WLP833 Flavor

Hi all,

I started brewing lagers about 4 months ago, and to date I've completed two, a Marzen and German Pils, both using WLP833. Both finished at 1.010, were pitched cold, fermented between 48-50 and were lagered at 32F for over a month (4 weeks for the Pils, 7 for the Marzen). Both had a Weyermann Pilsner malt base (52% for the Marzen, 95% for the Pils). Pitching rate was based upon volume of slurry, using the figures at YeastCalc.com plus about 20%.

On both beers, I get a bit of a malty sweetness on the finish of the beer. When the Marzen finished at 1.010, that surprised me a bit because it attenuated far more than I had expected (81%). The Pils attenuated admirably considering this isn't a strain many people use for Pilsners, but the finish was still reminiscent of what I tasted in my Marzen.

I did a side by side of my Marzen with Ayinger's version (since WLP833 is supposed to be their strain), and while the color was nearly dead on, the Ayinger beer had a drier finish, with a nice malty flavor but without that sweetness that I observed.

Now to my question. For those that have brewed with this strain, have you observed anything like this? I was pleased with both beers, as they were both nice and clean for the most part and well received by all who have tried them, but that slightly sweet malty finish isn't something I've observed in the German commercial examples of either of these styles.

Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!

I used wlp833 in a pilsner back on 7/2/11 and repitched it a couple times. The pils finished at 1.010, the flavor was not sweet to me but it had the same profile as brooklyn brewery beers, which I don't like very much.

With that finishing gravity I would say what you are tasting is the yeast profile.

I have used it twice and yes it does leave a bit of a malty sweet finish. I mostly like but just did a helles and think it ended a tad too thick for a session lager.

Did you use any crystal malts? That would certainly explain it.

SpeedYellow said:

Did you use any crystal malts? That would certainly explain it.

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The Marzen had 6.5% CaraMunich, and both the Marzen and Pils had about 3% Carafoam. I initially chalked it up to the crystal when I first tasted the Marzen, but when I got that same similar flavor from the Pils, I started to re-think what it might be. It's not an off-flavor, just a distinctive note from the finish of both beers. I have a Dunkel beginning to lager tonight that has a malt bill that is almost all Munich with only 2% crystal. If I detect this same flavor in the finish, I think it's safe to assume this is just the character imparted by this yeast.