I recently brewed a hefeweizen using Wyeast Labs 3068 and got little banana clove character from it. I fermented at around 68 degrees. Just wondering if anyone has and input on enhancing those banana clove flavors. Maybe use WLP300 next time? Any thoughts?
Both 3068 and 300 are supposed to be Weihenstephan W 68. 3068 with a low pitch rate fermented at 68F has gave me good banana and clove. 300 is just bananas.
For more “Clove” dough in @ ~110F (ferulic acid rest) for 30 minutes or so. Then move on to your regular mash schedule. I enjoy the results of WLP380. Cheers!!!
Enhancing clove and banana character??? Why on earth would you want to do that? I can’t stand cloves in a beer, roasted pork shoulder, yes, beer no.
That being said, when I first started brewing almost two and a half years ago, I went through this phase of brewing every style I could think of. I brewed a Dunkelweizen, knowing full well that I hate cloves in a beer ???, idiot :P, and used White Labs WLP351 Bavarian Weizen Yeast. I made a starter with it and it had significant cloves and banana characteristics. I would give this one a try if that’s what you’re going for.
Everyone’s taste buds are different and YOU should definitely enjoy the beer you are brewing. Hope this helps…
well, I completely disagree. Clove phenols in a hefeweizen is imperative IMO.
The ferulic acid rest is a good suggestion. I heard someone mention recently using a vial of WLP300 blended with a vial of wlp380. I am planning on trying that when I brew my dunkleweizen soon. You get nice clove character from the 380 and cleaner banana from the 300 hundred. One tip: ferment fairly cool. I pitch mine at 56-58 and keep the fermentation very low through the first third. This seems to enhance the clove character, otherwise the banana tends to become predominant. You may need to experiment with temps to strike the balance you prefer.
Absolutely! Banana, not so much. I agree with the pitch cool and ferment cool recommendation. I wouldn’t let it get over 62°F. for the first few days, at least.
I was just stating a personal preference, not saying it shouldn’t be in a German Hefe.
Oddly enough, in regards to ferulic acid rest at 110F. I was at the Winterfest Ales & Auction here in Lincoln last nite and Empyrean, our local brewery had a Wheat Wine. The head brewer did a rest at 45C/113F and then ramped up to their normal mash temps. Grist was 60-70% wheat and fermented with their house Chico strain and that beer had HUGE bannana flavor and aroma with some subtle clove. Just an interesting side note I thought I would share since no hefe or Belgian strain of yeast was used.
Thanks everyone for the input. I am also getting a weird sulfuric smell from the beer that is not all that favorable. I had a few pints the other day and it was ok just not the best. Is this due to the fact that I fermented in primary for 10 days, kegged it right away then quick carbed it in 3 days? This is a 10 gallon batch and Im sure that if I give it more time it will mature for the better. Any experience with this issue?

Thanks everyone for the input. I am also getting a weird sulfuric smell from the beer that is not all that favorable. I had a few pints the other day and it was ok just not the best. Is this due to the fact that I fermented in primary for 10 days, kegged it right away then quick carbed it in 3 days? This is a 10 gallon batch and Im sure that if I give it more time it will mature for the better. Any experience with this issue?
Did you check the gravity for two to three consecutive days to ensure that it had reached terminal gravity. Allowing the beer to reach terminal gravity then giving the beer a few more days to clean up any fermentation by-products is needed to achieve good quality beer. Then I like to cold crash the beer for a few weeks to condition the beer before I force carbonate.

I was just stating a personal preference, not saying it shouldn’t be in a German Hefe. Take it easy guys…
Take it easy? No one was bashing you, friend. Just stating my preference the way you stated yours. It’s all easy, so relax.

Thanks everyone for the input. I am also getting a weird sulfuric smell from the beer that is not all that favorable. I had a few pints the other day and it was ok just not the best. Is this due to the fact that I fermented in primary for 10 days, kegged it right away then quick carbed it in 3 days? This is a 10 gallon batch and Im sure that if I give it more time it will mature for the better. Any experience with this issue?
I don’t know what it is about the Wyeast strain but I have stopped using it. I got a weird sulfur issue the last few times and I could not figure out what the cause was.

Thanks everyone for the input. I am also getting a weird sulfuric smell from the beer that is not all that favorable. I had a few pints the other day and it was ok just not the best. Is this due to the fact that I fermented in primary for 10 days, kegged it right away then quick carbed it in 3 days? This is a 10 gallon batch and Im sure that if I give it more time it will mature for the better. Any experience with this issue?
I get sulfur in my hefe when using WLP380 during fermentation, but it’s always gone before I keg. You could try bubbling up some CO2 through the beer-out post to see if that will scrub some sulfur out. Next time just give the beer a few more days before packaging and the sulfur should be gone.
Ya know, I don’t know what it is about the wyeast strain, but I tried everything on 3 different batches to get rid of the sulphur and it never diminished, including bubbling c02 up through the brights. Switched to white labs and never had a problem. Weird.
Next time just give the beer a few more days before packaging and the sulfur should be gone.
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+1. Conditioning, usually, always helps a beer. Especially a beer that young. I don’t keg for at least a month.
I just brewed a hefe, and used the Weihenstephan yeast. Great banana aroma, and nice clove undertones.
I’ve brewed a lot of hefeweizens over the past 16 years or so and I have found that this is one beer beer that can be consumed extremely fresh with very little conditioning if any. I’ve had them ready in 10 days several times. Even though I have used the WY weihenstephan yeast many times with no problems the last time I tried the strain was the only time I ever experienced the weird sulphur issue. I don’t know what it was but it has made me scared to try the strain again.
Perhaps there was something wrong with the particular batch of WY that went out. In my case it was from a 3 bbl pitch. I used it 2 more times from the same pitch hoping the sulfur would clear up on successive batches but it did not. Initially I thought I had racked to early as was suggested earlier in this thread. So the next time I let it sit for several days in the fermenter before racking. Still had the odd sulphur nose. Tried bubbling co2 up through bright and it did seem to blow off some but the aroma was never quite right.
I sure wish I had an answer to this weird problem because I like using WY (a professional pitch is a good deal cheaper from WY as opposed to WL) but I’ll probably stay away from that strain from now on.

I’ve brewed a lot of hefeweizens over the past 16 years or so and I have found that this is one beer beer that can be consumed extremely fresh with very little conditioning if any. I’ve had them ready in 10 days several times. Even though I have used the WY weihenstephan yeast many times with no problems the last time I tried the strain was the only time I ever experienced the weird sulphur issue. I don’t know what it was but it has made me scared to try the strain again.
Perhaps there was something wrong with the particular batch of WY that went out. In my case it was from a 3 bbl pitch. I used it 2 more times from the same pitch hoping the sulfur would clear up on successive batches but it did not. Initially I thought I had racked to early as was suggested earlier in this thread. So the next time I let it sit for several days in the fermenter before racking. Still had the odd sulphur nose. Tried bubbling co2 up through bright and it did seem to blow off some but the aroma was never quite right.
I sure wish I had an answer to this weird problem because I like using WY (a professional pitch is a good deal cheaper from WY as opposed to WL) but I’ll probably stay away from that strain from now on.
I can’t say this is the answer or not. Maybe just luck?? The combination of a ferulic acid rest and WPL380 has given me really good results. I think maybe WLP380 works better with the the ferulic acid rest than WLP300? The other difference between our processes is I start the fermentation @ 64F and when it starts to taper off alow it to go up to 68F & finish there. Cheers!!!
Maybe a little yeast nutrient would help prevent the sulfur given that there is so much wheat in a hefe grist.
I like WLP300, for awhile I was blending 300 and 380 beers but it is too much hassle.
I use the White Labs nutrient for all my batches. Good thought though. Also, the first batch I brewed I fermented around 64. The second I did at 58. The 58 degree one actually had less of the sulphur character. I am totally stumped what the problem was. Definitely open to any suggestions.