Any experience w/ Wyeast 1332 Northwest Ale?

The best wheat beer I've had is "Quick Wit" from Fort George in Astoria, OR. I don't really like the banana-clove esters usually, but this beer just had a hint of them and it was perfect.

Anyway, the head brewer stopped by our table and I told him how much I liked it and asked what yeast strain. Maybe my memory is off, I swear he said something along the lines of "NW ALE" and "Wyeast 1337" I couldn't find a "1337" so it must be the 1332. He also said to ferment at 70 deg.

So, does this strain give off mild banana clove at 70 deg? It isn't a Belgian strain...

 

It is not a Belgian strain and it has no hints of banana that I can detect. Northwest ale is a kinda unique yeast. Works good in IPA's and Pale ales from what I have found so far. Hope this helps!
tom

 

Just pitched this into an APA last night--2.5 gallons at 60 degrees and 2.5 gallons at 70 degrees. The 70 degree batch was bubbling through the blowoff within a few hours of pitching. By this morning the 60 degree batch was going strong as well, both with nice krausens. Never used the strain before.

 

1332 is an English strain, used by Hales Brewery in Seattle. it originated at Gales Brewery in the UK. in my experience, it acts pretty much like a clean, British strain. i've never noticed banana/clove from that strain, more like light fruit (pear-ish, maybe).

 

Ok thanks. The beer did have a faint banana clove flavor and their website says it uses their " house" yeast strain so I am a bit confused. I think I'll just brew a wit with it fermented at 70 and see. If it ferments clean, I usually like that better anyway!

 

I'm going to use this strain this week for an APA with northwestern 2-row malt with which I haven't previously worked. Is there a big difference in flavor between 65F and 70F? Will it ferment as low as 60F? Any other recommendations are appreciated. I'm going for that mild fruit tang that's so nice in a lot of Deschuttes beers.

 

Still in the primaries so I can't comment on flavour yet, but yes, mine went VERY hard at 61 degrees with a nice blowoff. I will be interested to see if/how the flavour differs warm vs. cool.

 

any flavor/aroma news on the 1332 APAs fermented at different temps?

 

I really like this yeast for APA/IPA's. It ferments very clean and lightly malty at 60-64F. At higher temps it can become quite fruity and some people have mentioned it produces tartness. I have only fermented this yeast on the low end and it has always done a great job w/out any tartness. Also, it flocculates very well and will give you a crystal clear beer without finings or long aging, unlike the cali yeast. I do use a secondary with it for dry hopping and usually a it drops a lot of yeast.

 

That's good info. I'm going to brew an IPA tomorrow and use the 1332 strain. I've got my 1.4 L starter on the stir plate today. I was trying to figure out what temp to ferment at. I don't want the tartness so I think I'll stick to 64. I'm also going to dry hop so its good to hear that it will flocculate well in secondary.

 

Ive recently cracked into my latest brew, a 3 month old IIPA with the 1332. i fermented warm and got very intense fruity aromas and tartness but unfortunately had alot of problems with fusels. its still very hot, but its mellowed with time. Its turning out to be a very bright beer, which i like.

 

I too brewed a PA and found it to be high in, what I perceive as, higher-order alcohols (fusels). Hot, and unpleasant, offensive actually. I followed the MIrror Pond Clone as close as possible and i fermented at 65 deg F for seven days then ramped up 2 deg for two days then to 70 deg and held there for two days(crashed to 65 after nine days then to 35 on day ten or elleven of a twelve day primary). It really tasted fine in the fermentor after about 8 days, really fine actually! Was so let down. Has't improved after being kegged for about 4 weeks now. gonna bottle it to free up my valuable keg space.