NOOBY - Question on Yeast

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Mrcrowley269

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I have a question on yeast. I have been doing Belgian style on my first 2 brews. 1st one was a partial mash, the last one a all grain. I have been using WLP500 yeast. I want to try a westy 12 all grain. I wAs thinking, since it seems to be a big calling for 19.69 lb grain for a 5 gallon batch, if I could wash the WLP500 and start the ferment for a day or two, and add a starter of WLP530 that it calls for. I read that the 530 had better alcohol resistance, but 500 has better flavor. I like the smell of the 500 and the taste. Should this work, or is it a bad idea? Would the yeasts conflict in flavor and smell? I know yeasts can be combined, just do not want to mess this one up.
 
I just bottled a belgian IPA last night made with WLP530. I think it's a great yeast, and I enjoy its flavors. I used it because I had an extra vial left over from a previous batch and so I attempted a clone of Stone's Cali-Belgique (which apparently is just the exact same recipe as their reguar IPA, but with a belgian yeast). The clone turned out way closer to the Cali-Belgique than I could have possibly imagined, so if you've had that beer, you will have a pretty good idea of the profile of 530. I really enjoy it, but haven't used 500.

As far as blending, it should be fine, but I don't think you really need to. I might just use the washed 500 and save the 530 for another beer. 530 is more alcohol tolerant, but 500 is still pretty tolerant. What's your OG? I don't think you're going to be bumping up against that yeast's limit even with 20 lbs of grain, but who knows.
 
If you check on the wlp website, some of their strains are actually a blend of 2 other yeasts. Not sure that all strains play nicely together, I would probably stick to the combinations that the lab boys have tried and approved, but I'm cautious by nature. I suspect ( especially if you wash and reuse several generations of a blend) that eventually one strain will outcompete the other and dominate the blend. If you elect to blend, let us know how it goes.
 
daksin said:
I just bottled a belgian IPA last night made with WLP530. I think it's a great yeast, and I enjoy its flavors. I used it because I had an extra vial left over from a previous batch and so I attempted a clone of Stone's Cali-Belgique (which apparently is just the exact same recipe as their reguar IPA, but with a belgian yeast). The clone turned out way closer to the Cali-Belgique than I could have possibly imagined, so if you've had that beer, you will have a pretty good idea of the profile of 530. I really enjoy it, but haven't used 500.

As far as blending, it should be fine, but I don't think you really need to. I might just use the washed 500 and save the 530 for another beer. 530 is more alcohol tolerant, but 500 is still pretty tolerant. What's your OG? I don't think you're going to be bumping up against that yeast's limit even with 20 lbs of grain, but who knows.
Click to expand...

The OG shows to be about 1.071, recipe calls for 1.25lb sugar as well, was thinking of adding a little more.
 
I have 2 questions on yeast...

1. I built a stir plate and it works good. The question I have is, on what I heve read, it sounds like the yeast should ferment on the stir plate. It has been 24 hours, and I have a airlock on the starter jar. I have not see the airlock burp once. Is this normal?

2. I planned to leave the starter on the plate until 36 hours, which will be tomorrow morning. I also planned to let the starter sit on the plate till Saturday morning and brew the last brew for 2011. Is leaving the starter out over night ok? I would presume so as I did a starter and left it out 3 days before my last brew, and it seemed to do wonderful.
 

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