Brewing with the universally disliked WLP037

[Annunciation_Dan]

When it comes to imagining recipes I often tend to shoot from the hip, frequently causing myself roadblocks to work around. This time I decided to pick a yeast from the recently expired yeast shelf (did a starter to bring it back to life).

I found two vials of WLP037 North Yorkshire yeast and went with em. Based upon this other thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/wlp037-yorkshire-square-hmm-452466/

Summarizing the above thread about WLP037:
- Produces an off Banana/clove flavor
- Attenuates well into the 80's
- Comes out tasting thin with off flavors that thin with age
- The 2014 edition of this yeast is universally maligned

As is normally the case, I've planned a workaround to attempt to solve or at least minimize the problems associated with this yeast. After a discussion with my homebrew shop owner and some research I have come up with a gameplan

- Ferment at 65° which is the low end of the recommended 65°-70° range to minimize ester production
- Rouse the carboy daily to keep the yeast active
- Cold crash when SG puts me in a mid 70's attenuation and age at low temp

What do y'all think?

 

[rmyurick]

If this is similar to the Wyeast 1469, I think it will be really good. I just brewed an ESB with that & it tastes great, although it never did clear completely. (May have been an incomplete mash) Have some finings ready when you bottle or keg, just in case. I love the estery taste--tastes English. If you're making an English style, I wouldn't be too afraid of temperature--I think 68F is fine, especially for a lower gravity beer.

 

[Annunciation_Dan]

If this is similar to the Wyeast 1469, I think it will be really good. I just brewed an ESB with that & it tastes great, although it never did clear completely. (May have been an incomplete mash) Have some finings ready when you bottle or keg, just in case. I love the estery taste--tastes English. If you're making an English style, I wouldn't be too afraid of temperature--I think 68F is fine, especially for a lower gravity beer.

Apparently previous year's editions of WLP037 were similar to Wyeast 1469, but 2014's version seems to be a dud according to other brewers

 

[jalmeida]

So, the first time I used this yeast I did not cold crash it. The yeasty Belgium flavor remained regardless of age. The last beer I made with it I cold crashed at 50 degrees for three weeks in secondary and the flavor was nice. But so far I am not sold on the WLP037 strain as being English or even the Samuel smith strain. It may be strongly effected by ferment technique(open versus closed). It is a very odd yeast. Even the texture is different. Other yeast have a clay like consistency and the WLP037 is almost more like a clumpy dried clay consistency. It makes it difficult to even get out of the vial. I have an ESB and Oatmeal stout fermenting now with this yeast and if it doesn't turn out good I am going back to 1469. Which I will add that 1469 is nothing like WLP037.


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[Annunciation_Dan]

Yeah, I recognized that really weird clumpy texture of the yeast and thought that may have been just because it was expired. Good to know.

I'm fermenting in a 6.5 gallon glass carboy, what did you ferment in Jalmeida?

 

[jalmeida]

I use buckets. And this yeast benefits from open ferm if you are adventurous enough.


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[nackedei]

Semi-update to WLP037:

In hopes that this winter's version of WLP037 wasn't bad like reports of the early 2014 version, I got myself a vial produced a month ago and made a 1.040 starter. Fermented at 70f ambient on a stir plate (which a few days earlier had produced a really nice decant from Dupont dregs).

The result was massive cloves, some banana, and not anything that I would call stereotypically English. Still "N. Yorkshire" and not "Yorkshire Square," for sure.

Dumped the bastard and used a package of Safale-04 I had in the fridge on the brown ale that I, an exiled Seattleite, brewed Sunday morning (with what I for 55 minutes thought was insane hubris) had dubbed Super Bowl Bound Brown.

 

[jalmeida]

Semi-update to WLP037:

In hopes that this winter's version of WLP037 wasn't bad like reports of the early 2014 version, I got myself a vial produced a month ago and made a 1.040 starter. Fermented at 70f ambient on a stir plate (which a few days earlier had produced a really nice decant from Dupont dregs).

The result was massive cloves, some banana, and not anything that I would call stereotypically English. Still "N. Yorkshire" and not "Yorkshire Square," for sure.

Dumped the bastard and used a package of Safale-04 I had in the fridge on the brown ale that I, an exiled Seattleite, brewed Sunday morning (with what I for 55 minutes thought was insane hubris) had dubbed Super Bowl Bound Brown.

You are brewing too high. I know what temperature that is recommended, but i would aim for 60-65f ambient. And condition your finished beer for longer than typical by at least another 2 weeks. This yeast takes a while to clean up after itself. But when complete the finished result is accurate IMHO if these steps are followed.

 

[jalmeida]

Semi-update to WLP037:

In hopes that this winter's version of WLP037 wasn't bad like reports of the early 2014 version, I got myself a vial produced a month ago and made a 1.040 starter. Fermented at 70f ambient on a stir plate (which a few days earlier had produced a really nice decant from Dupont dregs).

The result was massive cloves, some banana, and not anything that I would call stereotypically English. Still "N. Yorkshire" and not "Yorkshire Square," for sure.

Dumped the bastard and used a package of Safale-04 I had in the fridge on the brown ale that I, an exiled Seattleite, brewed Sunday morning (with what I for 55 minutes thought was insane hubris) had dubbed Super Bowl Bound Brown.

You are fermenting at too high of a temp. I know what temperature that is recommend of a temp, but i would aim for 60-65f ambient. And condition your finished beer for longer than typical by at least another 2 weeks. This yeast takes a while to clean up after itself. But when complete the finished result is accurate IMHO if these steps are followed.

 

[Stepp2]

I left 2 vials of WLP037 stranded in the fridge for months. I had an opportunity to use them and began a starter. My goal was to build a starter over 2 days. It took 24 hours before any signs of activity began, i would assume their age had something do do with that. Needless to say I let it go for 36 hours on the stir plate and finish what it started.
To this yeasts defense I brewed on 3/25/16 yeast vial states "Best Before 11/2015" and MrMalty recommended 6 vials in a two L starter. I did two vials in a 1L starter. WaWaWaaa.
I pitched this starter into 5 gallons of a 1.061 red ale up against a fresh WLP001 in a 1L starter into a separate 5 gallons. Pitched at 70* after 2 minutes of pure O2 through a stone. Chilled to 64* overnight.
12 hours later the 01 is ripping as expected and the 37 is still sleeping. I plan on fermenting in a 63* chamber until it slows then bring up to 70* to finish. Only time will tell.

UPDATE: 4/07/15
After 20 days fermenting the WLP01 finished 1.011 as expected. Very clean not much yeast flavor left behind. The O37 on the other hand is only down to 1.022. The very obvious ester flavor is present (banana). Didn't expect that but i kind of like where its going. Ive read that this yeast may like a little arousing so I gave it a swirl hoping to get some back in suspension. More to come.