WLP4040 Midwestern Ale Yeast

[Northern_Brewer]

Interesting, I hadn't realised they were getting 4040 over. For those that missed this thread over on HBT, there's a paper clarifying some of the genetic relationships between the different members of the Chico family descended from the original BRY-96 from Siebel. Imperial A30 Corporate is the closest to the original, the Bell's yeast is another early version but has lost a copy of chromosome V, and then there's more mutations distinguishing the two main subgroups - US-05/1056/A07 and WLP001/GY001/OLY-004.

So if you can't get 4040, then A30 is your best alternative, and 1056 or US-05 won't be too far off. Maybe BRY-97 too, as that now appears to be a BRY-96 derivative.

 

[krispn]

BREWDAY - Monday 23rd December
Take starter out of fridge, decant and swirl occasionally
Dough-in
PH Test 15 Minutes
35°C @ 30 mins
66°C @ 45 mins
77°C @ 10 mins
Sparge @ 79°C - 11 Litres
75 Minute Boil

I'm thinking of following this mash schedule when I brew this over the weekend (starter went into the brew fridge at 18c tonight). I'm guessing you use this as standard mash schedule on all your IPA's?

 

[St00]

I'm thinking of following this mash schedule when I brew this over the weekend (starter went into the brew fridge at 18c tonight). I'm guessing you use this as standard mash schedule on all your IPA's?

I do, but mainly because I can just input the temperature into the Grainfather AND because I'm never in a rush. You could probably just do 66°c for an hour with a 10 minute mash out. I find I get a better lauter with this schedule.

 

[krispn]

Brewed yesterday and stuck to 66c mash even though I’m using a Grainfather too. I’ve decided when I brew again I might do the two step but always better to try it one way first then make changes (although I’ve basically made this before but now I have the ‘proper’ yeast) I pitched the yeast this morning once everything had reached 18c so was gonna let it sit at 18c for 2 day then let it free rise to 20c. Really looking forward to this as I have enjoyed previous iterations I’ve made of it.

 

[St00]

Looking forward to seeing how it turns out

 

[krispn]

Me too

 

[krispn]

Dry hop went in a few days back after cooling the wort to 15c and should be cold crashing on Monday kegging a day or two later.


I'm tempted to repurposed an old coal shed out the back for conditioning brews and was wondering with ambient temps hovering between 7-11c would that be a good place to leave this THA to condition for a few weeks? I wanna get a lager brewed up this week and it'll need the fermentation fridge for that. I think it should work ok?

 

[krispn]

Final post from me other than opinions on the brew but the sample today was tasting great. Nice flavour, sturdy bitterness in that classic American IPA vein but not overpowering from my taste and the best version of this beer I’ve made to date-I’ve done it three times but used different yeasts and variations on the malt bill. WLP4040 has been the better version with MJ M44 a nice second and the ophsaug Kveik a distinct third. It’s obviously needing carb’d and conditioned but it’s a strong contender!

 

[St00]

Dry hop went in a few days back after cooling the wort to 15c and should be cold crashing on Monday kegging a day or two later.


I'm tempted to repurposed an old coal shed out the back for conditioning brews and was wondering with ambient temps hovering between 7-11c would that be a good place to leave this THA to condition for a few weeks? I wanna get a lager brewed up this week and it'll need the fermentation fridge for that. I think it should work ok?

Depends on the beer IMHO I condition my Bitters at between 16-18c and lager at 4c at the lowest.

I guess it would be worth trying it and see what sort of difference it makes as I would have thought for an IPA you'd want the yeast to clean up after itself before cold crashing.

Glad it seems to have turned out well

 

[krispn]

I shouldn’t have said conditioning I meant storing for serving
The THA will sit in a wee space in the flat hovering about 18c for a week or two of I can keep away from it.

 

[krispn]

Pulled a wee sample after kegging my Export Helles earlier.
I’ve found this a few times with Centennial hops but I get a berry smell which reminds me of a crystal malt type sweetness and not as much pine on the nose as my first Centennial SMaSH.
The bitterness on this is about 55 IBU and it’s right where I like it in this style, it has that grapefruit bite to it. I’ve had a few of these the other evening and it’s an enjoyable 7%- it doesn’t drink like a 7% beer! Overall I’m happy with it and no doubt I’ll be brewing it again this time next year. Having never had Two Hearted I’m in no position to say how close it is but it’s a good beer that stands up for what it is regardless of how near it tastes to the original.