WL838 Southern German Lager

So I'm getting ready for my second lager - a munich helles. My first was a honey lager brewed with saflager s23. I had difficulty with fermentation control with that batch. I had it in my garage and while it was probably around 50 most of the time, it dropped way low several times through the 4 week primary. I can't really quantify the temp regime but the beer ended up (after lagering another month) VERY sulfury. It's fine, and actually quite good sometimes, but super sulfury.
So this time I'm going with WL838 and made a, get this, 2 gallon starter. I pitched a vial into 70F DME 1.040 wort and get to watch things roll.

First off I noticed no 'suspended' fermentation like ale yeasts and that I noticed with the s23. It's been 24 hours now and there is a thin layer of bubbles I presume to be CO2 on top and a thick slurry of yeast (I presume) on the bottom. I'm guessing this is bottom fermentation at work! Oh, I aerated with airpump/stone/hepa for about 45 minutes before pitching.

Smells great and I look forward to following this for the next few days.

I know this is boring but it's over 24 hours out now and I can see the churning but it is different than the ale yeast churning. More gentle and seems to have more downward moving particles than upward (co2?). Nice krausen now.

I also noted that the yeast layer on the bottom is WAY bigger than the vial I pitched. It was very quickly, actually. I guess that was the reproduction/budding phase and now it's into fermentation. I suppose I could crash it now but I'm going to let it ferment out a while longer before crashing it for decanting.

This yeast is a major diacetyl producer, don't forget to make diacetyl rest

thanks. when i make the helles i'm going to pitch cold and warm slowly with a d rest.

this am the krausen has fallen and it the starter is calming down.

Can anyone report on their findings with this yeast? I am brewing a Helles right now with it.

m.

Mateo said:

Can anyone report on their findings with this yeast? I am brewing a Helles right now with it.

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That strain rules. Clean, Malty, Delicious. I have had very good luck with it.

Strat do you do a D-Rest with this strain?

I am in the first 24 hours of my helles. So I was thinking around the Sunday pulling the fermentation tank out of the cold and putting it back after about 24 hours.

m.

Mateo said:

Strat do you do a D-Rest with this strain?

I am in the first 24 hours of my helles. So I was thinking around the Sunday pulling the fermentation tank out of the cold and putting it back after about 24 hours.

m.

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Depends. What temp was your wort when you pitched? How big of a starter did you make?

Step Up stirplate starter. 1 WL838 vial into 500ML wort, 24 hours on the stir plate, then 24 hours with an additional 500ML. Pitched at 48 to 50F

m.

Mateo said:

Step Up stirplate starter. 1 WL838 vial into 500ML wort, 24 hours on the stir plate, then 24 hours with an additional 500ML. Pitched at 48 to 50F

m.

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When I do lagers I typically do a 4 week primary, first 2.5 weeks at 50F, and then start ramping it up a degree or two a day until im at 60F for the final week. I also pitch the slurry from at LEAST a 1 gallon starter, more if I can repitch slurry from a previous 5 gallon batch. I think if you pitched a 1L starter, you will probably have some diacetyl that you need your yeast to re-absorb.

Good deal. I am going to do 24 to 48 D-rest sometime next week just to be safe. I have to get a larger flask or something to do a bigger starter.

BTW Strat thru Marshalls, I play an Emmons thru Evans!

thanks for the advice.

m.