Beer Forum

I'm doing a Brooklyn-Schneider Hopfen Weiss Clone

Garret Oliver told me ideally I shoudl culture some schneider yeast, but I tried that and it's really not all that healthy. I haven't brewed many wheat beers and I was wondering if anyone could give me insights into the different weizen strains, so I can make a more educated choice about which strain for this beer.

I'm with boob (or bub) - if it ain't Weihenstephan 68 it ain't wheat beer. Well, that's a bit of a stretch. There are other similar strains but I always use 68 as the standard to which I compare.

ajdelange wrote:I'm with boob (or bub) - if it ain't Weihenstephan 68 it ain't wheat beer. Well, that's a bit of a stretch. There are other similar strains but I always use 68 as the standard to which I compare.

This beer isn't a traditional Weizen. It's brewed to weizenbock strength heavily hopped, but fermented with Schneider's yeast. The result is not particularly clovey, and has a complex fruity, estery character, (vanilla, apple, banana, etc.,). They made an american version with = amounts amarillo/palisad, a german version with saphir. The hop amounts are the same for both recipes

The published clone recipe in Beer advocate was

5.5 gallons
OG:1.084
FG 1.012

8# Pilsner, 8# Wheat
0.75oz Magnum
0.25 amarillo / 0.25 palisade 15 min
0.25 amarillo / 0.25 palisade 5 min
0.25 amarillo / 0.25 palisade dry hop

So, I'm not looking for the best yeast for a hefeweizen, I'm looking for the yeast that will give me the complex esters and will not give me an excessively strong clove character.

EDIT: check out http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/45/38700

I have been meaning to attempt to clone this beer. I have a # of Saphir hops in the freezer just for that occassion. I plan on using the 3068 weihenstephan. I also attempted to culture from a schneider bottle but it did not work out. I much prefer the german brewed version but you may have better luck culturing from the brooklyner bottle as it does not have to travel as far. I am of course assuming that schneider lets them use their yeast in the americanized version. Just my 2 cents. Fermenting in the mid 60's will keep the clove down a bit and bring out more fruit. I have used several of the wyeast strains and the 3068 is the king. Other than a cultured strain its the only one from wyeast or white labs worth using....in my opinion.

From what I can find the beer stats are:

50% Pils
50% wheat
5 step infusion mash
OG 19.3 degrees plato(1.080)
Aparent Extract 3.9(1.015)
40 IBU
Hallertauer Tradition in 2 Bittering Additions
Late Hopped with Saphir
Open Fermented at 68 degrees for 1 week
3# saphir per barrel dry hopping for 1 week

Thanks for the help! I'll let you know how it turns out. If it's any good, I'll bring some to NHC.

What kind of problems are you having culturing yeast from the bottles?? I did a Hoegaarden clone, with their yeast....granted it took like 2 6'er's of yeast dregs.....and I stepped it up like 3 times....but it worked like a champ, I loved that beer.

Good luck