What happened to my bananas?

[drksky]

I like my Hefs to be banana bombs. It's just how I am.

So take two different batches of the same recipe (brewed a few months apart). The first was the way I like it, the one I'm fermenting now is really heavy on the clove.

Both used WLP300 and fermented in the low 70's, 73-75°, which I understand is how to bring out the banana character.

Now, I did mash them differently. The first batch I did a standard two-step mash with a 152° sacch rest for 60 minutes and a 10 minute 168° mashout.

The second batch, I did a step mash, 122, 149, 158, 168.

Would the difference in the mash method be enough to skew the character to the phenolic side?

 

[dfhar]

Probably not, but differences in pitching rate and oxygenation level between the two batches would.

 

[hockeybrewer]

How does over pitching affect taste?

 

[drksky]

Both batches I pitched straight out of the tube. No starter. Both were pretty fresh. Both oxygenated with an airstone, pure O2 for 30 seconds. Same water, too.

That's why I'm scratching my head. I like to think my procedures were pretty consistent.

 

[JKoravos]

Both batches I pitched straight out of the tube. No starter. Both were pretty fresh. Both oxygenated with an airstone, pure O2 for 30 seconds. Same water, too.

That's why I'm scratching my head. I like to think my procedures were pretty consistent.

Could be something as simple as the yeast was handled differently before you got it or there wasn't the same initial cell content in the tube. Did you order online? was one yeast shipped during summer months and one during winter months?

 

[drksky]

Could be something as simple as the yeast was handled differently before you got it or there wasn't the same initial cell content in the tube. Did you order online? was one yeast shipped during summer months and one during winter months?

Both were ordered from NB. First batch was done in late July. This batch was done...well...last week.

 

[JKoravos]

Well, could be a handling/shipping issue, but it's really tough to say for sure. That's the nice thing about starters, you get a visual indication of your yeast health.

I always use something like Jamil's pitch rate calculator and record my estimated pitch rate. A couple of weeks difference in the 'best by' date on a WL tube can actually be a big difference in viability.

 

[drksky]

I've read elsewhere here that stressing a Hef yeast, i.e. underpitching, can help bring out the estery character. Maybe that just means it's mor unpredictable..

 

[drksky]

I did lower the temp down to 64 after the active fermentation finished so try and get some trub to settle out. Would that have done it? I would like that most of the flavor compounds had already been produced by the yeast during the active fermentation.

 

[speeddemon190]

I read this on the BYO style profile article for hefeweizen.

“Mashing at 110 °F (43 °C) aids in the hydrolysis of ferulic acid. The yeast use ferulic acid to produce 4-vinyl guaiacol, which is the phenolic (clove-like) flavor compound that is so important in this style,”

maybe your rest at 122 helped with this and helped with more clove flavors...maybe....my shot in the dark.

full article...https://byo.com/hops/item/2265-german-hefeweizen-style-profile