME is equal to 1 lb of DME. 6 lbs times .4 (for a two gallon recipe) gives me 2.4 which would be 2 lbs of DME. if i am wrong, please correct me.

Thanks!

 

[yohoe]

Depends on what characteristics you want. Ive only fermented with WLP300 (German Heft) as I'm not a fan of American Hefe. WLP300 will give you a lot of banana or cloves depending on your fermentation temps. The others don't give as much. I'm fermenting a hefe with WLP300 right now at 64 degrees though you get more banana around 68-70. If you go higher than 72, you'll get bubblegum flavor.

Classic hefe is brewed with the following grain bill: 4% caramel (I used 120), 26% Pilsner, and 70% wheat. I've never made a 100% wheat so I'm not sure how it will turn out.

Not sure where you live but I got an awesome chart from White Labs describing the yeast characteristics. You probably see them in your LHBS but I managed to get my hand on a couple since I live 10 miles from a White Labs in San Diego.

 

[yohoe]

PS: a blow-off tube is required for any Hefeweizen.

 

[brewshki]

Depends on what characteristics you want. Ive only fermented with WLP300 (German Heft) as I'm not a fan of American Hefe. WLP300 will give you a lot of banana or cloves depending on your fermentation temps. The others don't give as much. I'm fermenting a hefe with WLP300 right now at 64 degrees though you get more banana around 68-70. If you go higher than 72, you'll get bubblegum flavor.

Classic hefe is brewed with the following grain bill: 4% caramel (I used 120), 26% Pilsner, and 70% wheat. I've never made a 100% wheat so I'm not sure how it will turn out.

Not sure where you live but I got an awesome chart from White Labs describing the yeast characteristics. You probably see them in your LHBS but I managed to get my hand on a couple since I live 10 miles from a White Labs in San Diego.

Hmm. Little nervous about en blow off tube. I use a mr beer fermenter ( yes I know it's me beer but it works as a fermenter) as I am sure you know, it doesn't have an airlock so I don't really know what to do about that.

Is the classic recipe you showed using grain or extract? This will only be extract. I'm in SoCal as well.

I definitely don't want bubblegum and I appreciate less banana flavor than more.

 

[JonM]

WLP300 will give you a nice banana (but not too much) if you ferment it at 62-64.

For a 2 gal batch, you want about 68 billion cells. A fresh package of White Labs has about 100 bn cells, so there's a chance that one vial might be a little too much, and that might diminish the banana flavor a little bit, but I bet you'll be fine.

 

[CorporateHippie]

PS: a blow-off tube is required for any Hefeweizen.

I do a hefe every spring and never use a blowoff tube. That means your fermentor isn't big enough for the size batch you brewed

 

[smithabusa]

I've done two batches of hefeweizen using the hefe IV year wlp380. I . Fermented them rather high at 74. And love the banana flavor, I named the beer bananagasm. I've done several other hefes in the last in the cooler ranges and they came out so boring to me, the last two slap you in the face with flavor lol

 

[brewshki]

I've done two batches of hefeweizen using the hefe IV year wlp380. I . Fermented them rather high at 74. And love the banana flavor, I named the beer bananagasm. I've done several other hefes in the last in the cooler ranges and they came out so boring to me, the last two slap you in the face with flavor lol

So I'm not as big of a fan of the banana flavor to be honest. When you used it at lower temps what did you get? I know you said bland, but could you be more specific. The description says it gets apricot flavors.

 

[smithabusa]

So I'm not as big of a fan of the banana flavor to be honest. When you used it at lower temps what did you get? I know you said bland, but could you be more specific. The description says it gets apricot flavors.

I don't think I tried this year at lower temps it was another yeast, but very little banana, I don't recall any apricot on the others

 

[JonM]

With a proper pitch rate and temps around 62, you get a level of banana that doesn't overpower the delicate flavor of the malt, which is how I like it.

 

[atoughram]

Everyone has their favorite Hef yeast... I've tried the top two WLP yeasts in your lists but my favorite go to yeast for Hef is Safbrew WB-06. It's in between WLP300's strong esters, clove, and 'nana, but tastier than WLP320's bland clean flavor.

My fermentation temperatures are as follows:
Day Temperature Date and Time
0 66 10/18/2014 17:35:49
3 66 10/21/2014 17:35:49
5 68 10/23/2014 17:35:49
14 68 11/01/2014 17:35:49
15 65 11/02/2014 16:35:49
21 65 11/08/2014 16:35:49

I start off at 66 degrees, raise it to 68 after three days, and then finish it at 65.

 

[Gavin C]

I brewed a Hefe yesterday with a 1.5L (decanted starter) of Wyeast 3068. The Weihenstaphan strain. I believe it is the same strain as WLP300.

The website says that 33% headspace is needed owing to the top cropping nature of the yeast. These images are of mine, 30 hours after pitching. Kicked off after about 5 hours of lag time.

5.5gallon batch in a 6 gallon carboy. It's tight but was fine last time with the same recipe and temperature (67F)

 

[brewshki]

I brewed a Hefe yesterday with a 1.5L (decanted starter) of Wyeast 3068. The Weihenstaphan strain. I believe it is the same strain as WLP300.



The website says that 33% headspace is needed owing to the top cropping nature of the yeast. These images are of mine, 30 hours after pitching. Kicked off after about 5 hours of lag time.



5.5gallon batch in a 6 gallon carboy. It's tight but was fine last time with the same recipe and temperature (67F)

Oh wow. It gets pretty close doesn't it. My plan as of now if a 2 gallon recipe in my mr beer LBK. Maybe I'll ask the LHBS what they think

 

[smithabusa]

I recently bought a 8 gallon pale for doing wheat beers to try and avoid explosions or having to pull the air lock out

 

[Gavin C]

Just an update on my previous post with the krausen. That was pretty much the maximum it grew to. No issues with krausen in the blow off tube. Just like the last time I brewed it.