WLP810 San Fran Lager - activity drops under 65deg

[HopTonger]

Was wondering if anyone has had experience with WLP810 San Fran stalling when the temp goes below 65deg. I pitched a 2L starter into 70deg well-O2'ed wort yesterday afternoon and moved it into a 65deg basement before bed. This morning, no airlock activity at all. I gave it swirl and brought it back upstairs - airlock started bubbling away in less than an hour. I gave it a couple hours and figured I had enough activity to get the temp down again to more lager temps since I'm doing more of an American lager - temp down to 59 and airlock stopped bubbling again....
I will say that the yeast use by date was noted ironically the day after I got my starter made - it took a day to get activity, but it did start and I swirled regularly.

 

[Yooper]

It's too late now, but keep in mind that yeast hate to be cooled (and may go dormant) but love to be warmed. When I make a steam beer or lager (well, any beer actually), I chill the wort to just below the desired fermentation temperature, and also chill my yeast starter in the fridge. I then decant the spent wort, and add the yeast to my wort when the yeast is about 45 degrees and the wort about 50 degrees for a lager, and about 58 degrees for the yeast and about 60 for the wort in a steam beer.

Doing it by adding yeast to warmer wort and chilling doesn't seem to work as well to get quick activity. That doesn't mean much, though. Just keep the temperature where it should be- no more "ups and downs", and it will get going. 60 degrees is a great temperature for that strain.

 

[HopTonger]

It's at 65 right now - should I drop it to 60? Give it a swirl? What to do if no activity by tomorrow AM?
Sorry for the blast of questions - appreciate your feedback!

 

[ceeaton]

Yooper - you seem to have experience with WLP810. Question: I brewed and lagered a batch using WLP810 (for the first time) that has fallen to 1.010, and airlock activity has diminished. I racked today because I needed to harvest the yeast for a batch I brewed today. I fermented the original batch at 59F (and it fermented and lagered well, to my surprise) but now I'd love to get it to clear enough to keg and force carbonate so I can bottle a six pack for my wife as a Christmas gift (long story, but I used to have a lagering fridge that died and haven't made her a Vienna for a few years). What is the easiest way to make the yeast go dormant so I can rack into my keg (the cloudy beer is due to yeast - I checked w/handy dandy microscope)?

I could just keg and store in my sub freezing garage (usually holds between 25-35F), but the "yeast trub" would make it hard to bottle a clear gift. Would rather keep the yeast in the secondary if possible.

Any advice is much appreciated.

 

[Yooper]

Yooper - you seem to have experience with WLP810. Question: I brewed and lagered a batch using WLP810 (for the first time) that has fallen to 1.010, and airlock activity has diminished. I racked today because I needed to harvest the yeast for a batch I brewed today. I fermented the original batch at 59F (and it fermented and lagered well, to my surprise) but now I'd love to get it to clear enough to keg and force carbonate so I can bottle a six pack for my wife as a Christmas gift (long story, but I used to have a lagering fridge that died and haven't made her a Vienna for a few years). What is the easiest way to make the yeast go dormant so I can rack into my keg (the cloudy beer is due to yeast - I checked w/handy dandy microscope)?

I could just keg and store in my sub freezing garage (usually holds between 25-35F), but the "yeast trub" would make it hard to bottle a clear gift. Would rather keep the yeast in the secondary if possible.

Any advice is much appreciated.

I'd keg, and then pour the first few ounces out, and then bottle from the keg. I do that all the time.

 

[ceeaton]

Thanks for the quick reply. Merry Christmas! Now I just have to get some more CO2 (just ran out, thought a backup my brother gave me had some in it, oh bother).