WLP060 Cry Havoc Yeast

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RandomBeerGuy

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I have brewed a Lager one week ago. I used white labs WLP862 cry havoc yeast strain. So when I pitched this yeast into my fermenter. After 3 days of inactivity it finally started to ferment. Now its been one week I was thinking is was ready for secondary. When I checked the hydrometer it was at 1.041 starting from 1.048. I know with lagers the temp should be around 58-50 degrees. Has anyone had issues with this yeast strain. Should I pitch another vile of yeast in? my fridge temp is at the lower end of 52-49. Any tips? :confused:
 
WLP060 is not cry havoc, it's American Ale. So if you pitched WLP060 you're way off :D

If you pitched WLP862 (Cry Havoc) then the optimum ferm temps are 55-58. I would crank the temp up a few degrees.
 
Thanks for pointing out my typo I'll see if I can fix it. According to the White Labs Experts they say 50-58. I did turn down my fridge so hopefully it will continue to ferment.
 
If you pitched a single vial then you under pitched, and that's why it's slow. You need 5 vials or a large starter for a 1.048 lager.
 
I would leave it be and take a page from the cry havoc creator himself RDWHAHB. I under pitched my first lager and it ended up fine and I fermented at the low end of the temp range. I would suggest a diacetyl rest with an under pitched lager.
 
Thought lagers took longer to ferment as a rule, if you're seeing gravity drop it's working, just let 'er go. Getting ready to keg my 2nd late-hopped wheat beer using Cryhavoc, I really liked the first one, really liked the finish the yeast gave it, hoping the 2nd with my tweaks turns out like gold.
 
@ BigRob for your wheat, are you fermenting at lager temps or ale? I haven't used cry havoc for ales. As a rule about how long does lagers take to ferment?
 
I fermented at 58F, but I actually pitched at 48F and let it rise to 58F, then gradually let it rise to 62F after a week of fermentation.
 
Noob question: After it is done fermenting, when I rack it into secondary is that when I begin the lagering portion? Then bottle at room temp correct? :confused:
 
Always happy to answer a noob question :)

If you're going to transfer from primary to secondary, you typically do this after the beer has reached high krausen. When you're about 75% fermentation completed, you would begin to lager your beer by bringing the temperature of the wort slowly down to near freezing if you can, or the coldest place possible(if you don't have temp control). Once you've lagered and you're ready to bottle, you can add in your priming sugar(however you prime bottles) and go ahead and bottle.

What I recommend you do is use your bottles for target practice, get yourself a keg setup, and then you can force carbonate your beer while it's lagering in your kegerator, if you can keep the tap off it long enough.
 
Thanks for the tip. Actully this weekend I am getting a kegerator. I have kegs but not hooked up. Do I have to hold the beer at lagering temp until the its gone/enjoyed or is it a temporary temp control?
 
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