WLP005

[ajmuzza]

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?

 

[Spiesy]

What was your mash temp and grain bill?

What volume of wort?

What was the production date of the 005?

 

[Kiwifirst]

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.

 

[Spiesy]

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?

 

[ajmuzza]

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),

 

[ajmuzza]

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.

 

[pk.sax]

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.

 

[Kiwifirst]

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

 

[Yeastfridge]

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.

 

[Spiesy]

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.

 

[Spiesy]

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.

 

[rehabs_for_quitters]

Spiesy how would you compare it to 002?

 

[ajmuzza]

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.

 

[Spiesy]

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?

 

[Dips Me Lid]

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.

 

[Spiesy]

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.

 

[Dips Me Lid]

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.

 

[Spiesy]

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!

 

[Dips Me Lid]

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!

 

[Spiesy]

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.