fermentis wb 06

[Brew Chef]

Our brewpub uses WB-06 now after using Wyeast Bavarian Blend initially. We prefer the flavor and appearance. It definitely steers toward the citrus and clove side rather than the banana or bubblegum side. We like that our hefe is cloudy, with lots of body. We use equal parts pilsner and wheat, and a bit of Belgian Aromatic. This yeast is more tolerant to high fermentation temps, unlike the Wyeast blend, which created more sulfur in our initial runs.

Has anyone used this yeast in a Wit recipe?

[gitchegumee]

Wheat beers/Esters/Danstar Munich

Anyone have information about Danstar Munich dry yeast? Specifically under/overpitching, under/overoxygenation, attenuation, and fermentation temperature profiles? I'm trying to use this to produce a rich German style wheat beer.
Jeff, I just received an email from Lallemand, who make the Danstar Munich. Scant initial reports are that it is quite mild wrt esters and phenols. There doesn't seem to be an overwhelming amount of feedback from brewers yet. They did tell me that dry yeast will NOT perform the same as either a liquid culture or a repitch. They claim that underpitching with dry yeast actually DECREASES esters. So what? Propagate dry yeast to yield a slurry that will underpitch the production batch? How can we stress a dry yeast toward higher esters? Higher temperatures? Could this mean that I crash when I hit my FG? Seems like anything at or over 22C would need almost NO diacetyl rest and just lead to early autolysis and funky flavors not intended.
Also, to make a long post even longer; I just read (from a German source) that the mashing profile for a truly high ester wheat beer should be done with a step at 40C to maximize maltase enzyme which will increase the level of glucose in the sugar profile. Also, a thinner mash of 5:1 water/grist is essential to increase the pH to around 6.0 via dilution. Apparently this is optimum for maltase. Anybody know anything about this? Crassbrauer?

[Brew Chef]

I keep hearing low banana ester. Has anyone found a fermentation temperature that produces better banana ester with WB06? I know T58 can produce a mild banana ester when stressed at 70+ temps. I'm using WB06 for the first time and I'd like to have a balanced hefe weizen.

Less clove would work also.

Thanks,
Ray

More banana is possible at higher ferment temps. We go as high as 78 degrees and get a bit more banana from the WB06. The T58 gave us sulfur at temps that high. I was hoping to use T58 for Wits but it's much less tolerant to higher ferment temps like the WB06 is. We've tried our wit recipes with the WB06 and had very good results.

[RaySherwood]

We use the T58 for our wit and our triple. We never go over 74 on the wit and get good banana at 72 on the triple even a little bubblegum. drop out is terrible though. I've used the WB06 a few times now and get a really nice balanced Hefe from it with just a mild clove around 69. We've used it on a crystal-weizen as well and all the yeast flavors came through great evem after the filter.

[gitchegumee]

Now serving my batch of hefe using Danstar Munich. Pitched at 50g/hl with no added oxygen and fermented at 23C. 11.8P fermented to 2.9P in 72 hours. Very nice, albeit more toward the clove/spicy rather than banana/estery. Compliments from the Germans on the island. I'm trying the WB-06 on Friday. Same recipe at same pitching rate, but 21C fermentation. Anyone try lower pitching rates, or using more oxygen? I'd like more banana if I can coax it.

[Zucker Bee]

Just did one that we've put on tap last week using WB-06

Mash:
5 min @ 62c
45min @ 72c
Mash out

Grainbill : 50/50 Pils/Wheat + 6% Carawheat for colour but mainly to get some residual sweetness (this yeast, as I said earlier, attenuates like crazy)

OG: 11.5P
FG: 2.5P

Used 70g/hl , no oxygen for 5hl (brewed on top of that another 5hl 24rs later)
Fermented at 18c to avoid spicy cloves.
Free rised at 23c after 48hrs.
Completed and crashed after 7 days

Not much esters, again but the result is nice and balanced.
Feels a bit acidic even at pH 4,1

Ben

[tariq khan]

Wb-06

Hi Ben,

Curious about your mash regime, what's the story behind it as opposed to doing a straight single infusion ?

Cheers !

Tariq (Big Ridge Brewery, Surrey, B.C.)

[Zucker Bee]

Tariq

We cannot mill our malt very fine, so this step has two reason: rehydrate thouroughly the malt and make the b-amylase work efficiently. Then we move rapidely to 72c for the a-amylase at optimal temps. We stay less or longer at 72c depending on the profile we want to achieve. It takes about the same time to mash at 65c-68c to achieve the same results (in terms of time) but we get a better yield that way with more control.

zb

[tariq khan]

Wb-06

Cheers Ben

I've started using WB-06 as well, and I'm pretty satisfied with the results so I guess I'm going to stick with it....thanks for your tips !


Tariq

P.S. I was at Benelux for the first time in October and had a great time...really enjoyed your beers!

[gitchegumee]

Using WB-06 for three months now. Nice profile, but not enough banana! I've tried temperatures from 18-23C (22 currently), not aerating (which makes a great flavor profile, BTW), decreasing pitching rate to 42g/hl, and now I've just finished a 1 bar pressurized fermentation. Still can't coax amyl acetate out of it. Does anyone have any success stories out there? What mechanism is responsible for this flavor development? Thanks!

[aorrick]

Can you explain the purpose behind not aerating when using this yeast?

[gitchegumee]

Aeration of worts using dried yeast can lead to over-reproduction of yeast. Most manufacturers recommend NOT aerating. In my opinion, the results are slightly better when compared to aerated worts. Obviously, I'm talking first generation DRY YEAST. So, where's the banana?

[kugeman]

I believe Fermentis recommends oxygenating when using their yeast.

In my experience WB-06 will not produce high banana esters. It's much more tilted to the clove side of the spectrum. If you're looking for a banana/bubblegum wheat beer yeast I think you'll have to use another one. In my opinion WB-06 makes a really tasty hefe, but it's not ever going to have a banana up-front flavor.

[Brew Chef]

higher ferment temps = more banana esters. We ferment at 78 now and get compliments at our brewpub about "the banana beer" often.

[gabewilson50]

To get more of the fruit/bubble gum ester profile we used to both underaerate and then ferment at a higher temperature. Doing some research you'll find that there have been studies that show that reducing aeration increases ester development, and obviously a higher temperature fermentation releases more esters (although I've never gone as high as 78).

Cheers.