wlp400 temperature?

Hey gang. I'm going to be making a wit with wlp400. This is the first time that I'll be making a belgian and the first time that I try to coax significant flavor from the yeast. Usually, I use more neutral strains and ferment low and clean. So I'm not certain about the best temperature for the yeast. I know white labs gives recommendations, but I was wondering if any people have ideal temps for this from past use. I want the flavor, but I don't want to go overboard with a hot fermentation.

Thanks!
AK

Recipe, in case interested (from Radical Brewing--mini-mash):

6.0 lb wheat extract syrup
1.0 lb 6-row
1.0 lb flaked oats
.5 lb rice hulls
(rest for an hour at 150*)
.5 oz Northern Brewer @90
1 oz Saaz @30
1 oz Saaz @5
orange zest @5
.5 oz coriander @5
.25 oz chamomile @5

I've got a fair bit of experience with wlp400, and I can certainly say that getting more flavor from it requires higher temperatures. I unfortunately don't have any real temperature control, but my half-basement stays pretty consistent; it's around 64 in the winters and no higher than 74 in the summers. The best flavor I got from wlp400 was during a pretty warm spell in the summer, and the ambient temp might have been pushing 74. I don't know what the highest temp inside the fermenter was, but the stick on thermometer was around 74.

That batch was noticeably more flavorful than batches done at lower (read: normally ideal for other yeasts) temps.

I know this is an older thread, but I have a question that someone might be able to answer regarding WLP400 and fermentation temps in general.

Friday afternoon I had time set aside to brew an all grain Allagash White clone (50/50 2-row & wheat with some spice additions and minimal hops - I can post the full recipe if anyone needs to see it). I had been putting off completing my temperature controller wiring, which means I did not have it available when I pitched my yeast into the wort Friday night around 9pm.

My ambient temp was around 74° in the basement where the wort sat for roughly 45 hours until I had wired the temp controller and got the carboy into a new (second hand) fermentation mini fridge. I brought the temp down to 65° as suggested by some of the recipes that I had found. In the first 24 hours (before putting it into the fridge), there was very little visible activity. The fermentation picked up Saturday evening into Sunday. Activity (yeast swirling inside the carboy) continued after I got it into the fridge and was still going this morning (Monday) with the temp controller still at 65°.

The question is: will this temperature drop after the first couple of days of fermentation negatively affect the beer? Starting in a few days, I am planning to raise the temperature by 1 degree per day up to around 73 or 74, then drop it low again to clean up diacetyl and acetaldehyde. Could fusel alcohols have been generated by starting at too high of a temp? Does any of this matter?

And should I cold crash a wheat beer? Having a temperature controller for the first time leaves me with so many questions.

Thanks

Yeast generally don't like big drops in temp. However, this is a pretty low flocculator so it's doubtful that they would all drop out and stop working. I bet you'll hit your FG, but you'll have to wait and see if any off flavor were produced.

Thanks. That's what I figured. At least going forward I'll be able to control my temps more effectively