English ale yeast wlp002

[rynoryan]

Got a vial of this yeast in and it's looking different than others I've used. I've read up on it and says it's highly flocculent. It was very clumpy, that's the best word I can think of. So I've tried to get a starter going and it is clumping at the bottom and seems much harder than others to keep suspended. My guess is that it's flocculated at the bottom. The problem I've never use this yeast before and am an intermediate brewer at best. It's really not wanting to break up once it's at the bottom. My question is this common for this yeast. I plan on pitching it this weekend. Thanks for any help and advice.

 

[BryceL]

That is typical many English strains, especially 002, looks like cottage cheese. Just give your starter a swirl every so often and it should get going just fine.

 

[logdrum]

I've not used 002, but 007 (another English yeast) looks like eggdrop soup & drops immediately after the stir plate stops spinning. Never had a problem w/ attenuation though.

 

[LovesIPA]

WLP002 and WLP007 both do this. It's perfectly normal. My stirplate looks like a snowstorm when the yeast are done.

 

[rynoryan]

Wow, thanks for the input guys. I was getting a little worried. You nailed it when you said it has almost a cottage cheese look. Haven't seen yeast like that before.

 

[brewinginnc]

Use a blowoff. My 1.069 stout i brewed last week was quick and violent.

 

[Weezy]

Haha. I swear every Brit yeast I've used is like this. 002, 007, Ringwood, West Yorkshire, Cask Ale. It looks like a bit of frozen bubble gum at the bottom of the tube/starter! The stuff works great though and is quite happy at its lower temp ranges. Don't let it scare you!

I just pitched Wyeast's Cask Ale on an IPA today. Odd acting yeast but the pack and starter have a lovely smell; very exiting.

 

[Slow_Day]

I used this yeast in half of my Hobgoblin clone. Normally I can rinse and swish my bottles to remove all the yeast in the bottom of my bottles. I have to spray these with my bottle washer or sink sprayer with hot water to completely remove the haze on the bottom of the bottles.

Great yeast though.