I think I made a House Strain on accident.

[loapathy]

We have a house beer, one we make once a weekish so we don't run out. I always use Wyeast 1056 but ferment it warm on purpose. It's basically a mashup or a typical irish red but with 20% wheat in the mash, and mashing cool (148) fermenting it warm (72-74) gives it some esters without being "belgianish," which I think kind of brings out the fun malty goodness in the beer. It's the one beer that everyone we know likes.

Anyway, got a friend of mine into brewing and he tried his first AG a few weeks back, so I just gave him a washed sample of the yeast I've been using. He bought and used a AHS Session Series West Coast Pale from Austin Homebrew--and tonight I had a bottle and was shocked, because even though he fermented it cool, it still has some of the fruity esters from the house beer the GF and I make. It was definitely an APA, and it was good, but it still had the same flavors as my house beer.

So have I made a house strain on accident? I mean, I have been kind of lazy and just making starters from slurry instead of washing and slanting for about 3 months now. But is that long enough to make a house strain?

 

[MalFet]

Without some real heavy selective pressure, I'd be surprised to see much genetic drift over a dozen or so batches. It's certainly not impossible, but I think the more likely answer is that your friend pitched stressed yeast (either because he didn't make a starter from the washed yeast or because he didn't pitch enough). If that's the case, even a relatively clean yeast like 1056 will churn out the esters. If he liked it, though, it sounds like you've got the start of a good process

 

[theredben]

What was his pitch rate versus yours? Aeration? Water source? There are sooooo many variables it is hard to say for sure.

You could always write off the expense of a new pack of 1056 as "research"

 

[loapathy]

We both use Poland Spring water since our local water is abysmal.

As far as I know, from what he told me, is that he took the yeast I gave him and made a starter and stepped it up until it was almost 2L. When he told me I pointed him to the pitching rate calculator--but overpitching, would that cause the estery flavors of 1056?

 

[MalFet]

We both use Poland Spring water since our local water is abysmal.

As far as I know, from what he told me, is that he took the yeast I gave him and made a starter and stepped it up until it was almost 2L. When he told me I pointed him to the pitching rate calculator--but overpitching, would that cause the estery flavors of 1056?

Based on my understanding, overpitching tends to make beer insipid, rather than estery. I don't have any personal experience with this though.

 

[loapathy]

That's my experience, as well. When I make a Belgian I usually underpitch.