I grew up this yeast recently and plan on brewing either my first hefe, or maybe a Saison. Anybody have any experience with this strain or know what strain it is? I'm wondering about temp ranges and what kind of phenols this yeast produces with under and or over pitching. Cheers Pat.
I don't know what strain it is, but I drank it recently and definitely got some german hefe character (clove/banana) which would be pretty unusual for typical american 'hefes.' So I'm thinking it's not far from a 3068 or similar.
Yea I'm very sensitive to cloves and that's the one phenolic flavor that I don't like but it's subtle enough in dream weaver that I like it. Do you think over pitching will lead to more banana and under pitching more clove/pepper?
I wish I could tell you. I have never been able to nail the perfect hefe, and in fact I have started a series of one gallon experiments to try to find out what the hell is really going on with pitch rates, oxygenation, and temps. I can say with some confidence that if you don't want a lot of clove, definitely don't do a ferulic/acid rest.
Thanks Vike. I was just reading on hbt that their was a boy article that said troegs like to under aerate(2-3ppm), they do an acid rest, they like a high mash ph, pitch at 60 and ferment at 68-70, but they didn't mention pitching rates.
No clue what strain Troegs uses for Dreamweaver but, in my experience at least, ferment low for clove and high for banana. Also, under pitch for banana (although I don't know if the opposite - as in over pitching - is true to increase clove phenols).
I don't doubt that Troeg's does an acid rest. I don't know if they do, but I don't doubt it. But if they do, it must be increasing clove (4-vinyl guaiacol) vs. what they would get without it.
Now that's pretty interesting. I would imagine that's about the O2 level you'd get just by straining/splashing wort into a fermenter.
When I brew with 3068 I shoot for a fermentation temperature of 68°F. It has been my experience that this temperature is a ‘sweet spot’ for a balance of banana and clove tastes. If you want to minimize the clove taste with 3068, you should ferment higher like 70-72°F. Below is what Wyeast publishes on this yeast: “The classic and most popular German wheat beer strain used worldwide. This yeast strain produces a beautiful and delicate balance of banana esters and clove phenolics. The balance can be manipulated towards ester production through increasing the fermentation temperature, increasing the wort density, and decreasing the pitch rate. Over pitching can result in a near complete loss of banana character. Decreasing the ester level will allow a higher clove character to be perceived. Sulfur is commonly produced, but will dissipate with conditioning. This strain is very powdery and will remain in suspension for an extended amount of time following attenuation. This is true top cropping yeast and requires fermenter headspace of 33%.” Troegs Dreamweaver Wheat is indeed a tasty beer. I just posted this a few minutes ago in another thread: “Troegs Dreamweaver Wheat: a pleasant, tasty hefeweizen. That beer was tasty!” Cheers!
I believe troegs uses open fermenters as well for this beer so I may take my top off for my hefe to try to get similar character to dreamweaver as I find its banana/clove/black pepper phenols in nice balance, and I enjoy the slight bubblegum thing it has as well.
Yes, Troegs does indeed utilize open fermenters in making Dreamweaver. I have read several people post that when we homebrewers ferment in buckets (even with the lids on) that this is ‘equivalent’ to open fermentation. My understanding of this statement is that it is a factor of headspace the air pressure above the beer; in other words the air pressure in a bucket (with a lid and airlock) is the same as if the lid was not there. Feel free to take the top off when making your hefeweizen but my guess is that the effects would be the same if you kept the lid on. Cheers! http://www.troegs.com/our_brews/dreamweaver_wheat.aspx
