cladinshadows
Well-Known Member
When it comes to lager yeast I'm a pretty dedicated WLP833 fan, but, I enjoy trying new lager yeasts from time to time. I've really enjoyed Imperial L17 Harvest in some beers (especially because once you try it for yourself you can then taste how prolific it is among commercial American craft lagers), but thought I'd give WLP838 a shot since I see it mentioned somewhat frequently in recipes.
I brewed a Helles-type lager with Barke Pils and Vienna and split the batch between WLP833 and WLP838. Pitching rate was 2 billion cells per liter per degree plato. Pitching temperature was in the range of 42F, 90 seconds of O2 at 1 L/min, and temperature was held in the high 40’s for the first 7 days, at which point it was allowed to rise no higher than 60F to “clean up”, and then was kegged in a fully purged corny (i.e. pushed star-san solution out of the keg with CO2). The WLP833 portion turned out killer – aromatic, round, and clean with a beguiling balance between malt and hops. The WLP838 portion turned out really interesting – distinctly winey, but tasty. It is now 5 weeks since brewday.
I am looking for others’ impressions on young WLP838 beers, and more specifically I am looking for experiences from anybody that is a major WLP838 fan. Right now, while interesting enough to drink, this does not taste like what I think of as Bavarian lager beer. But then again, I have treated this beer very much like an American: I have not cold-lagered this beer, it’s only been sitting at 38F for a few weeks. I have not fined the beer in any way. The LoDo crowd wouldn’t wash their dishes with this wort. I am aware that it is very early to try to judge a lager, but for other lager yeast such as WLP833 by this point I am practically dreaming of the beer, and right now I basically only taste the WLP838 beer as a curiosity!
So, WLP838 fans: is this winey-ness what you are looking for in your beers? Does it clean up into a softer profile? Was my fermentation just flawed? How do you conduct your fermentations with WLP838 to get the best results?
I brewed a Helles-type lager with Barke Pils and Vienna and split the batch between WLP833 and WLP838. Pitching rate was 2 billion cells per liter per degree plato. Pitching temperature was in the range of 42F, 90 seconds of O2 at 1 L/min, and temperature was held in the high 40’s for the first 7 days, at which point it was allowed to rise no higher than 60F to “clean up”, and then was kegged in a fully purged corny (i.e. pushed star-san solution out of the keg with CO2). The WLP833 portion turned out killer – aromatic, round, and clean with a beguiling balance between malt and hops. The WLP838 portion turned out really interesting – distinctly winey, but tasty. It is now 5 weeks since brewday.
I am looking for others’ impressions on young WLP838 beers, and more specifically I am looking for experiences from anybody that is a major WLP838 fan. Right now, while interesting enough to drink, this does not taste like what I think of as Bavarian lager beer. But then again, I have treated this beer very much like an American: I have not cold-lagered this beer, it’s only been sitting at 38F for a few weeks. I have not fined the beer in any way. The LoDo crowd wouldn’t wash their dishes with this wort. I am aware that it is very early to try to judge a lager, but for other lager yeast such as WLP833 by this point I am practically dreaming of the beer, and right now I basically only taste the WLP838 beer as a curiosity!
So, WLP838 fans: is this winey-ness what you are looking for in your beers? Does it clean up into a softer profile? Was my fermentation just flawed? How do you conduct your fermentations with WLP838 to get the best results?
