WLP002 - What the heck?!

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MrAverage

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I brewed up a 3 gallon batch of Jamil's oatmeal stout (OG 1.055) and pitched a very fresh vial of WLP002 - a yeast I've never used before. I placed the fermentor (a plastic bucket) in my basement where it's 66-67 degrees and went to bed. 8 hours later - no activity in the airlock, nothing. 24 hours later, same thing...nothing. I opened up the bucket and see no sign of activity - no kraeusen, no ring around the bucket, etc.. I moved the bucket upstairs where it's warmer. 36 hours...still nothing. The wort looks exactly like it looked when I poured it in the bucket after brewing.

So, I figured there's a problem with the yeast. I decided to pitch a packet of US-05, but before I did, I decided to take an SG reading just to check but I dropped the stupid hydrometer...glass bits all over the floor. So, I figured what the heck, and I pitched the rehydrated US-05.

Later that day, I had an unexpected chance to go to my LHBS and buy another hydrometer. As soon as I got home, I took a SG reading (this is about 3 hours after pitching the US-05) and much to my surprise, the SG was down to 1.015...which seemed to indicate that the WLP002 worked after all.

SO...I'm wondering two things:

1) Anyone else have a similar experience with WLP002? I've read that it's a slow starter but once it gets going it's pretty active, but my experience was that it worked very quickly and quietly - so quickly and quietly that there was absolutely no sign that it had happened/was happening.

2) I assume that the US-05 I added will probably result in a lower FG than it would have from the US-05. Am I going to get a yeasty flavor or any other problems as a result of the additional yeast?
 
I just had a recent batch of mild, brewed with wlp002/1968, that did the same thing. No krausen or visible fermentation for three days. It did attenuate after a week, but the yeast did not flocculate. I don't know what was up with the yeast to do that, as it was fresh, although I suspect I pitched too cold and/or did not oxygenate enough.
 
My last batch was Jamil's Oatmeal Stout. I used a vial of WLP002 into a 1L starter on a stirplate. There was a very vigorous fermentation 8 hours after pitching. My FG was a couple points high at 1.018, so I might have mashed a little warmer than measured.

I'm using WLP002 again on a special bitter this weekend. We'll see what happens.
 
002 is very very flocculant. You might want to stir/swirl your carboy during fermentation to keep the guys in suspension. Produces crystal-clear beer.
 
Second that. My October pumpkin took some babying with 002. Few rousings and a little temp bump, and all was well.
Really like this yeast!
 
I routinely have 36-48 hour ferments with high flocculators such as 002/1968 and 028/1728. Not sure about the lack of krausen/visible activity, though.
 
Last batch I did with 002 was so vigorous that it blew out the airlock.
Im brewing an ESB with 1968 tomorrow, will see how that one does.
 
I just finished a porter with that yeast. I've used it a few times. Activity seems to be temperature dependant. My porter wouldn't all fit in one vessel.. so, i ended up with the overflow is a 3g carbohydrate. I could only control term temp on the main batch at 68f. The side batch ended up at 75f. The main batch acted like yours, the side batch formed a kraussen and bubbles the airlock.

Both finished at the same gravity : 12 points.

That's my theory anyway.
 
Pitched a vial of WLP002 into a porter on Saturday (11/5). Airlock started bubbling every 15 seconds or so about 12 hours later. After 2 days, it's fermenting like crazy. I have pretty good temp control and like to keep this yeast right at 68F, as I prefer some of its more estery characteristics. As for kraeusen, I always get a good inch or so a few days into fermentation.

Either way, if your gravity reading indicates less sugar than before you pitched your yeast, you made beer... and if it's beer, you can drink it. One thing I'll be curious to see/hear about is whether you're able to get a good head on that puppy.

Cheers!
 
Quick question for the WLP002 users, it seems like this yeast could have a very low attenuation. I'm trying it in an APA that I've made a few other times, and I don't want it to finish too high. Normally I mash at 156 degrees, and using WL's Irish Ale yeast, it ends around 1.012. When I plugged 002 into BeerSmith, it estimates that the same mash will finish near 1.020. I'm using a starter, so it should take off quick, but what are some of your mash-temp/FG results? Thanks!
 
My last bucket batch with us05 that didn't show much sign of activity turned out with a funky weak taste. It fermented out but something went wrong. I believe my water and the lack of proper oxygenation was to blame.
 
puttin4doh said:
Quick question for the WLP002 users, it seems like this yeast could have a very low attenuation. I'm trying it in an APA that I've made a few other times, and I don't want it to finish too high. Normally I mash at 156 degrees, and using WL's Irish Ale yeast, it ends around 1.012. When I plugged 002 into BeerSmith, it estimates that the same mash will finish near 1.020. I'm using a starter, so it should take off quick, but what are some of your mash-temp/FG results? Thanks!
Click to expand...

With 002 I would mash at 150-152 if you want your beer to finish that low. I think it attenuates at about 70% on average. Mash low and ferment a little cool for a APA with that yeast.
 
puttin4doh said:
Quick question for the WLP002 users, it seems like this yeast could have a very low attenuation. I'm trying it in an APA that I've made a few other times, and I don't want it to finish too high. Normally I mash at 156 degrees, and using WL's Irish Ale yeast, it ends around 1.012. When I plugged 002 into BeerSmith, it estimates that the same mash will finish near 1.020. I'm using a starter, so it should take off quick, but what are some of your mash-temp/FG results? Thanks!
Click to expand...

You could also go with wlp007. Similar characteristics with higher attenuation.
 
bierhaus15 said:
I just had a recent batch of mild, brewed with wlp002/1968, that did the same thing. No krausen or visible fermentation for three days. It did attenuate after a week, but the yeast did not flocculate. I don't know what was up with the yeast to do that, as it was fresh, although I suspect I pitched too cold and/or did not oxygenate enough.
Click to expand...

I had a very similar experience ad well. I even did a 2 L starter and pitched that. It showed almost no signs of ferm other than airlock bubbles. Radically different than say 1056 or 007 which have massive krausen.

Took about two months of cold conditioning to get a sharp, yeasty bite out of my APA.
 
I used this in my brown ale. I was about to re-pitch because there was no activity in the airlock. I ended up sloshing it around, which produced some activity for a day or two, then nothing. I decided to wait until secondary and take a reading. It was at 1.014! This yeast is a sneaky one. It would probably benefit from an occasional stir as well.
 
Strange I have used this yeast a few times and never seen this. Usually get a nice krausen and it looks like egg drop soup that is boiling. I usually over pitch just a but on it since I usually ferment it a little cooler.
 
Just for fun I dumped a bunch of apple juice on top of the yeast cake last night. It was bubbling almost instantly. This morning, nothing. Isnt chemistry fun?

Edit - Wow, now its literally churning. Yeast cake finally kicked in. Never seen anything like this. (Of course its only my 5th brew).
 
002 is on the verge of becoming my house yeast. I love her and her malty profile. She gives me a depth that I just can't reproduce with other UK yeasts.

But she's a fickle maiden.

She'll go frigid on you if you drop the temp on her too quickly.

And she really needs a starter to warm up and get ready for action. I've pitched as many as 3 fresh dated vials into a moderate gravity wort and still had lag in excess of 24 hours.

002 seems to perform best for me if it is just coming off a starter growth. I have even had great success feeding a just-fermented starter another 200 ml or so of fresh wort while I am brewing my main batch.

In order to get the quickest start and best attenuation, I have always had to use a fresh, if not active, starter of the proper size. My last batch was a best bitter with a fresh start of month old 002. I gave it 200 ml of starter wort while brewing, decanted and pitched

I had krausen in about 12 hrs. I started at 66f and rose to 68f after 72 hrs. I stayed at 68f until active ferment was all but over, then kicked to 70f. I wound up with 77% AA and got a clean beer with just enough English ester profile to highlight the British malt and EKG.

002 will make ungodly great beer, or she will break your heart. You just have to treat her right
 
MrAverage said:
I brewed up a 3 gallon batch of Jamil's oatmeal stout (OG 1.055) and pitched a very fresh vial of WLP002 - a yeast I've never used before. I placed the fermentor (a plastic bucket) in my basement where it's 66-67 degrees and went to bed. 8 hours later - no activity in the airlock, nothing. 24 hours later, same thing...nothing. I opened up the bucket and see no sign of activity - no kraeusen, no ring around the bucket, etc.. I moved the bucket upstairs where it's warmer. 36 hours...still nothing. The wort looks exactly like it looked when I poured it in the bucket after brewing.

So, I figured there's a problem with the yeast. I decided to pitch a packet of US-05, but before I did, I decided to take an SG reading just to check but I dropped the stupid hydrometer...glass bits all over the floor. So, I figured what the heck, and I pitched the rehydrated US-05.

Later that day, I had an unexpected chance to go to my LHBS and buy another hydrometer. As soon as I got home, I took a SG reading (this is about 3 hours after pitching the US-05) and much to my surprise, the SG was down to 1.015...which seemed to indicate that the WLP002 worked after all.

SO...I'm wondering two things:

1) Anyone else have a similar experience with WLP002? I've read that it's a slow starter but once it gets going it's pretty active, but my experience was that it worked very quickly and quietly - so quickly and quietly that there was absolutely no sign that it had happened/was happening.

2) I assume that the US-05 I added will probably result in a lower FG than it would have from the US-05. Am I going to get a yeasty flavor or any other problems as a result of the additional yeast?
Click to expand...


I've never used wlp002 but I've used wy1968 a lot and they are apparently the same fuller's strain. I've seen weird no krausen ferments with wy1968 a few times. Here is how wyeast explained it https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/n...e-fermentation-267303/index2.html#post3735664 ...in regards to no airlock activity, it could be something stupid like a leak around the bung.
 
winvarin said:
002 is on the verge of becoming my house yeast. I love her and her malty profile. She gives me a depth that I just can't reproduce with other UK yeasts. But she's a fickle maiden. She'll go frigid on you if you drop the temp on her too quickly. And she really needs a starter to warm up and get ready for action. I've pitched as many as 3 fresh dated vials into a moderate gravity wort and still had lag in excess of 24 hours. 002 seems to perform best for me if it is just coming off a starter growth. I have even had great success feeding a just-fermented starter another 200 ml or so of fresh wort while I am brewing my main batch. In order to get the quickest start and best attenuation, I have always had to use a fresh, if not active, starter of the proper size. My last batch was a best bitter with a fresh start of month old 002. I gave it 200 ml of starter wort while brewing, decanted and pitched I had krausen in about 12 hrs. I started at 66f and rose to 68f after 72 hrs. I stayed at 68f until active ferment was all but over, then kicked to 70f. I wound up with 77% AA and got a clean beer with just enough English ester profile to highlight the British malt and EKG. 002 will make ungodly great beer, or she will break your heart. You just have to treat her right
Click to expand...

Your anthropomorphization of 002 was... well... it made me feel really... weird.
 
Brulosopher said:
Your anthropomorphization of 002 was... well... it made me feel really... weird.
Click to expand...

Shhh. Don't let her hear you speak like that. She has a hell of a temper ;)
 
This is a great yeast. It's very versatile, but that comes at a price. If you don't control your fermentation, you're rolling the dice.

I used WLP002 for Sunday's brew, which is basically a malty porter.

My applicable technique for this one:

- Start a 1.5L starter early morning with the stir plate maxed. I usually do starters a day ahead but WLP002 does great if I pitch about 8 hours in when it's getting vigorous.
- Mash at 156 - I want residual sweetness.
- Hit it with oxygen for about 40 seconds. I didn't like this strain back when I shook to aerate.
- Start the fermentation at 65
- Raise the temperature a degree a day until I hit 70

I usually don't need to rouse the yeast. I always ferment with a blow-off instead of lock, and this strain needs it because it's explosive. It is generally done visibly fermenting in 2-4 days and I cold crash a week in.
 

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