"Yeasty" Flavors?

[SwAMi75]

I've got three batches so far to the drinking stage:

1. Hefeweizen femented with Wyeast's Weihenstaphaner Hefeweizen yeast (gone)
2. Old Speckled Hen clone with Wyeast's Irish Ale yeast (in bottle for almost a month)
3. Hefeweizen with Wyeast's Bavarian Wheat yeast. (in bottle for about 1 week and a half now)

All three I used the liquid "activator" packs. Basically they have a built-in starter. The stuff took off within 12hrs for each, and all three fermented at about 69F....possibly about 70F for the Bavarian.

I've notcied my beers all have quite a yeasty character to them. The first hefe had a booming banana smell to it. The Old Speckled Hen is great when cold, but as it warms up the yeast flavor takes over and the dregs smell pretty pungent at room temp. The Bavarian seems to be the best balanced thus far, but is still a little on the yeasty side.

Any ideas on how to balance them out a little? Is it Wyeast itself, or temps....or what? Or am I just being anal?

Another last minute idea.....am I racking over too much yeast into the bottling bucket? I let my auto siphon sit on the bottom of the bucket, and carbonation has never been a problem.

Sam

 

[ryser2k]

Hmm, I don't have an answer for this but I'm interested to see what others have to say. I just used Wyeast for the first time this weekend on my Steam beer, and I just got myself an auto-siphon too! Sounds like we're pretty much in the same boat.

 

[Janx]

How long after brewing are you drinking the beer? Usually "yeasty" character mellows with time. My beers tend to start tasting really clean about a month after brewing.

Any beer made using a Weihenstephan yeast is gonna be yeasty...that's the nature of the beast. And I imagine dregs always smell pretty yeasty because they are in fact yeast.

I guess I would try to minimize the amount of yeast that gets in the bottles or move to kegging. That and be sure to give them enough time.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

I've notcied my beers all have quite a yeasty character to them. The first hefe had a booming banana smell to it. The Old Speckled Hen is great when cold, but as it warms up the yeast flavor takes over and the dregs smell pretty pungent at room temp. The Bavarian seems to be the best balanced thus far, but is still a little on the yeasty side.
Sam

Sam,
I'm drinking my Hefe that has been on the "serving line" since Saturday (force carb'd on tap in a corny). I used the White Labs Hefe V yeast. My wife told me it reminded her of that banana taffy candy. Which, is the description of that yeast strain. The higher the ferm temps, the more banana/clove taste you'll get. Sounds like your right where you need it? I compared mine to a King Ludwig (?) Bavaraian Wheat, and it was damn close.
Maybe try not to stir up to much sediment when you bottle?

 

[Dude]

My opinion on the matter:
I think your ferment temps are fine. I haven't looked at the exact yeasts you used, but most of the ale yeasts have ranges up to 73 degrees. Personally I'd rule that out unless you think you got near that range.

I think the problem is you are drinking it too fast!
Found this excerpt in the "How to Brew" link that has been passed on many times:
"Yeasty
The cause of this flavor is pretty easy to understand. If the yeast is unhealthy and begins autolyzing it will release compounds that can only be described as yeasty. Also if the beer is green, too young, and the yeast has not had time to settle out, it will have a yeasty taste. Watch your pouring method too, keep the yeast layer on the bottom of the bottle."

I think you need to store it over at my house so you keep your grubby paws off of it!

Honestly, when I tried the OSH it had no yeasty flavor. The Hefe probably should have a tiny taste of it. Full scoresheet on the Bavarian coming soon.

 

[homebrewer_99]

My opinion on the matter:
I think your ferment temps are fine. I haven't looked at the exact yeasts you used, but most of the ale yeasts have ranges up to 73 degrees. Personally I'd rule that out unless you think you got near that range.

I think the problem is you are drinking it too fast!
Found this excerpt in the "How to Brew" link that has been passed on many times:
"Yeasty
The cause of this flavor is pretty easy to understand. If the yeast is unhealthy and begins autolyzing it will release compounds that can only be described as yeasty. Also if the beer is green, too young, and the yeast has not had time to settle out, it will have a yeasty taste. Watch your pouring method too, keep the yeast layer on the bottom of the bottle."

I think you need to store it over at my house so you keep your grubby paws off of it!

Honestly, when I tried the OSH it had no yeasty flavor. The Hefe probably should have a tiny taste of it. Full scoresheet on the Bavarian coming soon.

I was going to recommend some of the same thoughts, especially the part about bringing over to my place for sampling, I mean storage.

Actually, you may want to consider pouriung the yeast from the the bottom of the bottle into the glass AFTER the beer is in the glass.

Do you have an actual .5 liter Hefe Weizen glass? I have over 100 of them that I collected while living in Germany. You need to learn how to properly pour.

As for the yeast, you should drink it. When you drink alcohol it depletes your body of vitamin B. The yeast is vitamin B.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

Actually, you may want to consider pouriung the yeast from the the bottom of the bottle into the glass AFTER the beer is in the glass.

Do you have an actual .5 liter Hefe Weizen glass? I have over 100 of them that I collected while living in Germany. You need to learn how to properly pour.

As for the yeast, you should drink it. When you drink alcohol it depletes your body of vitamin B. The yeast is vitamin B.

ah, yes. rouse the yeast half-way through the pour, right? that's the one bad thing about kegging a wheat beer. i've read that some will store kegged wheat up-side down until it's finished it's natural carbonation time.......

 

[SwAMi75]

Thanks for the replies fellas.

Bill....for hefes I do an easy pour for about the first 2/3, then rouse the yeast and basically "dump" the remaining 1/3 and empty the yeast into the glass. Me like yeast, esp. in hefe's. I just don't want it overpowering everything else.

Really it's the OSH clone that's bothering me. I figured a month in the bottle would be plenty considering it's OG was about 43, and it has matured nicely. It seems to me that the flavor of the beer is excellent, but the yeast is overpowering it somewhat. I believe if I could balance that out a little, I'd have me a winner.

And too, I don't really know what the characteristcis of an Irish ale yeast are supposed to be, so there's another unknown. Maybe I can tweak it to something a bit more neutral for my next batch.

So that's what I"m going to look at. Also, I'll *try* to hang onto a couple bottles for another month and see what happens. Wish me luck.

Thanks again fellas. I really like hearing input on stuff like this, because I really want to refine my recipes and techniques so I'm coming out with beers I'm proud of. I enjoy learning this kind of stuff.

Sam

 

[SwAMi75]

My wife told me it reminded her of that banana taffy candy. Which, is the description of that yeast strain. The higher the ferm temps, the more banana/clove taste you'll get.

Yeah, that's exactly it. With that first batch, I did drink it a little green, but that big bananna flavor never really mellowed with time. I think if I use that same Weihenstephaner yeast agian, I'll try to decrease my temps a little for sure. I love that character, but not too much of it.

Banana "taffy" is a perfect description, too. I'd never thought of it.

 

[Janx]

One way to rule out the Irish yeast strain as the culprit would be to use a very neutral yeast. I would suggest making a batch of APA with White Labs California Ale (NOT California V). It's a very clean yeast and it makes fantastic beer.

 

[SwAMi75]

I was considering something along those lines, based on your recommendation elsewhere.

As I'd like to try the OSH clone (an English ale) again, I might just try that and see where it gets me even though it kinda goes against convention.

So much to learn, so little room for all these friggin' carboys and bottles.

Sam

 

[homebrewer_99]

In Germany we pour almost all of the beer leaving about a centimeter or so (just under 1/2 inch) give it a swirl or two.

Some gasthaus' will ask if you want the yeast or not (even though you ask for a HEFE Weizen).