WLP029 Label misprint??? Kolsch yeast tastes like hefe

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d_striker

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I use WLP029 as my house strain. I wash for a few generations and then buy a new vial.

I like how clean and neutral this yeast is. The last vial I bought, however, didn't produce a beer that resembled last batches.

I brewed two batches, back to back, with the vial (1st gen) and then another from the washed yeast of the first batch. They both came out cloudy like a wheat beer and they both taste like a hefe. They have that unique, clove flavor with a touch of banana ester.

Fermentation never got above 70 in either batch and was more in the low to mid 60's the majority of the time.

Is it possible that White Labs misprinted some vials?
 
Wow, interesting. I'd like to hear from others who have kolsch brewing. No lot number, eh? Did you contact white labs?
 
bigbeergeek said:
Wow, interesting. I'd like to hear from others who have kolsch brewing. No lot number, eh? Did you contact white labs?
Click to expand...

You know, I'm pretty sure I threw away the vial after I pitched it.

I haven't contacted White Labs but that's a good idea.

I purchased the vial in MN on February 1st.
 
This is the reply I got from them:

Hello Dominic,

We have processes in place where the yeast is checked and double checked before labels are applied to the vials. It his highly unlikely that the vials contained anything except WLP029. If you were getting ester and phenolic flavors, that suggests that the yeast was stressed. It could be a drop in viability from the time you purchased it to the time you pitched it, or some other factor (temperature, oxygen, etc.) that affected the fermentation. We strive to produce yeast that will give you consistent fermentation but a lot can happen to a vial between the time it leaves our lab to the time it reaches your beer.
In the future, I would suggest that you try to purchase the yeast vials locally ( if your local homebrew store doesn't carry White Labs, ask for it!) and look for Best Before dates as far in the future as you can to assure that you're getting the freshest yeast possible. That should help you achieve the clean flavors you are shooting for in your beers.

Good luck and happy brewing!

John Carroll
White Labs, Inc.
Sales & Customer Service
 
Could be wild yeast or bacteria contamination. I use this yeast sometimes and had a batch with it that had a Belgainy quality and haze to it that I attributed to contamination. I make this assumption because when the beer was young it was very clean and as it aged these flavors developed. I wish I had saved the yeast because it ended up being a very tasty brew.
 
d_striker said:
This is the reply I got from them:

Hello Dominic,

We have processes in place where the yeast is checked and double checked before labels are applied to the vials. It his highly unlikely that the vials contained anything except WLP029. If you were getting ester and phenolic flavors, that suggests that the yeast was stressed. It could be a drop in viability from the time you purchased it to the time you pitched it, or some other factor (temperature, oxygen, etc.) that affected the fermentation. We strive to produce yeast that will give you consistent fermentation but a lot can happen to a vial between the time it leaves our lab to the time it reaches your beer.
In the future, I would suggest that you try to purchase the yeast vials locally ( if your local homebrew store doesn't carry White Labs, ask for it!) and look for Best Before dates as far in the future as you can to assure that you're getting the freshest yeast possible. That should help you achieve the clean flavors you are shooting for in your beers.

Good luck and happy brewing!

John Carroll
White Labs, Inc.
Sales & Customer Service
Click to expand...

I was going to tell you the same thing but White Labs beat me to it. :mug:
 

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