Burquebrewer
Well-Known Member
What did Charlie do to this yeast??? I decided to conduct an experiment with WLP862, Cry Havoc, to see how well it does at both sides of its extensive temperature range.
I made a 1.2 L starter (1.036 sg) with one vial of this yeast. Once the yeast started growing and a small krausen formed on the top ( about 20 hrs in), I separated the liquid into sanitized two mason jars, each with just over 1/2 L. I put one in the kitchen, which maintains a temp of about 70 degrees, The other I placed in the refrigerator to cool down to lagering temps. It wasn't cooling quickly enough, so I placed it in the freezer for a period of time. Basically, I forgot about it for a moment as I imbibed on my previously kegged batch of Oatmeal Stout.
By the time I pulled this one out of the freezer, the outside liquid closest to the glass was frozen, the inside temp measured at 33.
Here's the kicker, the wort was still fermenting like crazy!! I pulled it out of the freezer and put it back in the fridge. At 34 degrees, this yeast was still rocking, and I'm not talking a slow sluggish fermentation! This fermentation is solid. It's now been in the fridge and holding steady for 3 days at 34 degrees and there is still a thick white krausen on top, co2 flowing to the surface, and I've got to let the pressure out of the mason jar every hour or so!
The gravity has dropped from 1.036 to 1.018 as of writing this. I'm curious to see how it finishes.
The room temperature jar (70 F) has completed its fermentation at 1.009 after about 72 hours.
Just thought i'd share. My next step will be to harvest the yeast from each mason jar and and pitch directly into two 2 gallon batches of identical wort. I'll ferment them at the same temps they are fermenting at now (70 and 34 F) to see how they do. I'll keep my findings posted.
I made a 1.2 L starter (1.036 sg) with one vial of this yeast. Once the yeast started growing and a small krausen formed on the top ( about 20 hrs in), I separated the liquid into sanitized two mason jars, each with just over 1/2 L. I put one in the kitchen, which maintains a temp of about 70 degrees, The other I placed in the refrigerator to cool down to lagering temps. It wasn't cooling quickly enough, so I placed it in the freezer for a period of time. Basically, I forgot about it for a moment as I imbibed on my previously kegged batch of Oatmeal Stout.
By the time I pulled this one out of the freezer, the outside liquid closest to the glass was frozen, the inside temp measured at 33.
Here's the kicker, the wort was still fermenting like crazy!! I pulled it out of the freezer and put it back in the fridge. At 34 degrees, this yeast was still rocking, and I'm not talking a slow sluggish fermentation! This fermentation is solid. It's now been in the fridge and holding steady for 3 days at 34 degrees and there is still a thick white krausen on top, co2 flowing to the surface, and I've got to let the pressure out of the mason jar every hour or so!
The gravity has dropped from 1.036 to 1.018 as of writing this. I'm curious to see how it finishes.
The room temperature jar (70 F) has completed its fermentation at 1.009 after about 72 hours.
Just thought i'd share. My next step will be to harvest the yeast from each mason jar and and pitch directly into two 2 gallon batches of identical wort. I'll ferment them at the same temps they are fermenting at now (70 and 34 F) to see how they do. I'll keep my findings posted.
