# My first go using WLP023 Burton Ale yeast



## tumi2 (2/8/16)

I thought I would share my first experience using WLP023 Burton Ale yeast.

So I made a ESB on Saturday (OG 1050) and pitched a 2l starter of WLP023 on Sat afternoon. The starter was very active when pitched and had been on a stirplate for 48 hours non stop. It is the first time I have used this yeast and gee did it go off. It was pitched at 18 degrees and dropped to 16 within an hour and has been stable between 15 and 16 16 degrees since.

Within 18 hours of pitching it was bubbling several times per second with a think layer of krausen. By the end of the next day I went to check and it had completely blown through the bubbler and spewed yeasty krasuen over the fermenter lid. It smelt like warm VB!!!

After cleaning the mess I checked again 4 hours later and it had blown the top again !!! This time I drained 1 liter of wort to reduce the volume as it has 25 liters which is 2 liters more than I usually do. I tasted a sample and it actually tasted OK so I hope its not infected but the aroma was very beery and yeasty with a little sulphur and not particularly fruity.

The next morning (this morning) it had done it again but much less so. I hope this will be the last time it happens.

It had attenuated from 1050 to 1016 in about 55 hours.

I have been brewing for 10 years and never had this happen before. Does anyone have much experience with this yeast and is what I have seen common?

I really worried now that it is infected but will leave it until I transfer to a secondary and then taste to see how it is. At this rate it will be ready for transfer tonight.

I was thinking that a ferment at 15 to 16 degrees would be slow and stable!! How wrong was I.


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## Curly79 (2/8/16)

Hi tumi. I used this yeast for the first time about a month ago in stout. OG was 1.078 and pitched from a starter and fermented at 18 degrees. From memory it was pretty vigorous for a day or two then seemed to chug along steadily for over a week.


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## Mardoo (2/8/16)

Just about to use it myself. Advice on the White Labs website, IIRC, is to top crop this until there's just a thin layer of white meringue-like bubbles remaining. I'll let you know how I go!


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## quadbox (2/8/16)

Every time I've used it it's gone absolutely gangbusters with krausen, as you've observed. I gather from previous discussions elsewhere that the brewery it's sourced from used open fermenters, where it's far less of a problem

Still one of my favourite english strains, really lovely


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## tumi2 (2/8/16)

Mardoo said:


> Just about to use it myself. Advice on the White Labs website, IIRC, is to top crop this until there's just a thin layer of white meringue-like bubbles remaining. I'll let you know how I go!


Yeh well it really cropped itself this morning, it was basically yeast cake that had forced its way through the air lock. There are certainly lots of white meringue like bubbles. Im not going to crop it for fear of increasing the chance of infection, given that the chance is already high. I would suggest leaving a head space double what you usually leave....


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## tumi2 (2/8/16)

Homicidal Teddybear said:


> Every time I've used it it's gone absolutely gangbusters with krausen, as you've observed. I gather from previous discussions elsewhere that the brewery it's sourced from used open fermenters, where it's far less of a problem
> 
> Still one of my favourite english strains, really lovely


Since you have used this what is the fermentation aroma like. Mine is like stale beer with a little sulphur or egg smell. Its not a bad small but it is distinctly more beer like than any yeast i have used previously.


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## tumi2 (3/8/16)

just to update, it has now slowed to a more normal ferment after 2 days of going off like a rocket. Fermenting at 16 and it seems to handle it fine.


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