WLP 644 - Should be fun!

[krispn]

Pitched this into a SMaSH (Best Pale Malt and Mosaic) yesterday. Took off in no time and I'm gonna just let it free rise as my ferm fridge is busy conditioning my wheat beer version two.

Anyone used this yeast and have you let it get up to the higher end of it's ferm range? It states it can handle up to 29c (85f) and with the heat it's not been far off! I was hoping a few days of cooler weather would help keep it a bit lower but thinking it should be able to handle it. Just wondering about off flavour if it does get too high?

Any info or experience using this yeast would be appreciated.

*Edited*

 

[divrack]

It's pretty great. Should do well, I guess it will be pretty dry and bright. It's kind of tart almost white winey, I found it muted malt flavours giving a predominantly fruit salady kind of drink. Never done a smash but used a lot of mosaic with it among other hops.

 

[krispn]

Yeah I think it could be quite an interesting yeast - I screwed up a recent pale ale trying to get all experimental when I should have just left it alone so keeping this one simple and let the yeast do the hard graft! My numbers are saying it'll drop form an OG 0f 1.054 (hit 1.060 but the wort might have been a bit warm) to an FG of 1.008! Dry indeed but if it's refreshingly dry and tart especially if the Mosaic isn't too muted. Slightly tart with the Mosaic flavours would be exactly what I was hoping for in this weather!

 

[krispn]

The cupboars I'm fernenting this in has dropped down from 26 to 22 c so it should (weather permitting) keep on trucking along (i knpw the internal temp of the fermenter does sit a few degrees above ambient due to the meatabloic processes going on with the yeast so it should all work out.

@divrack
Did you have to leave this one in the F.V. for any longer than normal, do anyhting different or is the 'two week' average a good guide (aside form gravity readings of course)?

 

[divrack]

The cupboars I'm fernenting this in has dropped down from 26 to 22 c so it should (weather permitting) keep on trucking along (i knpw the internal temp of the fermenter does sit a few degrees above ambient due to the meatabloic processes going on with the yeast so it should all work out.

@divrack
Did you have to leave this one in the F.V. for any longer than normal, do anyhting different or is the 'two week' average a good guide (aside form gravity readings of course)?

Pretty much normal as I recall, although you may get a horrible shock if it develops a pellicle, thinking it's ruined. Don't worry though, that's why it was thought Brett so long.

 

[krispn]

Thanks! Yeah I'd read about the pellicile.

For fear of boring you to death what was your hops schedule with you 644 brew out of interest? I'm debating doing a dry hop on day 11 and then kegging 3 days later. I think I've 30g of Moasic left in the freezer. but ideally I'd add a bit more. Did you find the beers required a slightly higher dry hop amount in light of your comment on the hops being 'muted'? Igot a bit 'experimental on my last brew and think I ruined it so don't wanna botch this batch with over zealous hopping!

Angain all info and advice is welocmed on the topic.

Cheers!

 

[divrack]

no i said it muted malt, hops shine through. i would put the bulk in while active fermenting. the juicy qualities will come through this way, and possibly a secondary dry before packaging, but be carefull of 02.
most went in at fo and steep with a very small addition of nelson at fw.

 

[divrack]

30g won't get you very far for a hoppy style.
Last 40ltr happy beer I made used maybe 800g! Yes I know...
Here is a recipe that was great, but bear in mind it was aged a year with Brett c and some lactic on top, so hop decreased. Lacto didn't do much due

to the ibus

 

[krispn]

Of course you did! Speed reading at work and I misread that...

My schedule was as follows and all mosaic for a 12l experiment batch aiming for around 25-30 IBU's:
FWH 10g
15min 20g
Hoppstand 20g

Not heaps but ultimately I was looking to get more flavour from the dry hopping additions. My plan is to pick some more up ahead of dry hopping. It's only 12 litre brew as an experiment with this yeast and I've limited storage (this'll be hitting a 5l mini-keg and bottles).

I was aiming for either doing the last few days of fermentation as stated or perhaps a day 3, day 11 additions. Thinking about dry hopping approx 8-10g per litre in total for this batch size. I see the likes of Cloudwater using up 24g per litre on their cloudy IPA's.

I'm wary to just go daft and ruin a batch but some of the James Morton recipes I'm planning over the coming months will have those big big additions - some have as much as 800g's too!

 

[divrack]

Right, I thought you meant 30g for the batch but aye that sounds fairly hoppy and bitter. If that's your hop schedule for 12l you are going to overshoot your target ibus by a long long way.

 

[krispn]

Having had a quick sample last night I may not do any further additions and see how it goes. Better to to less hoppy than too bitter. Once it’s settled and conditioned and I taste the finished beer I can adjust for next time.

Once bitten etc.

 

[divrack]

Having had a quick sample last night I may not do any further additions and see how it goes. Better to to less hoppy than too bitter. Once it’s settled and conditioned and I taste the finished beer I can adjust for next time.

Once bitten etc.

i get about 80ibu depending on steep time temperature for that..
dry hops dont really add much bitterness unless its low bitterness to begin with. id add some in active fermentation and see how it goes from there. if that was your actual hop additions for 12l its going to be very bitter so a bit more aroma would be a good thing

 

[Sadfield]

I wonder how much lower in pH this yeast goes than other Saccharomyces strains, I've not used it, but have had beers from those that have, and they definitely had a tartness. Bitterness decreases as pH drops, so it may not be as bitter as expected. Sounds like an interesting brew.

Sent from my E5823 using Tapatalk

 

[krispn]

I really do appreciate the input divrak and sadfield

I've been replying while at work and not having the exact numbers in front of me. Checking back on my numbers now i have some time... I brewed this one on a whim as I had a free afternoon and huddled it together - my planned brews work out much better

Here's what it looks like with the correct data plugged in without the dry hop additions. I'd not added a time for the hop stand in but the IBU is sitting at 33.5 rather than the 20 ish I'd said initially....still palatable!