Cellarscience Baja Experiences

[lumbergh]

To add to my post above about my Mexican lager that I brewed with this yeast, FWIW: the feedback I got at my homebrew club was really good, so I sent it to a c. 375 entry comp and it took bronze in the international pale lager category, scoring 44. No comments in either venue indicated any bad fermentation byproducts.
So my experience, at least, indicates that Baja can get the job done!

Recipe?

 

[Wuggly Ump]

Recipe?

Sorry for not responding sooner. Here it is, for a 5.5ish gallon batch:
4.5 lb pils
2.75 lb Vienna
1.5 lb flaked corn
5 oz CaraHell
Mashed 144 for 40, then 156 for 25
Mash out at 168
1 oz Mt. Hood at 60 min
1 oz Tettnanger at 10

 

[Jag75]

I hope this yeast works out for me . After reading this thread I'm a tad concerned. I have 3bbl with 25 or 26 packs of Baja right now . Today has been a week in the FV. The gravity was 1.033 as of yesterday.

It took just about 24 hrs to get some action. Fermenting at 48f , as per the recommended temp of 48-50 on the package. Just waiting on it to hit 19-21 to start raising the temp. We normally use Que Bueno , but we wanted to try something else as the price difference is significant. We will see here soon if it was a good move or not.

 

[rtstrider]

I hope this yeast works out for me . After reading this thread I'm a tad concerned. I have 3bbl with 25 or 26 packs of Baja right now . Today has been a week in the FV. The gravity was 1.033 as of yesterday.

It took just about 24 hrs to get some action. Fermenting at 48f , as per the recommended temp of 48-50 on the package. Just waiting on it to hit 19-21 to start raising the temp. We normally use Que Bueno , but we wanted to try something else as the price difference is significant. We will see here soon if it was a good move or not.

I'd be willing to bet if that was pitched in a liquid state (aka yeast starter) on the homebrew level that would probably make a pretty significant difference in lag time. At least it did with the Lallemand Koln yeast. Hopefully your experiences are much more successful!

 

[fluketamer]

its a very clean yeast almost too clean it seems like it doesnt add anything to the beer. the same bills with 34/70 had more flavor.

 

[SanPancho]

I hope this yeast works out for me . After reading this thread I'm a tad concerned. I have 3bbl with 25 or 26 packs of Baja right now . Today has been a week in the FV. The gravity was 1.033 as of yesterday.

It took just about 24 hrs to get some action. Fermenting at 48f , as per the recommended temp of 48-50 on the package. Just waiting on it to hit 19-21 to start raising the temp. We normally use Que Bueno , but we wanted to try something else as the price difference is significant. We will see here soon if it was a good move or not.

please tell me you have a wholesale account. 500g pack is only 90 bucks, you could have done two pitches with one brick

 

[Jag75]

please tell me you have a wholesale account. 500g pack is only 90 bucks, you could have done two pitches with one brick

All we could find was the 12oz packets. Every place was sold out . We actually bought them from a shop in Oregon. If we like the yeast , we will definitely buy bricks.

 

[beersk]

I hope this yeast works out for me . After reading this thread I'm a tad concerned. I have 3bbl with 25 or 26 packs of Baja right now . Today has been a week in the FV. The gravity was 1.033 as of yesterday.

It took just about 24 hrs to get some action. Fermenting at 48f , as per the recommended temp of 48-50 on the package. Just waiting on it to hit 19-21 to start raising the temp. We normally use Que Bueno , but we wanted to try something else as the price difference is significant. We will see here soon if it was a good move or not.

I'd start raising it now. That's higher than I'd like after a week of fermentation. Get it up to 60F at least for now.

 

[Bramling Cross]

I bought a pair of sachets the week they first became available. Watching this thread, and very much aware that the first pitch of a dry yeast typically sucks, has cooled my jets. Those sachets have stayed in my fridge because of the pitch big and ferment warm thing. Why gamble a 6-gal batch when you've got plenty of 34/70, S-189, and Diamond in the fridge that you know will ultimately make 30gals+ of lager through subsequent pitches, right?

Given the constant refrain that this yeast needs to work at 55F, what do you guys think about using it as a steam beer (sorry, Anchor, you and your lawyers are dead...RIP) yeast or cream ale yeast?

 

[Jag75]

The beer is done and in the Brite tank . It's been in the tank for a few days . Going back to Que Bueno . The Baja lagged and seemed like it had to fight its way through fermentation. Had a slight acetylaldehyde to it . Warmed it up a tad and let it go about 4 more days . Then crashed and transferred to the BT. Acetylaldehyde is gone , but I just think the Que Bueno is better. It doesn't lag , floccs better .

 

[rtstrider]

I bought a pair of sachets the week they first became available. Watching this thread, and very much aware that the first pitch of a dry yeast typically sucks, has cooled my jets. Those sachets have stayed in my fridge because of the pitch big and ferment warm thing. Why gamble a 6-gal batch when you've got plenty of 34/70, S-189, and Diamond in the fridge that you know will ultimately make 30gals+ of lager through subsequent pitches, right?

Given the constant refrain that this yeast needs to work at 55F, what do you guys think about using it as a steam beer (sorry, Anchor, you and your lawyers are dead...RIP) yeast or cream ale yeast?

Why not try pitching 1 sachet of Baja into a 2L 1.040 starter, let that ferment out, cold crash, decant, then pitch into the wort? I'd bet it would take off fine after that. I know it defeats the purpose of dry yeast mostly, but, for those (like myself) in areas where liquid yeast shipping is limited throughout the year it could be a potential viable solution.