Rotten bananas from WL300

[SeminoleFan_27]

Hey guys,

About 5 days ago I brewed a hefe using WL300 strain. I was recommended by my LHB store to ferment it at 68f for a nice but not overpowering banana flavor. However, there is a overwhelming rotten banana spice flavor going on!

Notes: Pitched 1 vial @ 67f

Fermented @ 66-68f ( temperature of beer, not ambient)

Has anyone experienced this with WL300 strain?The beer is near final gravity @ 1.015ish

 

[secondbase]

I got a little sulfur from that yeast, but I fermented it a little higher. Mine smelled like sweet banana bread when fermenting.

 

[SeminoleFan_27]

Hmm, interesting. I sort of got a banana bread vibe from it, but it is sort of like a rotten one. Did you by chance sample your beer when bottling/kegging, did the flavor characteristic change or mellow out upon conditioning?

 

[SeminoleFan_27]

BUMP- Bueller...Bueller

 

[AerationStation]

I usually find the banana esters going nuts over 66, i usually ferment @ 62 for better flavor balance between clove and banana

 

[MaxStout]

Did you make a starter? Underpitching and/or fermenting high tends to accentuate the banana flavors with hefe yeasts. Doing both may be the cause of the strong banana aroma. It's only been 5 days. Let it ride out a couple more weeks and take a hydro sample. It should be much better.

Many good beers start off smelling or tasting awful. Give it time. It should work out fine.

 

[SeminoleFan_27]

Did you make a starter? Underpitching and/or fermenting high tends to accentuate the banana flavors with hefe yeasts. Doing both may be the cause of the strong banana aroma. It's only been 5 days. Let it ride out a couple more weeks and take a hydro sample. It should be much better.

Many good beers start off smelling or tasting awful. Give it time. It should work out fine.

I think you may be right max. I was shooting for the nice banana note in weihenstephaner hefe, and didn't make a starter for the exact reason you mentioned, to accentuate the banana esters. I wanted banana, and I definitely got it. Lesson learned, more is not always better.