Planning Beer Progression

[FizzyLiftingDrinx]

Honestly, I've only been brewing since March of this year, so about 8 months, and I'm still trying to find what I like to brew and how I like to brew (and ferment) it. The idea I'm going for here is that I'm trying new yeasts and beers I've never brewed (and some I've never tasted). Generally, I'm using whichever yeast is being suggested for the particular style I'm looking to brew. I then try to find another beer that I can brew just before or just after using the very same yeast.

My local home brew shop just switched to Wyeast and I checked the fridge today and there is Wyeast 3068 available, so that one is on deck. Here's the info I dug up on it:

Wyeast Labs Weihenstephan Weizen - 3068

Yeast Type Wheat
Yeast Form Liquid
Floccuation Low
Attenuation 75.0 %
Optimum Fermentation Temperature 64.0 °F - 75.0 °F
Description Classic German wheat beer yeast, used by more German Brewers than any other strain in the production of Wheat beer. Properties dominated by banana ester production, phenols and clove like characteristics. Extremely attenuative yeast, which produces a tart thirst quenching finish. Extremely low floccing yeast remains in suspension readily with proteinacous wheat malt. Sometimes used in conjunction with lager yeast and kerausened to finish the beer and improve the overall dryness. High CO2 levels, typically at 2.7 - 3.2 volumes is desirable for best presentation. True top cropping yeast requires full headspace of 33%. Ester formation is significantly affected by aeration and pitching rates. Crystal weisse production typically requires DE filtration, may prove too difficult for Pad filtration only.

[bub]

If I'm doing a hefe or dunkel weizen I just do the standard smack pack XL.
Just smack swell and pitch.
bub

[TimL]

Ok FLD, if you're using a traditional hefe yeast, you're going to get alot of phenolics as mentioned in the yeast documentation. This comes from both the wheat and the yeast.

So for your first beer, do a regular hefe. Like I said in a post before, I heard in a show that stresses the yeast and helps you get more phenolics.

Then you could brew a dampfbier, which is a regular barley malt grain bill fermented with hefe weast. There was an article in Brew Your Own a few issues back, I can type it up for you if you want. I brewed a batch, it was interesting and drinkable.

Then do your dunkelweiss. I think that's a little higher gravity but you should have enough yeast to withstand it.

After that I personally would throw that yeast out.

[bub]

Dunkel weiss is minimally higer and not necessarily higher in gravity and alcohol than hefe... mostly it is color... my progression on this would be
Hefe
Dunkelweiss
Weizenbock
BUB

[FizzyLiftingDrinx]

Awesome, guys--Thanks! What temp do you ferment the hefe? My basement is 66F right now.

[brewsters millionths]

hey thirsty, the safale s-04 will do fine for all sorts of beers. it's my failsafe yeast. fantastic flocculation as well. always has good attenuation. haven't had a bad beer yet with it been used for very light golden ales through to porters and oatmeal stout.

[TimL]

For my hefes I've done 68-75. On one show they talked about how the temp rises due to yeast activity.

p.s.
Bub's absolutely right, dunkel is not as high in alc as doppel.

[Thirsty Boy]

hey thirsty, the safale s-04 will do fine for all sorts of beers. it's my failsafe yeast. fantastic flocculation as well. always has good attenuation. haven't had a bad beer yet with it been used for very light golden ales through to porters and oatmeal stout.

Ahh, good to hear. I racked my ordinary bitter to secondary on Sunday, and it had dropped nicely clear after only a week in primary. An APA @ 1.048 went on top of the yeast cake and had kicked off nicely within 2 hours, so hopefully i will get the low ester profile I was looking for.

I've used US56 in pretty much everything up till now, but I think I like the fact that the Safale flocs really well. I am tossing up which will become my regular "house" yeast. Yet to play much with the liquid yeasts, but I'll use them when I brew a funky style that really needs the yeast character to make it right (belgians or whatnot)

Thanks for the affermation... still not sure what the hell I'm doing, o I need it.

Thirsty