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I just ordered a cider yeast: WLP603 Torulaspora delbrueckii
Wild yeast isolated from fruit trees in Denmark.
This is one of the three strains that make up the WLP611 New Nordic Yeast blend.
This wild yeast has been used for ciders and wine but also ferments well for beer.
Produces a lot of esters and contributes some phenolics as well.
Click to expand...

They had me at "wild."
 
My higher gravity saison (out of brewing clasic styles- but subbed in jarrylo hops) turned out well with the Leeuwenhoek Blend, jarrylo fruit (pear and maybe red apple character) character but with a touch too much higher alcohols. Not a lot of yeast derived spicy saison flavors, but more smooth very dry belgian (1.071 --> 1.008).

Sooo I have repitched the yeast I harvested from my conical into the regular strength version of the recipe with hallertau mittelfrueh. To try and combat the higher alcohols, I have pitched slightly more yeast based on the Mr. Malty calculator, and changed the fermentation temp regimen. Before I did 65F with free rise to 78F where it held naturaly (broke 70F after about 24- 36 hours). This time round I pitched at 58, held at 60 for 36 hours, and have let if free rise since then (, broke 70F at 60 hours, curently at 75F at 80 hours).

While the first batch took about 10 or 12 days to finish and had a very steady progression, this batch has gone from 1.059 to 1.016 in about 72 hours. Fermentation definitely has changed since allowed to free rise, it's clearly faster in general this time. Possible due to increased yeast health, or due to shift in the proportions of the 3 isolates in the blend.

Can't wait to see the results! I will likely follow these batches up with saisons brewed with WLP 566 as ECY-14 for comparison.
 
I finally brewed with my WLP611 vial purchased back in June. Brew day was about 6 weeks ago.

I made a 1.5L starter, reserved half for storage, chilled and harvested the remained which was then pitched into another 1.5L starter. This was pitched into a 5.5 gallon batch.

I made a pretty straightforward Hefeweizen, 60% wheat, 35% pils, 5% munich. I usually double crush my wheat but didn't in this brew, and lost about 6 points of OG because of it.

The yeast fermented lower than I would like, from 1.048 down to 1.006. I bottled and carbed to 3 volumes.

The beer is a nice and light summer backyard beer. 5% ABV and fairly tasty. I'm a bit disappointed in the results though. There is definitely some banana in the nose, but there is not much banana in the drink. Yeast flavor is pretty muted and doesn't really satisfy. I enjoyed the beer and the yeast did its job, but I don't see any reason to pick it over the standard weinstephaner strain besides novelty. I'm not sure that I will bother pitching my harvested batch into another brew.
 
thespiff said:
I finally brewed with my WLP611 vial purchased back in June. Brew day was about 6 weeks ago.

I made a 1.5L starter, reserved half for storage, chilled and harvested the remained which was then pitched into another 1.5L starter. This was pitched into a 5.5 gallon batch.

I made a pretty straightforward Hefeweizen, 60% wheat, 35% pils, 5% munich. I usually double crush my wheat but didn't in this brew, and lost about 6 points of OG because of it.

The yeast fermented lower than I would like, from 1.048 down to 1.006. I bottled and carbed to 3 volumes.

The beer is a nice and light summer backyard beer. 5% ABV and fairly tasty. I'm a bit disappointed in the results though. There is definitely some banana in the nose, but there is not much banana in the drink. Yeast flavor is pretty muted and doesn't really satisfy. I enjoyed the beer and the yeast did its job, but I don't see any reason to pick it over the standard weinstephaner strain besides novelty. I'm not sure that I will bother pitching my harvested batch into another brew.
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I have found through some testing of my own that the Torlaspora delbrueckii appears to have poor viability over time. I have been able to plate and check - fresh vial, a 5 month or so old vial, a starter, and what I collected from my conical. At 5 months I detected zero viable Td. Where when I first received the fresh vials Td made up about 1/3 of the cells grown up. I have also brewed a batch with brand new 611 and old 611. The banana and pear/fresh red apple character is huge in the fresh and absent in the aged.

Seems like the Td is driving the ester profile of the blend, and this yeast is less viable than the Saccharomyces strains in the blend. Maybe if the straight Td strain is released from the vault one could add it to a regular hefe yeast to get that "Nordic" ester profile?

Just my findings.
 
Saison #2 (using the repitched yeast from my previous saison) appears to have finished fermentation by 96 hours. Visually activity has ceased and gravity seems to have stabilized. Overall I appear to have gotten 85% attenuation (1.059 to 1.009), which is slightly less than the higher gravity saison I tried this blend with first (90%).

While the first batch seemed to have a touch too much higher alcohol flavor in the finished product, and the second batch developed some of this flavor about 75% of the way through the fermentation, this higher alcohol flavor has seemed to disipate. I think holding the initial fermentation at about 60F for 36h may have helped. Additionally, the free rise only hit 76F or so this time 'round.

I'm going to let it clean up for another day or 2 and then cold crash prior to kegging. Looking forward to this one.
 
My 2nd gen 564 finished at 1.002. Taste is a bit spicy from the rye and a little banana/pear/orange. I'm gonna give it another week in primary and bottle. Hopefully that banana goes away. Next generation will be getting some brett treatment in secondary. I've got a vial of brett anomala from ECY and Funk Weapon #2 from Bootleg Biology that I need to use up.
 
secondbase said:
My 2nd gen 564 finished at 1.002. Taste is a bit spicy from the rye and a little banana/pear/orange. I'm gonna give it another week in primary and bottle. Hopefully that banana goes away. Next generation will be getting some brett treatment in secondary. I've got a vial of brett anomala from ECY and Funk Weapon #2 from Bootleg Biology that I need to use up.
Click to expand...

Nice and dry! what was your grist bill and mash procedure?

Funk weapon #2 is awesome! I have a Styrian dry hopped Belgian Amber sitting on that, some B claussenii, and B bruxellensis var Drei in a three way split.
 
snowveil said:
WLP564 Leewenhoek Saison Blend. Anyone have plans to brew with this yet?
Click to expand...

Finally getting a chance to brew with it today, I'm doing a sort of autumn saison. Looking to get something with a nice amber/red tone.

6 lbs 8.0 oz Pilsner Malt (Avangard) (3.3 EBC)
2 lbs 8.0 oz Munich Dark (BestMälz) (25.0 EBC)
1 lbs Oats, Flaked (2.0 EBC)
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC)
4.0 oz Special B (Dingemans) (290.6 EBC)
3.0 oz Chocolate Wheat (Weyermann) (817.5 EBC)
8.0 oz Sugar, Table (Sucrose) (2.0 EBC)

1.00 oz Styrian Golding (Savinja Golding) [5.25 AA] @ 30 Minutes
1.00 oz Styrian Golding (Savinja Golding) [5.25 AA] @ 15 Minutes
1.00 oz Styrian Golding (Savinja Golding) [5.25 AA] @ Whirlpool for 30 minutes.​

1.055 OG, 28 IBUs.
 
The Second Saison was finally carbed and ready to taste last night. 9 days from brewing to drinking in all. Turned out fantastic! I really wasn't sure about this WLP564 blend after my first batch, but the repitched harvest did wonders with the second. Definitely give the WLP564 a shot with the brewing classic styles recipe!
 
jmrybak said:
Nice and dry! what was your grist bill and mash procedure?

Funk weapon #2 is awesome! I have a Styrian dry hopped Belgian Amber sitting on that, some B claussenii, and B bruxellensis var Drei in a three way split.
Click to expand...


First gen was 100% floor malted pils. Mash at 150 for 90 minutes, 90 minute boil. Strisselspalt at 60, 15 and 0. 22 ibu. OG 1.049 FG 1.002

Second gen was 75% pils, 25% rye malt. Mash at 150 for 90 minutes, 90 minute boil. Bittered with Perle, sonnet goldings @ 15 and 5, 25 ibu. Og 1.040, FG 1.002
 
So the more of this hefe I made with WLP611 I drink, the more interesting I find the yeast. I really don't think it's a great choice for this style, at least under the conditions my beer fermented at (68f temp controlled throughout). But I'm now thinking it would be a great yeast for a kettle-soured gose or berliner-weisse. I think the yeast flavors would compliment a salty tart dry wheat beer very well. Maybe I'll use my harvested yeast after all?
 
thespiff said:
So the more of this hefe I made with WLP611 I drink, the more interesting I find the yeast. I really don't think it's a great choice for this style, at least under the conditions my beer fermented at (68f temp controlled throughout). But I'm now thinking it would be a great yeast for a kettle-soured gose or berliner-weisse. I think the yeast flavors would compliment a salty tart dry wheat beer very well. Maybe I'll use my harvested yeast after all?
Click to expand...

I used my 2nd gen 611 in a sort of tart saison style that I added a bunch of dregs to. So far it's tasting quite good.
 
I've gone thru my 2 packs of Hansen yeast (even had to blend the last bit with 001 since I didn't have enough left and no time to do a step up starter) so I ordered 2 more packs.
I'm thinking it'll be many months before this is done but I sure wish this would be a standard yeast. It's made my IPA's and Pale Ales really shine and I'm not the only one to notice the difference. All my beer pals have told me my beers are tasting better though some admit, it might be just different.
Either way, I want more and I want it now! :)
 
They don't advertise this much at all so very few people even know about it. Maybe the newness wore off already.
If I don't see much activity by December, I'll likely cancel. I can understand why they don't put many of these on regular runs because they have so many but some of these yeasts are worthy.
 
I learned about it through zymurgy and I've seen one add online. One. But it's taken me years to notice they are doing this. Maybe if they advertised to some of the bigger LHBS they could get bigger orders. I know if one of my LHBS guys suggested a new and interesting yeast I'd buy it.
 
Just got an email that WLP603 Torulaspora delbrueckii was released (didn't even pay $900 shipping for it). Who else helped get this out? What are y'all planning on making?
 
Im rooting for the Funky cider blend as well if anyone else is interested! 153 to go!

Screen Shot 2016-12-21 at 7.09.45 PM.png
 
Got the email two days ago but didn't read it until today. Looks like I'll actually get my Hansen and California IV within 10 years after all. Time to go spend some money on a couple other strain too I guess.
 
I was happy with Lager X WLP835, a bit cleaner then WLP833 and other german lager yeasts I have tried.

Anyone have a good experience with a yeast they are going to repurchase?
 
BrewSavage said:
I put mine to work on some local unpasteurized cider.
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Very nice. I don't have a "good" source that I've found around me (although I know there is some) for local stuff but I've done a 2.5 gal batch with my go-to cider recipe (organic juice and some concentrate) that's on tap right now and a second batch pitched onto about half the cake from the first batch. been in the fermenter for a few weeks need to get it into a keg. I did a co-pitch with cry havoc since it's produced cider I've liked in the past. Kind of wish i'd tried 603 by its self first though. It was a nice slow fermentation for both and a lot of nice apple character left behind. I got just a bit of funkiness from it which I really liked.

I have another vial I need to use that I want to make a saison with. I was thinking of making a big starter of 603 and pitching a vial of some other saison yeast for attenuation a few days into fermentation. Perhaps I'll just pitch the vial into some cider instead.

I'd be happy to swap some cider with anyone that's interested and some saison once and if I get around to making it which should be soon. I don't want it sitting around too much longer. Maybe I'll convince SWMBO its a matter of life or death for the yeast and I need to not be selfish and brew.
 
If you want Hansen yeast without waiting for the 250 to be ordered, WL is doing a one time only (so far) release of this yeast but you have to order by April 24 otherwise, when it's back in the vault, they'll go back to the 250 order waiting list.
 
ordered two of them. Can't wait to do a couple side by side brews against chico or san diego super and my typical IPA yeast wlp007
 
Just brewed a Czech Pils with the HP Lager - WLP925 this weekend. Forgot to build a starter and make a spunding valve though so yeast will pitch later today.

12 Gallon
15lb Pilsen (Avangard)
3lb Vienna (Wyermann)
2lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine

70% RO Water
30% tap water

3oz Saaz (2.2%) first wort 80 min boil
4oz Saaz (2.2%) 15 min
3oz Saaz (2.2%) whirlpool 5 minutes

OG: 1.052
FG: 1.011 (est)
IBU: 19.4


New Nordic - WLP611 just shipped today so maybe a saison or something in a couple weeks. German Lager X and Buchner are the only others I ordered. I'm overbuilding all my starters a lot so if there's anything I really like, hopefully I'll be able to keep it around.
 
Love living next to white labs. Got the noticed that they had shipped the WLP611 New Nordic Yeast blend. By the time I checked the tracking number it was delivered. Talk about fresh.

Brewed a saison on Saturday with WLP603 Torulaspora delbrueckii and white labs' french saison. Built a starter for the 603 to try and give it a head start. It's a fun one.
ferments really slow from the bottom and takes a while to get going. Pitched it at high krausen with the french saison packet and the thing was bubbling away in less than 12 hours. Excited to see what the results will be. I think I'll bottle some of these and brew another saison as soon as possible to compare with the new Nordic yeast blend since the 603 is one of the yeast blended.

I think I'm going to try and save a bunch of slurry from the 603/ french saison blend in case I like it I can use it all summer.

I don't think I wanna build a starter for the new nordic. Seems to me the the 603 will be so slow that it'll get pushed out by the other two yeasts. Also recall reading through this or another similar thread that its viability was reduced much faster over time than the other yeast in the blend. Maybe I'll brew a lower gravity "table" saison and pitch a bigger saison onto the yeast cake. Just typing out loud here.
 

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