WLP001 California Ale questions

[cweston]

I've used this for two recent batches, including the APA that's in primary right now.

Both have had fast ferments and a little higher FG than I would have expected--e.g. the APA had an OG of about 51 and was at about 18 yesterday (day 5) when airlock activity had pretty-much stopped.

The first batch was an extract IPA, the current one an AG APA (my first AG batch), so there are many variables, and it could just be a coincidence, but have others had lower than expected attenuation with WLP001?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I haven't used it, but have used 1056 pretty frequently (which I understand to be the same yeast) and usually get my expected attenuation...more like 1010-1014 for an APA.

 

[cweston]

That's been my experience as well. This was my first time using Whitelabs. It could just be a coincidence--there are a million reasons why the AG APA could be finishing high.

I had to move it to the basement because the weather returned to normal, so that may have roused the yeast a bit.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

How did you oxygenate your AG batch? When I first went AG I relied on the aeration from the kettle to the fermenter, and also the addition of top-up water when I had too much evaporation. If I was worried I poured between two buckets.

However, since using an oxygen stone I've gotten really strong fermentations (much more vigorous kraeusen) and haven't had any stick or need to be roused.

 

[cweston]

How did you oxygenate your AG batch?

Aquarium pump + stone for about 30 minutes. It started pretty fast and was pretty vigorous.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Seems like that would be adequate and you had a good result. I'm not sure why it might be stuck that high...just the vagaries of moody yeast, I guess!

 

[Dude]

Possibly your mash temp was a little high and the yeast couldn't break down some of the more complex "unfermentables"? Post your recipe and your mash temp, maybe that is it? Also, using too much crystal malt can sometimes create too many unfermentables as well--so it could be a combination of a few things adding to the high FG.

 

[cweston]

9 lb 2 row
1 lb munich
8 oz 10L crystal
2 oz caramunich
1 oz special B

Single infusion at 151 for 70 minutes.


Like I said, I'd have just chalked this batch up to vagueries of the mashing process, but the last extract batch done with this same yeast came out a bit high, too.

 

[Dude]

9 lb 2 row
1 lb munich
8 oz 10L crystal
2 oz caramunich
1 oz special B

Single infusion at 151 for 70 minutes.


Like I said, I'd have just chalked this batch up to vagueries of the mashing process, but the last extract batch done with this same yeast came out a bit high, too.

Hmmm...recipe and mash temp look pretty good. It is odd because I use that yeast pretty often and it always gets down to 1.012-1.008.