# Windsor Yeast Is Funky!?



## chrisherberte (9/5/12)

I've been looking for English style dried yeast suited to milds & browns.

s04 is good but it's not exactly right for the style, little too clean and dry. I didn't bother with Nottingham which left me with Windsor but I'm still just not sure about it.

From what i've read there are mixed opinions in general about this yeast but is it normal to get a funky-swampy-septic stink and flavour in the young beer, even a week after kegging?

This is the second time using Windsor with exactly the same result. Everything else is great, esters, malty, medium attenuation, etc. It is slow to flocculate (contradictory to what it says on the pack) but i can live with that - but the funny stink!? I would be drinking the beer by now if it was s04 or us05.

Is it normal and/or does it go away?


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## Rowy (9/5/12)

plonklab said:


> I've been looking for English style dried yeast suited to milds & browns.
> 
> s04 is good but it's not exactly right for the style, little too clean and dry. I didn't bother with Nottingham which left me with Windsor but I'm still just not sure about it.
> 
> ...



I just used Windsor for the first time. Kegged Saturdaty just gone and am getting exactly the same thing <_<


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## chrisherberte (9/5/12)

I forgot to mention, it's not in your face but very noticeable. The beer is drinkable just not what I'm expecting.

Fermented at 21C


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## Rowy (9/5/12)

Yeah I agree it's drinkable. Fermented mine at 18c.


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## chrisherberte (11/5/12)

I found this on the Danstar site, it states in the brewing properties section for Windsor: 

"Does not display malodours when properly handled."

Assuming "malodours" = the funky stink, then I've not properly handled this yeast. It's strange because I've not changed anything in my process and s04 and us05 dried yeasts work fine and both give awesome results and have done for the 40 odd brews since I started AG. I think my process is sound.

I'm wondering if there's special requirements for this yeast to avoid the funk which from recent research is possibly sulphide but I'm not sure. 

Nutrient, extra oxygen? Patience?


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (11/5/12)

I find windsor based beers need longer to come good. I've kegged some windsor beers and it's taken 3-4 weeks in the keg before they've started to come good.

I probably won't use it again, because of it.

Goomba


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## Ross (11/5/12)

We use Windsor in the brewery all the time & never been dissapointed, lovely English character & drops bright as a button.
If you're getting a "funky-swampy-septic stink and flavour" & its not flocculating then I'd strongly suspect you've most likely got a wild yeast issue, or possibly an infection.

Rowy, please bring in a bottle for us to taste....

cheers Ross


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## Ross (11/5/12)

Lord Raja Goomba I said:


> I find windsor based beers need longer to come good. I've kegged some windsor beers and it's taken 3-4 weeks in the keg before they've started to come good.
> 
> I probably won't use it again, because of it.
> 
> Goomba




Not sure what you're making, but again I'd be surprised if it's the yeast. If the balance of your beer is correct the beer should be beautiful from day one.

Again, please bring in a bottle for a 2nd opinion before blaming the yeast.

Cheers ross


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (11/5/12)

Ross said:


> Not sure what you're making, but again I'd be surprised if it's the yeast. If the balance of your beer is correct the beer should be beautiful from day one.
> 
> Again, please bring in a bottle for a 2nd opinion before blaming the yeast.
> 
> Cheers ross



No bottles to bring in  

The balance of the beer is correct, and I've made some good beers with it (I made a 3.5% mid strength Willamette Ale last year that was very nice - ask Clutch - it set him on the AG path). It just takes longer than other yeasts to flocc out (and gelatin and CCing is mandatory IMO), and for the flavour to mellow nicely so that the balance comes through.

If I'm brewing to fill a keg (rather than brewing when I've already got beer on) and I don't have the time to spare, I'm not going to use it.

And after having an Erdinger Weissbier and missing my dearly departed AIPA, I'm not in the mood for a Bitter at any rate.

But I take your completely valid comment on board - one must always be evaluating and re-evaluating their yeast handling techniques. And other than the mid - I've not got a recipe I'm entirely 100% happy with yet.


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## chrisherberte (11/5/12)

Ross, I've confused "flocculation" with "settling" in a previous comment. It flocculated like a MoFo, still quite turbid after being crashed for a week and kegged for another week.

How long does it normally take to drop bright and what do you use for finings in the brewery?

As for the stink, after the first batch my initial thought was infection too but after the second time, same yeast several months apart with an identical result? I'm not absolutely discounting it but in doubt.

I'm keen to make it work and it's really close to being great so I'm ordering more in anticipation of a better result.


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## Ross (11/5/12)

plonklab said:


> Ross, I've confused "flocculation" with "settling" in a previous comment. It flocculated like a MoFo, still quite turbid after being crashed for a week and kegged for another week.
> 
> How long does it normally take to drop bright and what do you use for finings in the brewery?
> 
> ...




It generally drops bright immediatley fermentation has ceased. Have you checked that your turbidity is yeast? Is it chill haze? Warm some up, does the haze dissappear.
We use koppafloc & whirfloc in the brewery. 
Again, send us down a bottle to evaluate - You'll get an honest appraisal of the beer from some very good judges.

Cheers Ross


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## kalbarluke (11/5/12)

FWIW, I've recently used windsor three times. Twice with a version of Dr Smurto's Light Mild and one with a stout. The first two times the beers came out lovely, the stout in particular.
The third time there was an issue. I don't think it was an infection, but I'm not sure. There certainly was no funky film on top but it didn't taste good and it smelt bad too. I was thinking I may have pitched it at too high a temperature.
I will use Windsor again though because when it works, it is a very good yeast. I will definitely use it in my next stout.


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## Rowy (12/5/12)

From my side of the problem I entered the doors of Craftbrewer this morning bottle in hand and the result is..............................................................................
...INFECTION!..............................my first one.................at least I know what it smells and tastes like <_<


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## sirotilc (13/5/12)

Ross said:


> We use Windsor in the brewery all the time & never been dissapointed, lovely English character & drops bright as a button.
> If you're getting a "funky-swampy-septic stink and flavour" & its not flocculating then I'd strongly suspect you've most likely got a wild yeast issue, or possibly an infection.
> 
> Rowy, please bring in a bottle for us to taste....
> ...



Ross, have you ever met a yeast you didn't love?


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## Ross (16/5/12)

sirotilc said:


> Ross, have you ever met a yeast you didn't love?



I don't love all yeasts, but certainly have my favourites, I don't believe there's really such a thing as a bad yeast amongst current commercial offerings. People can be a little quick to blame a particular yeast as being bad when they make a poor beer & then unfortunately new brewers who read it & may be put off using an otherwise excellent yeast. Windsor is a great yeast & has been used in some of my very best beers.

Cheers Ross


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