Off taste hefe, New brewer needs help!

[Green_Man]

I just tried my bottle first bottle of a partial mash hefeweizen that I brewed and it has a real sweet bubblegum with little or no bannana or cloves taste. This is my first time brewing a hefeweizen and it does not really taste like any hefeweizens I have had. It is way too sweet. The beer seems to be fully or close to fully carbonated. I used Wyeast Bavarian wheat 3638 strain. The yeast took about 3 days to start going but once it started it seemed to ferment well. I waited about 16 days after fermentation began and I was seeing bubbles in my blow off tube every 2 minutes or so. The batch of beer does not seem to be infected. I did not take any gravity readings. Does anyone have any suggestions. I have been looking around and I can't find anyone else who seems to have this problem with a hefe. It was only bottled about 2 weeks ago. Should I let it age or store my bottles at a warmer temperature. It is currently sitting in my basement which is about 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[wcarter1227]

id let it go another 2 weeks at room temp and then try it again. 2 weeks in the bottle is too short of a time to judge a beer, even a hefe.

 

[HotbreakHotel]

I made a hefe a while back with 3638, and I thought it was too candy/bubblegummy. I think 3068 is better.

 

[Newton]

Definitely give it another few weeks in the bottle. Just recently I had a whit beer that tasted harsh and chemically at 2 weeks in the bottle--at 4 weeks it tastes awesome.

 

[ReverseMonk]

Bubble gum is a very typical hefe flavor. I think it is more pronounced (over the clove and banana) if the beer is under-attenuated, which sounds like your case if the beer is sweet. You can also achieve less bubble gum by pitching proper cell counts and keeping fermentation between 65-70 with most hefe strains.

Do you know your actual fermentation temp and final gravity?

 

[maida7]

I believe the fermentation temp has a big effect on the esters. Higher temps produce the bubble gum. Per Jamil Z's advice I have been fermenting my hefe's at 62. Works great at that temp and no bubble gum.

 

[midfielder5]

+1 to ferm temps. I just did a Bavarian Hefe at 62-64 degrees (frozen ice bottles in a tub; no problem). That was the temp of the wort, per the stick on thermometer on my bucket.
It is outstanding!

 

[Green_Man]

I am hoping my brew just needs a little more time in bottles because when I racked from the primary it had a typical hefe smell with hints of banana and cloves. I just got worried because when I was reading up on this style most people were saying that hefeweizens were best young. As for fermenting temp I really don't have the resources to control the temperature constant being a college student. I just had it sitting in a room on the first floor of my house, but I'd say the temp while it was fermenting ranged from about 70 to low 60's degrees Fahrenheit. I will give it two more weeks and lets you guys know how it turns out.

 

[Brocster]

I am hoping my brew just needs a little more time in bottles because when I racked from the primary it had a typical hefe smell with hints of banana and cloves. I just got worried because when I was reading up on this style most people were saying that hefeweizens were best young. As for fermenting temp I really don't have the resources to control the temperature constant being a college student. I just had it sitting in a room on the first floor of my house, but I'd say the temp while it was fermenting ranged from about 70 to low 60's degrees Fahrenheit. I will give it two more weeks and lets you guys know how it turns out.

Lot's of things could be at play, from temps to underpitching. I use 3056 and pitch a starter, fermenting in the low 60's ambient. This gives me a crisp, clovey hefe with a hint of banana. Higher temps, less attenuation and yeast strains all could give a much more bubblegum flavor.

 

[strat_thru_marshall]

+1 on fermentation temps again. Bubblegum flavor most likely from too high of a primary fermentation temp.

If you can devise a way to accurately control the wort temp during fermentation, you'll notice a big reduction in off flavors across the board in all styles that you brew. Even something as simple as a big cooler or tub filled with water can help stabilize the temps where you want them for an ale. Freeze water in 2 liter bottles and float them in the tub or cooler one at a time, changing once or twice a day. Drape an old t-shirt over the carboy and let it soak up the cool water from the tub..that gets me into the mid-low 60's in my house when my ferm chamber is full, or at lager temps. Cheap and easy!