Wyeast 2001 Urquell Help

[redmactruck]

Hi everyone, just wishing to get your thoughts on the use of wyeast 2001 Urquell. I pitched my yeast last night at 11.00pm (late night brewing). Temp has remained around 20 degree c overnight. It is now 9.00 pm (22 hrs after) and there is little activity in the air lock. It smell goods, there is very little bubble/foaming on top and there is large amount of white to cream colour trub on the bottom.

Brew Particulars

23.5 L Batch
OG 1.056
pilsner urquell Clone recipe (partial mash + Briess pilsen malt DME)
loads of Czech Saaz hops

Yeast was pitched on monday night (4 days ago) into a 1L starter (which also contained yeast nutrient). I placed this in the fridge all day yesterday to condense yeast and pulled it out last night to decanter and let come to room temp before pitching at 20 degrees (packet and wyeast website suggests 21-24). My intention was to see signs of life then get temp down to around 12-14 degrees



thoughts please !!!

I do have a dry packet of saflager S-23 handy, if need be

:beerbang:

 

[haysie]

what date pack was the 2001 Red?
Its a yeast that gives great results but lags and lags. By the look/sounds of it, everything is ok. You wont get a big krausen with 2001, just a foam.

edit, maybe have a look at a few yeast threads (yes AHB very behind in the times with no Yeast forum) but pitching super concentrate yeast i.e wyeast into only 1ltr wont give you much cell growth, to pitch into a ltr and then pitch via active would give a better result. No expert but if you can check out Wolfy, he`s the yeast man. always happy to help out with yeast ?`s.

 

[manticle]

Firstly, your temperature is too high for a lager yeast. I know you're dropping later but my understanding (and belief) is that it is better to pitch at ferment temp or slightly lower.

Secondly, lager yeasts are often slower than ale yeasts and need bigger pitching rates (although at 20 degrees she may have taken off like a rocket).

Thirdly, the foam etc means more than the airlock. Have you checked the gravity?

Patience - looks like it is fermenting.

 

[Bribie G]

+1 about the yeast forum

Did the pack swell ok? If so then it's proved as being viable.
Don't trust airlock.
The white stuff on the bottom could just be cold break etc, which is why it's a bit confusing with lager yeasts to know if they have actuallty kicked off. I'd suggest a hydro reading if you can sneak a sample without exposing the surface of the brew unnecessarily.

 

[redmactruck]

Thanks for all the help guys -- by the next morning there was some more activity going and looks to be going strong now -
Can anyone tell me why Wyeast recommend pithcing at these temps (21-24 c) with lager yeasts and does anyone use starters for wyeast lager yeasts?

Cheers

 

[felten]

Pitching warm saves you from having to build up an 7L starter or something crazy when you want to pitch cold, though it's probably going to change the taste.