Yeast Splitting

[StubbsPKS]

I seem to recall a tutorial about how to do yeast splits, but I have been searching around here (using search along with just blundering about randomly) and I can't find it

I am looking into purchasing some of the WLP810 San Francisco Lager yeast in order to make a California Common style beer, but I'd rather not have to keep ordering the yeast online if it turns out to be a nice pint

Anyone have a link to an easy to understand thread about splitting my yeast so I have enough for more brews? :thumb:

Edit: Just a quick shout to Rob @ http://themaltmiller.co.uk/. I e-mailed asking about the availability of this yeast and he replied insanely fast and was quite helpful :)

So, if you're looking for White Labs yeast in the UK, def check his site out :

 

[Good Ed]

Have a look at this http://uk-homebrew.tripod.com/id45.html from Horden Hillbilly over at Jim's. You can adjust the amount you want to split; I usually use 200g spraymalt with 2L water and split 4 ways.

WLP810 is a fine yeast, you need to ferment cool though, I have a cellar that is 15-16C at the moment and have a Ca Common bubbling away nicely.

Good luck :

 

[StubbsPKS]

Thanks for that :)

The info on the whitelabs site says it's good up to about 65F (18.somethingC) and several sites I've read have said they're still not bad at 20c.

I plan to keep it a bit cooler than 18 if possible though :)

 

[pjbiker]

Rather than buy spraymalt, I run off a few sterilised 500ml bottles of wort direct from the previous brew for the purpose of making starters. Then, I'm a tightarse and brew about 12gallons at a time. I also salvage yeast from bottle conditioned ales, such as Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

 

[StubbsPKS]

Yea, I haven't cultivated any yeast yet, but I've also only done 1 AG, so I'll probably just keep it simple for now :) Just don't want to spend £5.50 on yeast that I can only use once

 

[Good Ed]

I was trying to find a thread where UncleP gave me some advice for fermenting with WLP810, couldn't find it but this is what he said;

"Ferment the first 7 days at the lower lager temperature (I was using 14C) then raise to 18-20C gradually over the next 7 days with the last 3 days between 18-20C, then crash cool to drop the yeast out; this will give you a clean lager beer as most of the flavour comes from the first few days of fermenting, the second weeks high temperature fermentation gets rid of the sulphur and other nasty flavours and allows you to skip a long lagering process. I've just looked at my recipe for Anchor Steam and it recommends 16-19C fermentation temperature."

I've used WLP at 14C for the whole of the fermentation and it's a very clean yeast. So you'll be fine, it is also very flocculent, just right for bottling.

 

[StubbsPKS]

I was trying to find a thread where UncleP gave me some advice for fermenting with WLP810, couldn't find it but this is what he said;

"Ferment the first 7 days at the lower lager temperature (I was using 14C) then raise to 18-20C gradually over the next 7 days with the last 3 days between 18-20C, then crash cool to drop the yeast out; this will give you a clean lager beer as most of the flavour comes from the first few days of fermenting, the second weeks high temperature fermentation gets rid of the sulphur and other nasty flavours and allows you to skip a long lagering process. I've just looked at my recipe for Anchor Steam and it recommends 16-19C fermentation temperature."

I've used WLP at 14C for the whole of the fermentation and it's a very clean yeast. So you'll be fine, it is also very flocculent, just right for bottling.

I must have read that thread bc that is pretty much exactly what I was planning to do. Sadly, my fermentation control is lacking and will probably not be fixed by the time the yeast comes in.

My plan was water bath with the towel dipping into it and a fan on it for the first week or so and then slowly raise the temp using the following process:
1) Turn off the fan
2) Remove the towel
3) Use my aquarium heater in my water bath to bring the temp from 18 up to 20 eventually

Hopefully it will work. May even be more work than needed, but we'll see :grin: