wheat beer yeast - Safbrew WB-06/Safwheat Yeast K-97

[Karle]

I'd like to make a wheat beer in the near future. Has anybody used the two dried yeast strains above? Do they produce decent beer? How do they compare to liquid Wyeast strains (3056, 3068, 3333)?

Any advice on this would be much appreciated.

[denimglen]

I've tried a couple of beers made with them, crap I reckon. May be with some tests with pitching rates and ferment temps you may be able to come up with something ok, but I like the old classic wlp300/3068. With 300/3068 don't underpitch and ferment at 17C, that's the secret to a killer wheat beer.

[denimglen]

Oh yeah, the above post was in regard to WB06.

I used K-97 once agggggeeeeeeeeeeeees ago, nothing like a wheat yeast, more like a german ale/kolsch style yeast I reckon.

[Bambule]

Steer clear of K97 like the plague.

You'll need a liquid yeast to do a wheat beer justice in my opinion.

[Karle]

Looks like I'll have to get some liquid yeast then... I suppose 3068 would be the strain to get for a Bavarian style Hefeweizen? There doesn't seem to be heaps of information on the other strains on the web. I'll give it a go.

[denimglen]

3068 or 300 are the sure bet, seems to be the most common.

I haven't had any experiences with the others.

[JoKing]

They are all much of a muchness from a "piss drinkers" point of view in that they all make wheat beer. I've had experiences with wlp380 - which is more tart and dry with less banana, wy3333 which instead of having the banana has more of a bubblegummy note as well as the clove, 3068 which seems to be the same as wlp 300 but is perfect when fermented at 17 degrees - pleasant of balance between the banana and clove.

I had one good brew with k97 - it was a starkweizenbock... gave me banana, but I never replicated it again. I tried wb06 and it seemed pretty neutral - suitable for weizens when ferrmented well. I wouldn't use it again though, because I can get consistent results with wlp300

ALL of the above strains when abused has given me shitloads of sulphur and headaches - so choose whatever yeast you like the sound of, and follow the directions to a tee. Don't use nutrients or kettle finings as they seem to throw the yeast out of its natural balance for whatever reason.

AND listen to Denimglen: he's the fuckin man.

[Reviled]

Mate I definately wouldnt use WB-06 again, I gave it such a controlled fermentation and it completely fucked my roggenbier!

[JoKing]

My point exactly - it's just too unpredictable.