Experiences with Wyeast 3068

[phillc]

I'm keen to hear if anyone has some experiences to share with Wyeast 3068 in a Hefeweizen.

A couple of weeks ago I brewed a Hefeweizen and pitched Wyeast 3068 from a smack pack. This is the first time I've ever used a liquid yeast.

Fermentation was for 12 days. Yeast pitched at 19c and fermentation around 22-23c. I was aiming to emphasise banana esters. The whole pack of yeast was pitched into 25 litres. Started at 1046 and finished at 1009 SG.

I kegged on Thursday, into a 19L Corney and a 5L mini keg. Yesterday I sampled from the 5L and the beer was quite tart. Others who tried it even said sour. The head retention is fine. The colour is good. But the taste is not as expected.

I realised this is still young beer and probably needs a couple of weeks worth of keg aging. However, yesterday a group of us were brewing again, same hefeweizen recipe and we wanted to see the early results from the Wyeast 3068. Yesterday we pitched White Labs WLP300 and Wyeast 3638.

Anyway, was wondering if anyone else has had similar experiences with the 3068 liquid yeast? I really don't think I had an infection, although it is of course possible. I brew outside and on brew day it was snowing, so pretty cold. I don't imagine too many airborne infections floating around. I am very particular about hygiene and soaked all my fermenting equipment in san solution for about an hour. I must admit I had perhaps remove the yeast pack from the fridge and smacked the pack a little early. Instructions said 3 hours, but because my wort cooling took longer than expected, the yeast was out of the fridge for about 6 hours prior to pitching. The pack had swollen up very nicely.

Any thoughts much appreciated.

 

[Brewnaldo]

Is 3068 the Weihenstephan one? If so, I found it to be absolutely glorious. Heavy banana right from the word go.

 

[samale]

25 litres did you make a starter.

 

[phillc]

Is 3068 the Weihenstephan one?

Yes, this one: Weihenstephan Weizen | Wyeast Laboratories

I didn't make a starter as it was a smack pack and everything I had read said one didn't need to.

Also found a few threads on other US based forums where people seemed to have encountered the "tart" flavour with this yeast, but no one had really figured out what causes it.

 

[Brewnaldo]

Yes, this one: Weihenstephan Weizen | Wyeast Laboratories

I didn't make a starter as it was a smack pack and everything I had read said one didn't need to.

Also found a few threads on other US based forums where people seemed to have encountered the "tart" flavour with this yeast, but no one had really figured out what causes it.

I deliberately underpitched it, using only about 3/4 of the smack pack iirc. No off flavours though, I loved the yeast so afraid I can't really help

 

[cushyno]

The only liquid yeast I have ever bought. Pitched from the smackpack after allowing it to swell. I calculated later that due to the age of the pack it was likely a large underpitch.

Banana flavour was almost overwhelming, I couldn't have asked for more frim that yeast, it was fabulous in a weizen. Second pitch from slurry didn't give quite the same effect into a dunkelweizen, the banana was still there but much diminished. I firmly believe that underpitching this yeast helps get the most from it.

 

[Brewnaldo]

The only liquid yeast I have ever bought. Pitched from the smackpack after allowing it to swell. I calculated later that due to the age of the pack it was likely a large underpitch.

Banana flavour was almost overwhelming, I couldn't have asked for more frim that yeast, it was fabulous in a weizen. Second pitch from slurry didn't give quite the same effect into a dunkelweizen, the banana was still there but much diminished. I firmly believe that underpitching this yeast helps get the most from it.

I had read that too, hence my deeply unscientific approach of only pitching the 3/4 or so of the pack. Really should have lobbed the rest into a starter tbf

 

[crescent city Mike]

There's an old "Brewer's rule of 30" regarding weissbier pitching and ferment temps. The pitching temp and ferment temp should equal 30 degrees C. I use Fahrenheit so it morphed into the rule of 118. I've found that my best efforts have come when fermenting at 62 degrees F. So, I pitch at 56 degrees and allow the beer to warm to 62. It's made all the difference in the world. Before someone says it, I also thought that temp was a bit low but I took a leap of faith and was rewarded with a weissbier of which I can be proud.