The Yeast Bay strains

[vykuza]

We've moved enough of the Yeast Bay yeasts now that I would hope some people have already begun to ferment with them. As they are new in the market, I figured I would start a topic to record impressions, feedback etc.

The Yeast Bay provides a range of "artisinal" yeast for home and craft brewers. From their website: "Our mission is simple: Provide commercially unavailable or rare yeast and bacteria strains to the homebrewing and craft brewing communities in high quality liquid culture. "

That liquid culture is maintained and packaged by White Labs after being identified, isolated, blended, tested and approved by Chief Yeast Wrangler and all-round-nice-guy Nick Impellitteri.

Nick is adding new strains to the Yeast Bay collection regularly, but at the moment the range consists of:

Vermont Ale: Remarkably similar to the strain used in the world's highest rated Double IPA "Heady Topper". Complements aggressively hopped beers.

Northwestern Abbey: From a Belgian-style brewer in the US. Mild spiciness, earthy flavour, pears and citrus.

Wallonian Farmhouse: Super farmhouse yeast for saisons you can get your teeth in to. No brett or bugs, but slight earthy funk and tart character.

Saison Blend: A blend of two saison yeasts for a crackingly dry, but balanced beer, with orange and grapefruit aromatics.

Saison and Brettanomyces Blend: One of the saison yeasts from the saison blend, plus two Brett. strains for bright fruity esters and mild funk.

Beersel Brettanomyces Blend: Brett. strains from the Beersel region of Belgium, fast fermenting (for brett!) and bringing fruitiness and funkiness.

Brussels Brettanomyces Blend: More of a classic Brett blend. Big barnyard funk.

Lochristi Brettanomyces Blend: Two strains of Brett, once again from Belgium; "One strain provides a moderate funk and light fruitiness, while the other strain adds a more assertive fruitiness dominated by hints of strawberry."

Funktown Pale Ale: Oh yeah! A blend of the Vermont strain and a unique Brett. strain. Brings citrus, peach, mango and pineapple.


The Yeast Bay is releasing four new strains as well, Dry Belgian Ale, Melange Sour Blend, Amalgamation Super Brett Blend (with six brett. strains!) and a Farmhouse Sour Ale. We also know that Nick is out yeast hunting next month - so who knows what that might bring!

I have brewed and pitched beers using the Funktown, Beersel Blend and Lochristi Blend (with WLP001 primary) and will be reporting in as they come along.

So please share your experiences, expectations, recipes and pics!




Mods: this is not intended as a sales pitch at all - but for sharing info on these new yeasts by those who have used them, or want to use them.

 

[lael]

Funktown pale ale sounds amazing

 

[Forever Wort]

I will try the Saison blend when the weather comes around.

 

[lukencode]

Keen to give Wallonian Farmhouse a crack, anyone tried it?

 

[Mardoo]

Lochristi Blend sounds awesome!

 

[BilBrewing]

I've brewed once with the Vermont strain. To be honest i used a new grain, a new hop and a new yeast so i couldn't really pick the flavour contribution that it's supposedly known for. I can say that i fermented it according to the Yeast Bay guidelines, around 18c to start then after day 4 once the krausen had died down, i upped the temp to 20c for 5 days. In the end i got 76% attenuation. I have a second generation pitch to use in an upcoming beer so will be able to report if i see an increase after that.

I've also brewed with the Wallonian strain. I did a table saison, 85% pils malt, 12% malted wheat and 3% CaraHell, ended up at 3.0% ABV. I only added a bittering charge at 60mins and let the yeast contribute all the flavour. It turned out really nice! Very flavoursome for such a low ABV beer and i did get some flavour along the lines of the "smokey phenolic" that you hear it produces. I pitched it around 50million cells per ml, starting at 20c and ramped to 25 over 5 days.

Brewing with Northeastern Abbey in 2 weeks and will report back.

 

[vykuza]

The Vermont strain can be a strange beast, I have heard. Apparently it throws more of the peachy flavours it's known for at the lower end of the temp scale.

I might steal your table saison recipe too! When it warms up a tad, sounds like a good spring gardening beer.

The Funktown went off in the fermenter at about 36 hours, and I am getting a few tropical whiffs off it (though there's some citra late hopped, so that might be part of it).

I'll take some photos Sunday.

 

[Kranky]

I'm currently doing a starter for the Vermont I got off you the other day (liked your packaging!). It smells beautiful.

When are you going to get in some Apollo hops so we can do some Heady Topper inspired beers?

 

[vykuza]

Soon Kranky! I'll send you a PM when it happens but this isn't the thread for it.


Let us know how you go with the Vermont in the mean time!

 

[vykuza]

If you're using the Funktown, get a big whiff of the yeast blend from the vial for a hint of what's to come. I cannot wait to get in to a beer brewed with this!

 

[tazman1967]

I just ordered 3 strains, using the Saison Blend, Saison n Brett, and the Wallonian Farmhouse.
I using some base recipes out of "Farmhouse Ales" before I have a play with these new yeasts.

Curious to know if you can save and reuse the yeast cakes ? I would like to harvest some of the yeast for further brews.

Cheers

 

[tazman1967]

I just ordered 3 strains, using the Saison Blend, Saison n Brett, and the Wallonian Farmhouse.
Im using some base recipes out of "Farmhouse Ales" before I have a play with these new yeasts.

Curious to know if you can save and reuse the yeast cakes ? I would like to harvest some of the yeast for further brews.

Cheers

 

[vykuza]

Well, any blends will change their ratio based on the growth rate of each yeast/bug. Any single strains should be good to go for multiple rounds!

 

[BilBrewing]

Pitched second gen Vermont into an IPA on Sunday arvo. Was a bit worried as the yeast i washed from the first pale i used Vermont on left a serious hop aroma lingering. Still i stepped it up from a 500ml starter to a 1ltr starter and it's rocketing along now. For reference the STC controlled fridge is sitting on 17.5C with the temp probe insulated on the side of a plastic fermenter. First signs of fermentation after 12 hours and now it's rocketing along. Will update once it's reached FG.

NIck, i've also just noticed to OP has a typo - Northwestern Abbey!

 

[vykuza]

Oh whoops! Can't edit it now. If a mod sees this and they are able - please change the strain name in the OP to NorthEASTERN Abbey, not Northwestern.

Thanks Bil!

Time for an update on mine:

The Beersel blend is producing a bit of CO2, but the cooler weather has meant it's just tootling along slowly.

While the Funktown has settled down now it's been almost two weeks in the fermenter. Still fermenting slowly - I'll give it another week I think and start testing gravity readings. Smells great!

 

[BilBrewing]

48hours in and its throwing its fair share of sulfur. Not sure if this is characteristic of Vermont but maybe the 15% wheat in the grist.

 

[vykuza]

Here's a writeup of three of the Brett. blends from one of the Yeast Bay's beta testers. A good summary I think!

http://riverwards.blogspot.com.au/2014/08/the-yeast-bay-brett-blend-review.html

 

[BilBrewing]

Weekend update:

Vermont ale produced a lot of sulfur after primary. Down from 1.055 to 1.013 and still bubbling slightly. After some web browsing research quite a few people have had sulfur issues from Vermont and most attribute it to underpitching. It was my first attempt at harvesting and repitching so perhaps my yeast wasn't at the top of its game. 1.013 only means approx att of 76% not the claimed second gen 80+ so that might be a sign that my yeast was not at its peak. Mashed at a solid 67. Still the sulfur is now clearing and i'm feeling better about this batch.

Northeastern Abbey went nuts in the starter. It definitely produces the thick sticky krausen that its description says it does. It's now ripping through a Wit in similar fashion. Tons of orange notes escaping from the fermenter, smells awesome!

 

[ricardo]

Regarding the Vermont ale yeast I've read a few reviews with people having clarity issues even with gelatin and cold crashing, anybody experience this, mines still fermenting?

I'm also keen to find out the attenuation as i need to get from 1.053 (was supposed to be 1.055) to 1.010. I used 2 vials a month old with a 2.5 liter starter hoping to over pitch slightly for 42 liters. I'm guessing i will need nearly 80% to get there so i followed their recommendations, should know at the weekend after 7 days in the fermenter.

 

[BilBrewing]

Regarding the Vermont ale yeast I've read a few reviews with people having clarity issues even with gelatin and cold crashing, anybody experience this, mines still fermenting?

I'm also keen to find out the attenuation as i need to get from 1.053 (was supposed to be 1.055) to 1.010. I used 2 vials a month old with a 2.5 liter starter hoping to over pitch slightly for 42 liters. I'm guessing i will need nearly 80% to get there so i followed their recommendations, should know at the weekend after 7 days in the fermenter.

I'm on my second Vermont Ale batch and from my limited experience, it's quite stubborn and definitely hangs around. I have however, cold crashed samples of the second batch, an IPA, and after 48 hours it definitely clears up a fair bit. Maybe you can try this and you'll get a good idea of how it clears too.