Brewing a stout with WLP008 yeast?

[HermannWeihs]

Hello all,

We have the need to brew a stout but we've run out of the yeast strain we normally use (Safale US05). It is a 5.5% abv dry stout, nothing too complex, we go for medium body and a clean aftertaste.

The only yeast that I have left is a packet of WLP008 East Coast Ale yeast from White Labs.
I don't live in a country where there are home-brew shops so we would have to order online and wait 3 days minimum (We have an event closing in and time is of the essence).

Has anyone used WLP008 yeast for a Stout?

Cheers.

 

[bkboiler]

used it for a NEIPA due to low flocculation and medium attenuation. low ester production. should be fine for a dry stout imho.

 

[dmtaylor]

WLP008 is an ancestor of US-05. It will work great but attenuates about 10% less than US-05. To compensate, you can mash at a low temperature in the 140s for a longer time (say 90 minutes) to try to compensate. Flavors should be close to the same.

That assumes all-grain of course. If brewing with extract, simply substitute about a pound of the base extract for cane sugar instead, which will dry it right out.

 

[HermannWeihs]

Thanks for your input!
We managed to borrow a packet of Safale US05 from a fellow local brewer so we will save the WLP008 for another beer.

I'm inclined to test it anyway for the next brewday, I'll post the results in case anyone has the same situation in the future.

Cheers!

 

[Northern_Brewer]

WLP008 is an ancestor of US-05.

This pedant would say it shares a common ancestor with the Chicos, like cousins or humans and apes, rather than one being the ancestor of the other. Nice yeast though.

 

[dmtaylor]

This pedant would say it shares a common ancestor with the Chicos, like cousins or humans and apes, rather than one being the ancestor of the other. Nice yeast though.

You're correct, of course. However WLP008 is one of the most "primitive" of all commercially available American yeast strains today, so it's like WLP008's mother or grandmother was a direct ancestor to US-05. So close, and yet so far. Indeed. Cheers.