Help - My weizen wheat beer tastes like cloves

[Fatboy]

Not sure what the deal is. Had the weizen wheat sitting in the carboy secondary for a week and decided to check the spgr today - 1.010 (starting 1.049), nice, clear, and crisp. Now for the bad part - tastes like cloves. yes, cloves.

any ideas? Used German Wheat liquid yeast.

I'm at a loss.

Paul

 

[Kephren]

Sounds like you fermented at a pretty high temp. That will cause clove or banana-like flavors.

 

[Fatboy]

Well - I was still within the temps recommended for the yeast. Strange thing - I brewed my last wheat the same way - similar temps - with no problems.

oh well - looks like I'm drinking cloves.

 

[AlaskaAl(e)]

Weird, I would have said temp as well. Did you use the same exact strain? It would appear some seemingly-similar yeasts are quite different. I found that out the hard way once. Apparently German Ale yeast takes longer to do the job than the usual 7-10 days. Who knew? Syrup anyone?

 

[awillis]

Did you use the WLP #380 Hefe Weizen liquid yeast? I just bottled my Hefe and it fermented at 8 degrees warmer than recommended and boy it shouts bananas. Next time I use this yeast again I will keep it at the lower end of the temp range.

 

[Fatboy]

I used Wyeast German Wheat (# not avail), liquid yeast.

I'm assuming the flavor won't get any better and I might as well dump and go back to my German lagers for now.....

 

[homebrewer_99]

Don't dump it.

Chances are it'll mellow with age.

 

[SwAMi75]

The clove flavor is very much characteristic of that yeast, esp. when fermented on the warm side (as already noted).

As Bill said....give it some time. It probably won't go away, but it'll mellow out some.

 

[Fatboy]

I guess I could always marinate a ham in it.... I always did hate picking the cloves out after the BBQ...

 

[homebrewer_99]

I would guess that it'll taste just fine after about 2 months.

Just my guess.

 

[Fatboy]

Thanks Homebrewer99 - She's now been siphoned off into a tertiary fermenter (couldn't wait to use that one), and she'll be sitting in my lager cooler for the next 2-3 months. I'll let ya know what happens.

Paul

 

[homebrewer_99]

HW ia an ale. There's no need to lager it.

Your choice though, I only wanted to stated there is no "NEED".

 

[brewhead]

i know that some yeasts have a perpensity to produce clove flavors such as Wyeast 3056, i did an amber that had a slight clove aroma when in your mouth..not necessarily a "taste" as it were. i thought it was tasty - i enjoyed it...i wouldn't exactly have labeled it an "off" flavor.