# WLP005



## ajmuzza (28/5/14)

I put down a OG 1.061 robust porter with a vial of WLP005 on Sunday. Fementation kicked up in less than 24 hours and continued reasonably robustly (based on airlock activity) for maybe 48 hours, but with no krausen. Activity had slowed considerably by this morning so I bumped the temp from 18 to 20. I'll take a gravity reading tonight to see where its sitting, but I be surprised if it was done (FG 1.016).

Anyway, my question. If it's stalled I was thinking about pitching a pack of US05 on it, but recalled somewhere that mixing yeasts can give you some funky outcomes. Given they're both ale yeasts I taking a punt that it can't be too bad. Thoughts?


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## Spiesy (28/5/14)

What was your mash temp and grain bill?

What volume of wort?

What was the production date of the 005?


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## Kiwifirst (28/5/14)

I have found my ESB yeast stalls every time around the 1.020 mark, three brews in a row. Each time I shook the fermenter for a while and it kicked on again.


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## Spiesy (28/5/14)

Kiwifirst said:


> I have found my ESB yeast stalls every time around the 1.020 mark, three brews in a row. Each time I shook the fermenter for a while and it kicked on again.


What is your ESB yeast?


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## ajmuzza (28/5/14)

Spiesy said:


> What was your mash temp and grain bill?
> 
> What volume of wort?
> 
> What was the production date of the 005?


Mash temp 68
Grain bill choc, maris, munich, crystal, and brown malt to about 6kg
Wort vol was 17 (yep my efficiency is shit and it shits me),


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## ajmuzza (28/5/14)

Just took a gravity read and it's at 1.026 so only 10 points away from FG.The whole no krausen thing has thrown me. I''ll give the fermenter a swirl and see where it ends up in a couple of days.


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## pk.sax (28/5/14)

Au contraire I get a massive krausen from this yeast and the same vigorous 3-5 days of ferment. Then it takes a while to finish off (don't know how long since I just leave it be for a week or two).
Beautiful yeast, hasn't disappointed in the flavour department yet.


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## Kiwifirst (28/5/14)

Spiesy said:


> What is your ESB yeast?


Wyeast 1968. I find it a bit temperamental. But I like the taste. Going to try with a 2l starter next time, might be under pitching it. 

Trying the WPL001 next, those nice guys at FP gave me one to try


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## Yeastfridge (29/5/14)

Never had any trouble with wlp 005 but I always make a starter for it. Rips through in 2 days or so and needs a bit of time to clean itself up but makes a delicious, complex, very English brew. It's been my favourite yeast this year.


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## Spiesy (30/5/14)

ajmuzza said:


> Mash temp 68
> Grain bill choc, maris, munich, crystal, and brown malt to about 6kg
> Wort vol was 17 (yep my efficiency is shit and it shits me),


Production date of yeast?

Not sure what percentage of your grain bill is crystal either.


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## Spiesy (30/5/14)

Suffice to say that I've only used 005 twice and have had no problem. 

Produced an amazing ESB the first time, used a starter to get my numbers up. 

Second time I had a "beer emergency" - unsealed cube, wort leaking all over the brewery. Quickly dumped cube on the ESB's yeast cake and it took off like a rocket. It was an over pitch, but due to possible exposure, I just had to get fermenting. This was an APA. Turned out decent, although I probably wouldn't use it in an American Ale again. 

So both instances I certainly had enough yeast pitched for the job at hand.


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## rehabs_for_quitters (30/5/14)

Spiesy how would you compare it to 002?


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## ajmuzza (30/5/14)

So checked gravity again last night and it's stalled. I didn't use a starter so maybe that's the issue. Anyway, I'm going to chuck some us05 on it to get it to FG.


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## Spiesy (30/5/14)

rehabs_for_quitters said:


> Spiesy how would you compare it to 002?


Hi mate,

To be honest, I don't think I've used 002.

But on paper, 002 is meant to be your quintessential ESB yeast - similar to WY1968, whereas 005 is likened to WY1187 Ringwood. 

005 is in between 002 and 007 (Dry English Ale). It will finish drier that 002 (more attenuation), but not as dry as 007. It won't flocc as high as 002, but will flocc more so than 007.

Not so sure on the difference of flavour profiles - perhaps someone else can comment?


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## Dips Me Lid (22/8/14)

I just kegged my first batch with 005 today, really impressed with this yeast.

Batch was a simple English Bitter EKG/TFMO smash recipe at an OG of 1.034 at 10 litres, IBU's at 27.

I didn't have time to make a starter for this batch, but the vial I had was about 3.5 weeks old going by the 4 month use by date rule for white labs yeast, and at such a small OG and batch size I wasn't too stressed.

I shook the hell out of the fermenter and pitched the vial, lag time was about 18 hours before activity, pitched at 16.5c, allowed to free rise to 19c over a day and held at 19c for 2 days, I raised temp to 20c on day 3 and took a reading of 1.015, I roused the yeast and held at 20c for another 4 days, took a reading of 1.010, just what I was looking for, flavour wise I could detect some sulphur and acetaldehyde, I ran a diacetyl test and could barely detect any. I raised the temp to 20.5c and roused daily for another 3 days, tested gravity and taste, beer seemed nice and clean, acetaldehyde was gone and sulphur was minimal, crashed to 0c over about 36 hours, kegged it today, harvested yeast for a brew tomorrow.

Flavour wise this is just what I've been looking for in an English Bitter, slight sulphur,stone fruit esters, it reminds me of Brakspere Bitter and Marstons Pedigree.

I've used the 002 and 007 a few times and I find them relatively clean, maybe not English enough, but I've never pushed them in ferment temps above 19c so I guess it's possible they can throw out some more esters.


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## Spiesy (22/8/14)

Yep big fan of 005.

I made an ESB a few months back, fermented with a 005 starter. Awesome. 

Same beer fermented with 004 lacked the lovely pear esters that 005 introduced.


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## Dips Me Lid (22/8/14)

Hell yeah mate, I could imagine this yeast producing a great ESB, I've got about 6 recipes planned with this yeast, gonna finish the run on a couple of ESB's, I'll post the ongoing results up here. 

Those pear/stone fruit esters are really prominent but not dominant, seems to blend really well with the EKG flavours, I'm gonna try a late charge of Styrian Goldings in tomorrows bitter, should go good.


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## Spiesy (22/8/14)

Dips Me Lid said:


> Hell yeah mate, I could imagine this yeast producing a great ESB, I've got about 6 recipes planned with this yeast, gonna finish the run on a couple of ESB's, I'll post the ongoing results up here.
> 
> Those pear/stone fruit esters are really prominent but not dominant, seems to blend really well with the EKG flavours, I'm gonna try a late charge of Styrian Goldings in tomorrows bitter, should go good.


Nice one. Yeah, my ESB that featured 005 was all EKG as well. Malt was TF Maris Otter and some Simpsons Medium Crystal. Such a good beer!


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## Dips Me Lid (22/8/14)

Awesome, that sounds like about the same recipe I've come up with for an ESB using this yeast, 95% Thomas Fawcett, 5% Simpsons Medium Crystal, all EKG's, god damn I can taste it already!


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## Spiesy (22/8/14)

Dips Me Lid said:


> Awesome, that sounds like about the same recipe I've come up with for an ESB using this yeast, 95% Thomas Fawcett, 5% Simpsons Medium Crystal, all EKG's, god damn I can taste it already!


Sounds killer.


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## brewinski (20/10/14)

FWIW, I just put an English Brown Ale down with this yeast on Saturday, OG 1054, no starter, it took off in less than 4 hours bubbling away ... here 2 days later, it's almost cleaned up after its self too, barely any krausen to speak of, it's still bubbling slightly, so it hasn't finished, but it is clearer than anything I have seen in this amount of time (Well, as clear as a darker beer can look)

Bill was Pale, Biscuit, Brown, SpecialB, Melanoidin, and Corn ... mashed at 72 ... WPL005 seems to have eaten through it in 2 days 

Looking forward to what it does


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## Jkpentreath (20/10/14)

brewinski said:


> FWIW, I just put an English Brown Ale down with this yeast on Saturday, OG 1054, no starter, it took off in less than 4 hours bubbling away ... here 2 days later, it's almost cleaned up after its self too, barely any krausen to speak of, it's still bubbling slightly, so it hasn't finished, but it is clearer than anything I have seen in this amount of time (Well, as clear as a darker beer can look)
> 
> Bill was Pale, Biscuit, Brown, SpecialB, Melanoidin, and Corn ... mashed at 72 ... WPL005 seems to have eaten through it in 2 days
> 
> Looking forward to what it does


 what wax the Fg after no starter?


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## Spiesy (21/10/14)

Best ESBi e made was with 005. Such a good beer.


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## brewinski (21/10/14)

Jkpentreath said:


> what wax the Fg after no starter?


with no starter, the gravity this morning say 60hrs from chucking the yeast in .. is 1024 ...

I checked my notes again, and it actually started with an OG of 1062 ... not 1054 as advertised above


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## TheWiggman (21/10/14)

I used 005 for the first time 2 weekends ago and it's 9 days in the fermenter now.

MO, crystal and dark malts (HSD recipe)

Pitched at 19°C with a starter, checked 24h later and it was well underway. Decent krausen.
Due to cold weather I've struggled to keep it over 16°C and it's stalled a few times. Last night I could visibly see it still bubbling away (didn't bother with a hydro) so I hope the cold weather hasn't impacted on flavour too much. I might be leaving this in there another week because I had major diacetyl issues with this recipe last time but with a different yeast. From reading it sounds like this one will produce a fair bit. The ambient temp's just crept into the 20's of late so this could work out very nicely for the last few points.

One interesting thing was I noticed the yeast 'clumps'. In the vial it sat very thickly on the bottom but with a decent shake, it all came off in one go. Same story with the starter - decanted, and then a large collective mass of it all came out at once.


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## Weizguy (21/10/14)

IIRC, Gerard used this yeast to make the delightful Choc Porter at the Markets Hotel, a few years ago.

May not be the same beer with any other yeast.


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## Dips Me Lid (24/10/14)

I've done 9 brews in a row with this yeast now and I absolutely love it, after experimenting with different ferment temps, 21-22c is about the sweet spot to my tastes. I've knocked out a best bitter, esb and brown porter, all have been great, the porter is drinking up real good atm, Simpson's Brown malt is brilliant in a porter.

I'm brewing an Old Ale and a Best Bitter this weekend with 005 and then I'm gonna start a run with WLP023 Burton Ale, so many kegs full of English goodness, **** yeah.


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## Dan Pratt (24/10/14)

Dips Me Lid said:


> I've done 9 brews in a row with this yeast now and I absolutely love it, after experimenting with different ferment temps, 21-22c is about the sweet spot to my tastes. I've knocked out a best bitter, esb and brown porter, all have been great, the porter is drinking up real good atm, Simpson's Brown malt is brilliant in a porter.
> 
> I'm brewing an Old Ale and a Best Bitter this weekend with 005 and then I'm gonna start a run with WLP023 Burton Ale, so many kegs full of English goodness, **** yeah.


Hi DML,

I was looking at this strain after making a couple of beers lately with WLP002. I was hoping to start a house strain with 002 but when you make a starter the yeast clumps together like cheddar and makes it hard to decant portions for future starters.

Does the 005 have the same thing? (you may be re-using a cake or washing yeast Im not sure)

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/82841-wtf-wlp002-looks-wrong/?p=1225223


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## Spiesy (24/10/14)

Dips Me Lid said:


> Simpson's Brown malt is brilliant in a porter.


Old school style.

Reckon I might wack out an ESB tomorrow.

TF Maris Otter, Crystal, EKG and 005.


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## Spiesy (24/10/14)

Pratty1 said:


> Hi DML,
> 
> I was looking at this strain after making a couple of beers lately with WLP002. I was hoping to start a house strain with 002 but when you make a starter the yeast clumps together like cheddar and makes it hard to decant portions for future starters.
> 
> ...


Sorry, I'm not DML - but I didn't notice this.

Are you leaving a bit of wort in your starter, warming it up to room temp and swirling?


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## Dips Me Lid (25/10/14)

Spiesy said:


> Old school style.
> 
> Reckon I might wack out an ESB tomorrow.
> 
> TF Maris Otter, Crystal, EKG and 005.


That's about my exact recipe Spiesy, I mix the dark and medium Simpson's crystals for that dark fruit richness, and a little bit of late Styrian in with the EKGs. I got the WLP 005 from Full Pint and just wanted to say cheers for putting up the best before dates on your website, makes it easy to plan a starter.


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## Dips Me Lid (25/10/14)

Pratty1 said:


> Hi DML,
> 
> I was looking at this strain after making a couple of beers lately with WLP002. I was hoping to start a house strain with 002 but when you make a starter the yeast clumps together like cheddar and makes it hard to decant portions for future starters.
> 
> ...


Hey mate, the 005 is not as flocculant as the 002 so it's a bit easier to work with when repitching and making starters, I rinse the 005 without to much hassle, I basically follow Jamil's method of rinsing and seems to work.

Flavour wise to me the 005 has more pronounced sulphur, mineral, stonefruit esters, whereas the 002 I find a bit cleaner and perhaps a more versatile yeast to use as a house strain, it seems to play well with American hops.


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## TheWiggman (25/10/14)

My HSD recipe managed to chew its way down to 1.007 once the weather warmed up. That'll put it almost bang on my target ABV (SG slightly under due to horror brew day) but will probably be a touch dry. 
In saying that, tastes bloody glorious out of the fermenter. What is this ESB nectar and why have I not drunk it before? Bottling for a mate, so will go super low carb (thinking 40g dextrose for bulk prime) and get him to nitro syringe it. I feel like carbonating this will be offensive somehow. Loving the Fuggles/EKG on the nose too.


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## Dips Me Lid (25/10/14)

Sounds tasty Wiggman, what does HSD stand for? Low carbonation is a good option for most English beers I reckon.


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## Spiesy (25/10/14)

Dips Me Lid said:


> That's about my exact recipe Spiesy, I mix the dark and medium Simpson's crystals for that dark fruit richness, and a little bit of late Styrian in with the EKGs. I got the WLP 005 from Full Pint and just wanted to say cheers for putting up the best before dates on your website, makes it easy to plan a starter.


Awww... thanks mate.

Yeah I'd like to experiment with a some dark crystal in there, such a good beer, but I went with brewing a pils today instead. Next brew!


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## Dips Me Lid (25/10/14)

It's definitely heading into pils drinking weather, good call.


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## TheWiggman (27/10/14)

Dips Me Lid said:


> Sounds tasty Wiggman, what does HSD stand for? Low carbonation is a good option for most English beers I reckon.


Hick's Special Draught - http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/79086-st-austell-hsd-hicks-special-draught/


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## Dips Me Lid (27/10/14)

Ahh, of course, I should have twigged seeing that I posted in that thread.


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## brewinski (23/11/14)

FWIW ... the English Brown that I made finished out very nicely with this yeast ... I washed it and kept it in the fridge since ... I got it out yesterday and poured off a bit of the water on top as I let it warm up, to pitch it into an iPA ... by the time I was ready, it had already gotten active/excited in the jar and started to expand ... I pitched it at around 5pm, and by 5 hrs later it was already bubbling along, then this morning it was pounding bubbles out the blow off ... what a yeast


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## brewinski (30/11/14)

I have washed 3 and reused 2 yeasts ... one being the WPL005 mentioned above, and the other was some "Funktown" ... 

I am pretty sure I washed, sanitised, everything correctly, and don't feel that there is anything wrong (colour or smell) ... both of these yeasts have gone off like a fire cracker compared, to the first time I used them. The Funktown was bubbling away as I poured it into the wort, and the wort seemed to start fermenting within an hour ... this morning it had blown a heap of junk out the blow off, and has pounded away all day, and filled a second/replacement blow off tube with junk too ... the wort is swirling away like crazy all day.... not that I have not seen any of this before, but nay sir, never this volatile.

So my question is, is that all fine ... maybe an over pitch? ... I pitched half of what I washed (one of 2 jars) which was 180 - 200ml into a 5L wort (at 20C)

cheers


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## Yob (1/12/14)

If it was reasonably fresh, ~60 - 80ml should be sufficient for a 23lt batch...


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## antiphile (1/12/14)

And IMHO, you shouldn't ignore WLP004 (Irish Ale). I did a Red Ale and I'll admit it didn't turn out as "red" as I would have liked, but it tastes just glorious. Very very impressed. Now it's chewing it's way through a Scottish 80 shilling, and initial impressions are very good, and I think it's probably at FG.

I'll really have to do and ESB with it now.

Would love to hear opinions from other users. Cheers, Phil


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## mofox1 (20/3/16)

This yeast is one amazing mutha flocker.

After less than 48hrs on the stir plate (and not crash chilled), 3L starter, dropped like a stone:




And video (can't work out how to attach video in-situ):
http://cdn.aussiehomebrewer.com/uploads/albums/gallery/album_1225/gallery_34854_1225_50933.mp4


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