Wyeast 1007 Starter

[HeritageHD]

Im going to be making the castle tower alt kit from Jaspers and using 1007. I know after pitching I should leave the wort around 70 until ferment starts then transfer to around 55. What about my starter? Should I follow the same temp guide or just keep it around 70 the whole time?

Also since it's an extract kit which uses no DME what kind should I use for the starter? I have a pound of wheat leftover from my last starter. Would that be fine or should I use something else?

Heres a link to the recipe if it helps: http://www.boomchugalug.com/downloadables/recipes/castle_tower.pdf

Thanks!!

 

[stpug]

Your starter should be done at room temperature (70-75F is good) in order to provide enough heat for the yeast to get to work quickly - we're not concerned about off yeast characteristics in the starter; we want good yeast propagation.

I would used barley DME if at all possible - not wheat. But if wheat dME is all you have then you will probably be fine since it's likely only a portion of wheat malt.

Personally, I would chill my wort to AT LEAST my fermentation temperature and then pitch the yeast. I would not pitch the yeast warmer than I intend on fermenting the beer. This is standard practice for me and I rarely need a blowoff tube (EXCEPT with 1007 ).

Be prepared with a blow-off tube/system when using 1007, or plan on top cropping it, because it's a true (heavy) top fermenting strain. I was able to collect about 125ml of pure top-cropped yeast off of my fermenter. Using a sanitized spoon and sanitized quart jar, at high krausen, I simply scooped as much krausen as would fit in there and sealed it up - when it all settled down it was a significant amount of very clean yeast.

 

[HeritageHD]

Your starter should be done at room temperature (70-75F is good) in order to provide enough heat for the yeast to get to work quickly - we're not concerned about off yeast characteristics in the starter; we want good yeast propagation.

I would used barley DME if at all possible - not wheat. But if wheat dME is all you have then you will probably be fine since it's likely only a portion of wheat malt.

Personally, I would chill my wort to AT LEAST my fermentation temperature and then pitch the yeast. I would not pitch the yeast warmer than I intend on fermenting the beer. This is standard practice for me and I rarely need a blowoff tube (EXCEPT with 1007 ).

Be prepared with a blow-off tube/system when using 1007, or plan on top cropping it, because it's a true (heavy) top fermenting strain. I was able to collect about 125ml of pure top-cropped yeast off of my fermenter. Using a sanitized spoon and sanitized quart jar, at high krausen, I simply scooped as much krausen as would fit in there and sealed it up - when it all settled down it was a significant amount of very clean yeast.

Thanks for the quick reply! The only reason I said to start the ferment at a higher temp was because of the instructions but if you are familiar with it then ill just cool it first. My basement stays right around 54-55 during the winter. Its on the low end of the yeast but do you think its ok?

Im not familiar with cropping but it doesn't sound like something I could do with a carboy. I planned on using a blow-off - mine is just 1/2" slipped over the center of a 3-piece airlock. Think that will work without getting clogged? I used it on my bourbon barrel porter but the krausen never hit the tube so I dont know if its a big enough blow-off or not.

Thanks again stpug!

 

[stpug]

By default, instructions by default to pitch warm and then cool, but practice has shown that a properly pitched starter works best from the actual fermentation temperature. I think the belief is that they are providing these instructions in such a manor as to be fool-proof, but where you're creating a starter you will be better off pitching at actual fermentation temps.

Your basement sounds like a perfect place for brewing ales of all kinds. It's much easier to get a little extra heat in the fermenter than cool it down some. Wrap a little blanket around your fermenter to keep a few degrees of heat in if needed; wrap a heavy blanket to keep in 8+ degrees.. However, that yeast will be perfect without a blanket. Also remember that fermentation will add 2-10F degrees inside the fermenter. So you'll probably be fermenting at closer to 57-65. IMHO, 57-60 is perfect for that strain.

Your blowoff system should work as long as you don't have a lot of big particles in your beer AND you're airlock tube doesn't have the criss-cross pointed end on the bottom. If it does you can simply remove that part using scissors or a razor blade because it serves no purpose.

 

[HeritageHD]

IMHO, 57-60 is perfect for that strain.

Awesome, thanks for the info! On a side note, what are some other types of beers that you like to use this strain with? Until I can build a ferment chamber this will probably be my go-to winter yeast since my basement is the only temperature stable place in my house this time of year.

 

[stpug]

Awesome, thanks for the info! On a side note, what are some other types of beers that you like to use this strain with? Until I can build a ferment chamber this will probably be my go-to winter yeast since my basement is the only temperature stable place in my house this time of year.

It is a very clean fermenter with a crisp, dry end result. It is very yeast neutral if maybe just a touch fruity. So basically it's good for any american beer style you want to throw at it, and can even do some pseudo-lagers. It can make for a good house strain as long as your house stays fairly cool (this is hard for most folks). Pale ales, IPAs, ambers, american browns, kolsch, alt, light american lager styles if kept around 55F during fermentation.

Nottingham is another wonderful yeast to use between 55-63F for similar beer styles. In many ways it's similar to 1007, but definitely different too. I find notty to have a subtle english/nutty character whereas I think the 1007 has a very subtle fruity/lager character. Both of these characteristics are easily overpowered by flavors in the beer and can be so subtle as to not be noticeable. This would be another good yeast for you to try in your cool environment.

And, of course, you can use pretty much any other ale yeast you want since it would only require wrapping a blanket or two around the fermenter to keep some heat in. The hard ales for you might be the belgian beers that frequently like to get up into the 75-90F range.

 

[FB12]

I'm trying WY1007 for the first time myself in a Simcoe/Amarillo pale ale. My basement also stays around 56 this time of year. I'd like to try that top cropping technique if i get a good krausen. I'm a little worried though as the yeast has been in a 2 liter starter on a stirplate for 24 hours with no visible krausen. The yeast was produced 10-1-13 so not real viable. Hope yours turns out well. Good luck!