Has anyone started using WLP644 as they would a normal ale yeast now that it's been shown to be Sacc and not Brett? I'm thinking of making an American IPA with it and I'm wondering if my process needs to be different or if I can brew normally with it?
Using WLP644 "Brett" as an ale yeast
- Thread starter MrSnacks
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I think you will need to build up a larger starter, from my understanding white labs packages less cells in their "brett" phials. I have some of this yeast on order (hopefully arriving soon) that I plan to make an ipa with, sounds like it will make a nice fruity ipa.
Fathand
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I'd suggest doing a search. There are several treads using where folks used this yeast as the the sole yeast, in IPAs and other styles. I've got a wheat beer fermenting right now with this as the primary yeast.
Here's a recipe someone posted.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f72/100-brett-ipa-500301/
Here's a recipe someone posted.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f72/100-brett-ipa-500301/
http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2012/07/100-brett-trois-ipa-recipe.html?m=1
This is a few years old but still a pretty good read. Great blog, lots of good brewing info and recipes.
This is a few years old but still a pretty good read. Great blog, lots of good brewing info and recipes.
lbond2
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I have brewed 4 IPAS with it...a 2 day 2l starter is plenty. I like to ferment around 68 until it reaches gravity. I absolutely love this yeast...super fruity, pineapple, mango is what you should expect. I like to mix up the fruity, citrus, and piney hops with it. It's similar to Conan....except it flocculates well if you let it ferment all the way...it takes a while though. Also, I suggest a finish gravity around 1.012 any question please ask, I feel like I have a good grasp on this strain.
I just got this and the Conan in the mail today, and of course want to brew with them as soon as possible. Many people claim a two step starter for a total of 10-14 days is beneficiary for the 644, very nice to hear it's not strictly necessary. I'll get the starter going tonight, maybe I will be able to brew this weekend?
Plan is a split batch, 2.5gal each for 644, Conan and US-05. I'll put the probe on the 644 and was planning on 70F and just let Conan and US-05 tag along with whatever temp they get too...
When you say it takes awhile, how long are we talking? And does it keep generating heat the entire time? I'm at 67-68F ambient atm, so it'd be really nice for the pipe line if I could pull it out of the chamber after a week or at least two... thoughts?
/Magnus
lbond2
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I just got this and the Conan in the mail today, and of course want to brew with them as soon as possible. Many people claim a two step starter for a total of 10-14 days is beneficiary for the 644, very nice to hear it's not strictly necessary. I'll get the starter going tonight, maybe I will be able to brew this weekend?
Plan is a split batch, 2.5gal each for 644, Conan and US-05. I'll put the probe on the 644 and was planning on 70F and just let Conan and US-05 tag along with whatever temp they get too...
When you say it takes awhile, how long are we talking? And does it keep generating heat the entire time? I'm at 67-68F ambient atm, so it'd be really nice for the pipe line if I could pull it out of the chamber after a week or at least two... thoughts?
/Magnus
Try to keep the 644 below 70...ideally if you keep all of them at the same temp fermenting you will get a very clear picture of how these yeast taste; assuming of course cleaning and sanitation.
The 644 is very vigorous and is fun to watch fermenting. It will stay up in temp for the first 5 days or so until it levels out. I love this yeast by far one of my favorites. By the way, this is not Brett...it's a proven sacro strain. I saw this yeast floc clear in about a month but it was way too dry...stop fermentation around 1.012 or higher to get a good profile....same with the Conan.
I just brewed with Conan again and let it buck..no temp control, it got up to 72 with 1.076 wort..this was an experiment and it turned out great. A bunch of guys say to ferment low with Conan but I would have to disagree as of now. Age this beer for about 2 weeks in a keg after dry hop....it's a beauty with age.
Sweet advice man, thanks. I'm torn about the fun, vigorous, fermentation of the 644 now. I have two buckets and a carboy. Only the carboy will allow me to watch it, but it also has the least head space!
Put the 644 in a 1L starter on Monday, had a nice krausen last night, none this morning. Got a second e-flask in the mail today, so will get my Conan going tonight. Thursday evening I'll crash them and will hopefully brew on Saturday morning.
Timing wise I'm hoping to be able to sample these around April 1st. So probably one week at 68-70, then pull 'em out into ambient 70-72 for two weeks, 4 days of dry hop and then into kegs for a week before I need the sampler for the tasting.
lbond2
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Remember to stop fermentation around 1.012 or 1.014...you don't want to get very dry unless that's what your after. Hop the **** out of it, this yeast does great with an ass load of hops. I am talking like 3oz an addition...no joke. I feel home brewers under hop IPAs because of the ibu calculation they see on paper. I sometimes use a pound of hops in my IPA.
Just-a-sip
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http://bootlegbiology.com/2014/05/05/backyard-yeast-wrangling-tool-kit/
Although this site is primarily based off of cultivating wild yeast and bacteria the guys who run it attend many of our TN brew comps and bring several kegs full of 100% Brett beer. It's quite awesome. Check these guys out. Lots of info on their site.
Although this site is primarily based off of cultivating wild yeast and bacteria the guys who run it attend many of our TN brew comps and bring several kegs full of 100% Brett beer. It's quite awesome. Check these guys out. Lots of info on their site.
3oz split between citra, amarillo, and simcoe is exactly what I was going for in this 2.5gal recipe, dry hopped. Another 3oz during (mostly late) boil and whirlpool.
I've never had to stop a fermentation... what do you do, skip directly to cold crash and then keg?
lbond2
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That hop combo is epic...your going to love it. Ya just either rack to secondary...dry hop 4 days max (anything over 4 days imparts grass flavors). Then more dry hops if needed for 4 more days. Then cold crash. This beer really shines at about day 28 or so. It goes through a bunch of flavor profiles along the way.
Hmm... I never do secondary. And I'm using all my 3gal fermentors for this triple-split as well, so I really can't.
If it goes down to 1.009-1.010 or so, you think that's too low? How would you describe the difference to say 1.012?
My objective with this batch is really two fold: I want to try the Conan and the 644 side by side, and I want to show-case how good liquid yeasts can change the flavor of your beer. Liquid yeast is not available at any LHBS here, no-one at my LHBC have ever used one...
lbond2
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It won't affect the beer too much..I just like a slightly sweeter and high hop profile with these strains. If they get too dry it just doesn't taste right. I think you have it pretty well figured out and I am sure your beer will turn out great my friend.
.
They are off to the races!
After a top-3 worst brewday ever yesterday, I've got three bubbly beauties going. The US-05 took off first, then the Conan, and I've got some slow activity on the 644. Since I have the probe on that one - fingers crossed that it picks up during the day.
After a top-3 worst brewday ever yesterday, I've got three bubbly beauties going. The US-05 took off first, then the Conan, and I've got some slow activity on the 644. Since I have the probe on that one - fingers crossed that it picks up during the day.
Four days of fermentation at 68F, with the probe on the Conan container:
US-05 is at 1.013
Conan is at 1.015
WLP644 is at 1.015
OG was 1.055.
Bumping it to 72 for two days now, after that I'll pull it out to an ambient 70-74.
US-05 is at 1.013
Conan is at 1.015
WLP644 is at 1.015
OG was 1.055.
Bumping it to 72 for two days now, after that I'll pull it out to an ambient 70-74.
So I made a half batch of extract brew with this yeast. Used 3 lbs of extra light dme in 2.5 gal of water .5 Oz of Amarillo hops at 60min .75 Oz Amarillo at 10 min and .75 Oz at flame out. Og 1.053 fg 1.008. Fermented at an ambient temp of 65, fermentation temp strip said 75 range throughout. I let this brew do what it wanted, after seeing white labs recommended temp range. Really good flavor, strong mango, and something else that I just can't place, maybe a touch of pineapple. There are some citrus flavors that I attribute to the hops. I plan on ranching some of this yeast to experiment with in the future.
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