WY 1968/ WLP002 Bottling Tips

[Ryat66]

I found this thread because I've experienced exactly what others have with both variants of this strain, 1968/WLP002. I have simply given up on trying to bottle with it until I find a solution, my most recent experience was with an oatmeal stout. It was mashed at 153F, started at 62F and allowed to rise to 65F, beginning on day 4 it was raised 2F per day to 72F and held for 10 days. I waited until day 16 to take a gravity sample at which time was 1.018, my expected final gravity. I waited until day 21 and took another sample which was also 1.018 and packaged on day 22. Using Beersmith's priming calculator, I primed to 2.3 vols using 5.1 gallons and 72F as my temperature. After allowing the bottles to sit in a closet on the 1st floor of my home at 69F (we never change the thermostat) for three weeks, I decided to open one to check the carbonation, it pushed solid foam for three minutes and I was left with 1/2 beer, what was left tasted great. I assume chilling will tame this but obviously I'm probably somewhere over 3 vols already and risking some glass bombs; I didn't think to measure gravity on that one because I was so torqued.

As I've read through the 4 pages of this thread it occurred to me that maybe this strain just isn't suited for what we as home brewers attempt to do with it. Maybe it prefers open fermentation or a Burton Union System but I am not a yeast expert so I don't know. Like others on here, I have driven myself mad thinking the cause was infection, I wouldn't know how as I've brewed with some downright pigs and they don't have some of the problems that I have had. I recently brewed with a guy that swore StarSan works better if you rinse the foam off...I was just like "wut..."

Anyway, I definitely think this is related to this strain but have no idea how to fix it at this point.

Are there any decent alternatives to this strain? How about WLP007 or does it attenuate too much? Or what about an oatmeal stout with Cali ale, 1056/WLP001? Too dry?

 

[lowtones84]

I've been having good luck with WLP013 recently, but I've just started experimenting with it. I've also found that good aeration and a gentle rousing a couple of times during fermentation can help with WLP002, but one can still get those results.

 

[BrewSavage]

I'm done with wyeast 1968. I made 6 batches with it last year and I had too many of same problems mentioned in this thread. I'm sticking with 1098 and/or 1028 for english styles.

 

[Ryat66]

I'm done with wyeast 1968. I made 6 batches with it last year and I had too many of same problems mentioned in this thread. I'm sticking with 1098 and/or 1028 for english styles.

Do these strains compare flavor-wise to 1968? Also, I'm guessing you haven't had any bottle conditioning issues with them?

 

[BrewSavage]

Do these strains compare flavor-wise to 1968? Also, I'm guessing you haven't had any bottle conditioning issues with them?

If you can conquer wyeast 1968, it can't be beat. But my success rate was only 2 of 6 batches. 1098 and 1028 otoh, I've never had problems in the bottle and the beer has always been on target with the flavor and body. But I wanted to experiment, so that's why tried 1968.

 

[cwhouston]

Hi, I wasted several batches of ESB which tasted great post primary only to take on this metallic tasting gusher thing, as described by others. So I quit beating my head on 1968 and spent some time trialling other strains. I maintain a yeast library, so being a yeast nerd is kind of like a sub hobby for me.

1469 can be muddy and far too fruity, even when fermented cool (I have temp control). Not a keeper for me.

1028 and 1275 attenuate well and floc OK. 1275 is less mineral tasting and great for English IPA - a strong preference over 1028 for me

Thames Valley II, 1882?, is very good for a malty profile but with reasonable attenuation. It is a Private collections n one though so seasonal. Recommended if you find it.

1026 cask ale was OK. I only did one bitter with it and it lived up to its rap of being a good attenuator and on the tart and fruity side. Not my thing but better than 1469.

1768, the seasonal ESB worked great in an old ale and I am really enjoying the heavily EKG focussed ESB on tap right now. It is like a restrained 1968 but without the trouble or the need to rouse. Mashing low (64.5C) is an easy way to avoid high terminal gravities with English strains.

1167 Ringwood has a great flavour profile but throws a ton of diaceyl that requires a heat ramp and prolonged ferment on the cake to clean up after itself. I like it but it probably isn't a good choice for those without temp control.

1318 has made me two fabulous bitters, medium attenuation, great flocculation with some esters. I did an oatmeal stout too, which was a tipper but I think that was a crap recipe poorly executed rather than the yeast.

After reading the perfect pint blog http://perfectpint.blogspot.co.nz. , I went on a mission to get WLP Bedford Ale and can happily report me and my friend who made batches of best with it on the same day both concluded it has an awesome flavour profile and habits, medium to high (for English) attenuation. Sadly it's also a seasonal offering.

After making a stout with the Guiness strain, I was massively underwhelmed by it although others reckon it makes a fine English pale ale. Nottingham is too dry and flavourless for bitters and milds, whereas good old S04 can make a solid beer if you dig the slightly yeasty edge it can leave on things (I do).

In summary, and sorry for long post, if 1968 is your thing flavour wise but it simply won't work for you then I suggest you try 1768, 1882, or 1318 in that order of preference, and keep the mash temp down.

 

[Ryat66]

This is a wonderful dissertation on finding an alternative to WLP002/WY1968! I will need to make more of an effort to find these Wyeast strains, my LHBS is White Labs only shop. I tried to x-reference your suggestions to White Labs strains but came up empty, I was using Mr. Malty's material as a reference. http://www.mrmalty.com/wyeast.php

Also, the timing on this latest post is impeccable as I just put a WLP005 (WY1187) starter on the plate last night in preparation for an oatmeal stout that I am planning to brew this coming weekend. I used this strain for my first ever all-grain brew and ended up with a diacetyl bomb and blamed it on the strain. Fast forward a few years and I have temp control now and much more temperature awareness in general. We'll see how it turns out.

Like others, I have given up on WLP002/WY1968.

 

[cwhouston]

Thanks for the kind words, it suddenly occurred to me that after five years meddling with English yeasts that perhaps my opinion may be considered informed, if no expert! Good luck with the stout really hope it comes out great

I edited the post above to give the link to one of the best blogs I've seen about brewing English styles. He isn't posting regularly anymore but it is a wealth of information and in my experience what he writes stacks up in practice.

http://perfectpint.blogspot.co.nz/

 

[gbx]

After making a stout with the Guiness strain, I was massively underwhelmed by it although others reckon it makes a fine English pale ale. Nottingham is too dry and flavourless for bitters and milds, whereas good old S04 can make a solid beer if you dig the slightly yeasty edge it can leave on things (I do).

I mostly agree with your assessment but would add that 1318 top crops extremely well and can easily be repitched over and over again with very little change between generations. All of the british yeasts have the potential to make great beer but they all are a little bit fussy. I'd suggest picking one that you have initial success and stick with it until you figure out how it works in your setup.

I recently have been revisiting the dry yeasts after 6+ years of nothing but wyeast. Nottingham and windsor are crap but S04 is decent. It responds really well to gelatin if you want to lose the yeasty edge. I've never bottle conditioned with it but I have done a few casks and been happy with the results. I've done 5 batches with it but I'm starting to figure it out.

 

[mikitz]

Heard all these horror stories of bottling a beer done with WLP002 and scared me off. However just did my first beer with WLP002m it has been 3 weeks bottled and it is fantastic, excellent mouthfeel, nice subtle orange marmalade flavour. I carbonated at 2.0 volumes CO2 and it has stayed that way (so far). I'll report back if anything changes, but I've had 10 bottles so far over the past week and they are all really consistent. The bottles are being kept at 65-68F (basement temps)

OG was 1.050 and FG was 1.010. I roused the carboy once a day for the first 6 days of fermentation and bottled after 3 weeks in primary. Kept it at about 63-64F for 1st 4-5 days of fermentation (ambient temp) and raised it to 68-70F for remainder of the 3 weeks.

Hope this helps those who might be scared off, it is a great yeast, can't wait to try it in an IPA.