# Wlp-009 White Labs Yeast Question



## soundawake (10/5/12)

Hi all

I've just put down a Coopers Sparkling Ale kit last night, didn't have any time to boil hops etc etc so I just stuck to the standard kit.

Its a fairly high gravity brew, being two cans of liquid extract, 500G of LDME and 300G of dex. Smashed my hydrometer (it fell down the cellar stairs!) before I could take a reading - d'oh!!

Last time I did this kit it turned out very ordinary, hydrometer readings were OK but it tasted like it wasn't fermented properly... last time I used the measly 7 grams of supplied yeast, so I don't think this was enough for all those ingredients.

So this time I bought some Whitelabs WLP-009 Australian Ale yeast, being the proper yeast Coopers actually use. When I pitched it, I shook the tube of yeast just as the instructions told me to, it failed to mention it gets fizzy when you open it though! Went everywhere. I got about 90% of the yeast in the brew though.

Fast forward 24 hours, things seem to be kicking off, but I noticed a great deal of the semi-solid chunks of yeast have risen up and are sitting on top of the fresh krausen instead of in the brew. 

Given this brew needs all the yeast it can get, does anyone think this will be a problem? Obviously I loathe to take off the lid and stir unless I absolutely must. 

Here's some photos -


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## ekul (10/5/12)

looks like a healthy ferment to me. I put your ingredients in brewmate and it said the OG should be 1059, so by the time its fermented out if should be around 6%. I've had a hankering for a coopers clone for a little while. Might have to go buy some stubbies and culture me some yeast!


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## Wolfy (11/5/12)

Looks good to me, leave it be and let the yeast do it's thing and you should be fine.


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## soundawake (12/5/12)

OK guys I have a problem - I checked it this morning, a day and a half in, and all the krausen has completely dissipated away! Surely it hasn't finished already, I thought. I took a reading tonight and its sitting at 1.032 - clearly not finished. I think the yeast has conked out. I have one vial of the WLP009 yeast left, I'm thinking I'm going to have to pitch it? 

And if I do pitch it, should I make a 1 Litre starter? This would obviously delay re-pitching by 24 hours. Should I stir the wort?


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## Screwtop (12/5/12)

Ferment temp????

Screwy


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## soundawake (12/5/12)

19 degrees.


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## homebrewkid (12/5/12)

no problems in that brew leave it alone, let it ferment for 2 weeks then bottle it, it will be fine 
if your gravity isnt down after 2 weeks report back.

cheers: HBK


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## soundawake (12/5/12)

You really reckon its ok? I've never had a brew that's had its krausen completely dissipate unless its finished/stopped fermenting. Especially only after 72 hours!


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## homebrewkid (12/5/12)

yeah mine have always fallen in within a couple days or so id leave it

cheers: HBK


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## soundawake (12/5/12)

Cool thanks. I might take a reading on monday and make sure its still going down.


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## Wolfy (13/5/12)

Leave it and its highly likely it will be fine.
If you are really worried, check the gravity again in 2-3 days, and if its still around 1.031 give it a bit of a stir, or otherwise agitate the yeast to wake it up, but other than that it should be good as it is.


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## benken25 (13/5/12)

I have used this yeast a couple of times and the krausen has fallen away quickly both times i fermented around 18'c.


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## ekul (13/5/12)

I've used recultured coopers yeast (same as wlp009 apparently) many many times and have found it to be a very hungry yeast. I don't think you'll find it will stall any time soon.

Whenever i used the recultured CPA yeast I used to have to keep it at 16.5C, any higher and it would throw bananas. I think i heard that with wlp009 it wasn't as critical, but if the beer comes out bananery maybe drop the temp a little next time.


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## soundawake (14/5/12)

I took a reading this morning and it was around 1.020, so things seem to be going swimmingly! I'll leave it for another week and a half then bottle. 

As the remaining vial of WLP009 I have left has a best before date of Jun 21, I'll make up a 1 litre starter for the next brew.

Just gotta figure out what that will be!


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