Harvest Bell's Yeast Feedback

I bottled my Two-Hearted clone yesterday that I used yeast harvested from a six-pack of Bell's pale ale. I use a cooler full of water that
I throw frozen water bottles in every now and again to regulate my temps. My previous batch (first ever) had a few off flavors (green apple in particular) that have since aged out that I attribute to my temp control. This batch had absolutely no apple in it. I read on an older thread that someone reports Bell's brewing the Two Hearted at 76 degrees. I would not be surprised judging from the results I have experienced. I harvested some from my fermenter and plan on using this strain a lot more.

 

I just toured Bell's original production facility. None of their fermentors displayed a temp in the 70's. I doubt that Two Hearted is fermented as warm as that.

 

Did you have any numbers that you can share?

I heard the 76* number too and it was proposed that it was the giant batch size and tall fermenters that put a lot of pressure on the yeast which allowed them to do that without off flavors.

I also harvested their yeast and have used it on thirty gallons so far and have kept it in the mid sixties and the beers have come out well. I can't say I find it to be a very special yeast though. I really think 1056/WLP001/US-05 would be very similar IMO. I've seen recommendations to sub WLP051 and I split a batch between the two and it's NOTHING like it! The WLP051 had a Very slight tartness that the Bell's just doesn't have. * Still an excellent taste though, pretty clean still and more malty than the Bells.

 

There was a lager at 44. There were 5-7 other ales that were in the 60's. There weren't any fermenters with Two Hearted. My assumption about not fermenting Two Hearted in the 70's was based on the fact that Bell's uses the same yeast strain on most of their ales.