WLP037 Yorkshire Square Yeast

[Consett26]

Is WLP037 a slow starting yeast? I pitched it into 21 degree wort yesterday at around half past two. Its now more than 18 hours later and there's absolutely no sign of anything happening. The temperature has been between 14 and 18 degrees and the wort is well aerated. The yeast was in date - expiry 28/06/2021 - and was kept in the fridge until the morning that I started brewing when I took it out and left it to come up to room temperature (18 degrees). I'm just wondering how long to leave it before I chuck some

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

I would suggest that the temperature is a bit low

Link below advises 18 - 21

https://www.whitelabs.com/yeast-single?id=123&type=YEAST&style_type=0

 

[Consett26]

Aye, and that might slow things down a bit but I don't think its so low as to kill or completely deactivate the yeast.

 

[BlackRegent]

Not used WLP037, but assuming it's the same or similar strain to Wyeast 1469, it is not the quickest starter. I also agree that the temp is going to slow it down.

I wouldn't worry. Maybe try and warm the FV a little and give it time. 18 hours in is too soon to be concerned for any yeast!

My culture of Wyeast 1469 now ferments like a train, but its a few generations old and I always use a starter. I'm sure yours will get the job done for you.

 

[Consett26]

Thanks. I guess I'm used to getting up the morning after brew day and seeing a decent krausen at least starting to form. I've put an oil filled radiator next to the fermenter to try and warm it up. I'll leave it another 24 hours before I think about adding some more yeast

 

[user 18729]

I had something similar a few years back and for that reason I always build a starter now rather than relying on the best before date etc

 

[Consett26]

Just a quick post script to this for anyone that experiences something similar in the future: Around 26 hours in there was a single bubble towards the middle of the fermenter. Around two hours later a couple of clumps of trub had been dragged up from the bottom and there was the very thin beginnings of a krausen to the edge of the wort nearest the radiator.

At 40 hours there was a thin dirty head covering most of the wort. Four hours later a proper clean head had formed about 1/2 cm thick.

In other words everything is working normally albeit slowly

 

[foxbat]

If they're sending out WLP037 in the 'pure-pitch' sachets now then you have a 6 month expiry date meaning that your pack was manufactured at the end of Dec 2020 and had approx 100bn cells at that time. You have a lot fewer cells today. The yeast calculator I use thinks you have about 36bn cells left and a mid-range 23 litre batch of 1.045 wort would need about 200bn.

Hopefully it's all OK now and won't stall. Keep it nice and warm.

 

[Consett26]

That would certainly explain the sluggish start. It came in this vial

 

[Northern_Brewer]

Not used WLP037, but assuming it's the same or similar strain to Wyeast 1469

No, it's nothing like 1469.

WLP037 is a saison-type yeast, in fact Lost & Grounded have made a "Yorkshire Saison" with it. Apparently you need to give it lots of rousing/aeration if you want to stop it going full clove-monster, but can make some really nice beer if you give it what it wants.

 

[oldpaddy]

No, it's nothing like 1469.

WLP037 is a saison-type yeast, in fact Lost & Grounded have made a "Yorkshire Saison" with it. Apparently you need to give it lots of rousing/aeration if you want to stop it going full clove-monster, but can make some really nice beer if you give it what it wants.

Sorry to hijack a thread, but I brewed a Sammy smith nut brown ale knock yesterday and am using the same yeast. I've read about the yorkshire squares open fermenting and the aeration process they use, but I really don't want to do an open fermentation in my dingy, dirty garage. Think a shot of pure oxygen in the wort here and there would help?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Lifting the lid and rousing with a sanitised spoon daily would do it safely. It won't take more than a few days to drop the gravity then stop rousing.
Oxygen useful if very high gravity beer which your brown shouldn't be.