Best yeasts to use multiple times
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Smileyr8
Impressive Member
I have been using WYeast Activator 1469-PC West Yorkshire Ale Yeast since 20-10-2016 its probably not true to the original strain but it works really well, in fact the last top crop probably produced 250ml of yeast the most yet, it's been through Pales, Goldens, Bitters & Stouts and has worked well with all.
Sadfield
Landlord.
Big fan of this yeast. Anything British or American from stout to IPA.
Saisonator
Landlord.
When you think of the range of beers Fullers successfully brew with their house strain (WLP002) it shows how versatile it actually is.
Sometimes I try beers from well established breweries that are using their house strain for beers such as American IPA's and they can come out awful, totally over powered by maltyness and esters.
Sometimes I try beers from well established breweries that are using their house strain for beers such as American IPA's and they can come out awful, totally over powered by maltyness and esters.
![BREWING THERMOMETER STICKERS ACCURATELY MONITOR FERMENTING BEER & WINE LIQUID TEMPERATURES 5PCS HOME BREW SPIRITS WINE LCD ADHESIVE [US]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/311DDjo2X3L._SL500_.jpg)
MyQul
Chairman of the Bored
peebee
Out of Control
Just a small warning about WLP002. It is VERY flocculent. You wont need finings. I've seen distressed posts from people using it for the first time because they weren't expecting to see big clumps of yeast floating about (wondered what sort of "infection" they'd introduced).
Despite being very flocculent, it ferments pretty quick. I've just used it for the first time and it went from 1.058 to finish in 48 hours.
(EDIT: On speed ... I should say I grow my yeast up in a starter because I do 45L batches and wont pay for TWO packs - but I'm beginning to get suspicious of the "starter" recommendations, perhaps they are a little over-cautious and recommend too much? I haven't helped by starting to use pure oxygen for aeriation at the same time).
Despite being very flocculent, it ferments pretty quick. I've just used it for the first time and it went from 1.058 to finish in 48 hours.
(EDIT: On speed ... I should say I grow my yeast up in a starter because I do 45L batches and wont pay for TWO packs - but I'm beginning to get suspicious of the "starter" recommendations, perhaps they are a little over-cautious and recommend too much? I haven't helped by starting to use pure oxygen for aeriation at the same time).
Saisonator
Landlord.
Bet they dont make their Frontier lager with it though
Yes sure that's true :thumb:
peebee
Out of Control
As for best yeast to use multiple times: My current experience with WLP002 which you've picked out is that it is very prolific. So ought to be a good choice? It's so prolific it is presently causing me loads of problems, filling up the space at the bottom of my conical fermenter, filling up the pipes I want to transfer the beer into casks with, fouling the transfer pump I'm using, ... the stuff is a flippin' monster!
Jimmykx250
New Member
Even though it's cheap I've had great luck Repitching us05 for multiple batches.
Solid yeast.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Solid yeast.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Plus 1 from me on US 05. Although I use the first "Mother" batch to fill multiple 250ml bottles (ASDA lemonade) say 4-5 and don't go down below the "Daughter" yeast batches before starting again.
US 05 is my go-to for the very practical reason that it ferments clean at the high temps my wife and daughters heat the house to.
MyQul
Chairman of the Bored
I'm liking the idea of those 250ml bottles. I'm thinking of using them in combination with a harvesting technique similar to top cropping but you collect some wort from just below the krausen during active fermentation
Jimmykx250
New Member
Where does one get these 250 ml bottles? Good idea on harvesting from the first batch. Currently on batch #4 and I just keep repitching on the entire cake.
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Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Saisonator
Landlord.
Try ASDA and look on the soft drinks isle for 'lemonade'
I see Wlp002 comes up as a recommended reuse yeast multiple times here, I've just ordered a smack pack of wyeast 1968 which I believe is an equivalent. (1968 being my year of birth I'd love this to become my main yeast if I get on with it.)
My next two planned brews are Fuller's London Porter and Hop back mild both from the Graham Wheeler book both of which should be well suited to this yeast. I'd like to try a stout soon too but will then probably return to paler beers.
I've only used one smack pack before Ringwood yeast which was ok but I didn't like it enough to go to the trouble of harvesting and mainly use dried yeasts S04 and recently crossmyloof.
So what are my options for harvesting? Top cropping, washing the trub repitching on the yeast cake or building up a starter from a bottle? What is easiest, safest and less likely to be a problem when switching from my current winter dark beer brewing to more pale ales, English bitters etc during the spring?
anyone got any good videos, not too American or maybe not admit that this is the first time they have done this ( but made a video anyway) or forgot to film the important part of of the process?
These are all things I commonly find when trying to learn from YouTube brewing videos ( I don't know what I'm doing but want to be on TV anyway so made a film about it) rant over.
My next two planned brews are Fuller's London Porter and Hop back mild both from the Graham Wheeler book both of which should be well suited to this yeast. I'd like to try a stout soon too but will then probably return to paler beers.
I've only used one smack pack before Ringwood yeast which was ok but I didn't like it enough to go to the trouble of harvesting and mainly use dried yeasts S04 and recently crossmyloof.
So what are my options for harvesting? Top cropping, washing the trub repitching on the yeast cake or building up a starter from a bottle? What is easiest, safest and less likely to be a problem when switching from my current winter dark beer brewing to more pale ales, English bitters etc during the spring?
anyone got any good videos, not too American or maybe not admit that this is the first time they have done this ( but made a video anyway) or forgot to film the important part of of the process?
These are all things I commonly find when trying to learn from YouTube brewing videos ( I don't know what I'm doing but want to be on TV anyway so made a film about it) rant over.
Zephyr259
Landlord.
http://brulosophy.com/methods/yeast-harvesting/
http://www.brewunited.com/yeast_calculator.php
This is how I do it. You build a starter as normal but you overbuild by 100 billions cells which you then split off and store for the next brew. If you don't brew for a while after 6 months 100B cells becomes 25B due to loss of viability, conveniently a 500 ml starter at 1.040 will bump it back to 100B, assuming you have a stirplate.
Think I now have 5 yeasts on the go with a 6th in the smack-pack... Going to start freezing them to take up less space as the wifely good will started to run out on the 5th jar in the fridge. :-)
http://www.brewunited.com/yeast_calculator.php
This is how I do it. You build a starter as normal but you overbuild by 100 billions cells which you then split off and store for the next brew. If you don't brew for a while after 6 months 100B cells becomes 25B due to loss of viability, conveniently a 500 ml starter at 1.040 will bump it back to 100B, assuming you have a stirplate.
Think I now have 5 yeasts on the go with a 6th in the smack-pack... Going to start freezing them to take up less space as the wifely good will started to run out on the 5th jar in the fridge. :-)
I came across that link just after my last post and thought that maybe a good way to go about it. Hopefully the yeast will arrive on time to get an overbuilt starter done ready for brewing on Friday.
I do however have reservations about using DME for the starter seems like a step backwards towards kits again, but is it the case that most of the liquid gets poured off so it's mainly yeast slurry that gets pitched rather than the DME beer?
I do however have reservations about using DME for the starter seems like a step backwards towards kits again, but is it the case that most of the liquid gets poured off so it's mainly yeast slurry that gets pitched rather than the DME beer?
Saisonator
Landlord.
If you wait for it to settle, then yes.
