temp for American Hefe Yeast (WLP320)

[JLem]

What's a good fermentation temp for this yeast? I's like to minimize the banana and clove flavors (I know they are already supposed to be limited in this yeast, but I'd like to make sure).

I don't have temp control, but have various places in the basement/house I could put the fermenter. The place I was thinking has a current ambient air temp of ~58F. Is that too cool, even considering the temp increase associated with fermentation?

 

[Ouroboros]

I don't have temp control, but have various places in the basement/house I could put the fermenter. The place I was thinking has a current ambient air temp of ~58F. Is that too cool, even considering the temp increase associated with fermentation?

Well, I'm quite a novice but I've done the same thing and not had any problems. I've let my fermenter get <60F during lag phase a couple of times and (perhaps coincidentally) it took a bit longer for the airlock to start playing music. Maybe keep it somewhere closer to "room temperature" for the first 12 hours and then move it to the cooler parts of your house. A bucket of water sitting out in the open doesn't change temperature that fast, and once fermentation picks up the heat released should keep your beer in the mid-60's. Every beer I've done so far has been consistently 6 degrees above ambient temperature (until I started using a water bath).

 

[axr]

What's a good fermentation temp for this yeast? I's like to minimize the banana and clove flavors (I know they are already supposed to be limited in this yeast, but I'd like to make sure).

I recently brewed a Hefe using this yeast and fermented at ~66-67F for about 2 weeks and let it bottle condition for 2 more. I selected it because of the muted banana/clove esthers and it didn't let me down. I think if you ferment at 58F it will be too cold for this yeast strain.

I brewed a Hefe last year using the WLP300 last year and it was very heavy with esthers, almost bubble-gummy. In hindsight that might have been due to ferm temp being too high but also because that strain imparts strong esthers

Needless to say, the WLP320 strain has left me with a very good tasting Hefe

axr

 

[JLem]

Thanks. I think I've decided to go with a higher temp. I have a spot in the basement that is currently at 62F. Once the yeast get going, that should put me in the 65-67 range