yeast bay vermont ale review

[kcmobrewer]

I'm not really sure why but I have trouble getting this strain to attenuate past about 75%. And that's the highest.

I actually started pitching this and letting it go for a couple days then pitching 001. Has worked well for me.


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[kevink]

I'm not really sure why but I have trouble getting this strain to attenuate past about 75%. And that's the highest

It looks like the Yeast Bay is aware of this. I just noticed this on their website (which I don't remember seeing when they just started selling the yeast). Maybe you could try this?

"In order to achieve high attenuation, we recommend fermenting at 67-69 ºF for 3-4 days, and then raising the temperature to 72 ºF until a stable gravity is reached. We also recommend mashing at 148-149 ºF and adding a small percentage of the fermentables (~ 5-10%) as sugar.

Attenuation has also been reported to increase when repitching after the first generation."

 

[Fermented_minds]

It looks like the Yeast Bay is aware of this. I just noticed this on their website (which I don't remember seeing when they just started selling the yeast). Maybe you could try this?



"In order to achieve high attenuation, we recommend fermenting at 67-69 ºF for 3-4 days, and then raising the temperature to 72 ºF until a stable gravity is reached. We also recommend mashing at 148-149 ºF and adding a small percentage of the fermentables (~ 5-10%) as sugar.



Attenuation has also been reported to increase when repitching after the first generation."

Every time I brewed with Yeast Bay Vermont Ale, I use that exact fermentation profile and typically have about 7 to 8% of my fermentables as sugar, and my attenuation is typically 79-83% and I achieve a nice ester profile.


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[kcmobrewer]

The only part of that I haven't done is repitching.

My ester profile is nice, just can't seem to drive that attenuation up any other way.

The repitching I understand. Maybe I should do a pale ale first then pitch onto the cake.


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[skawars1]

What is the lag time for this yeast? I pitched a starter from my stir plate. No action after a full day.

Going to probably have to pitch something else to get the beer going.

 

[Jay-Brew]

What is the lag time for this yeast? I pitched a starter from my stir plate. No action after a full day.

Going to probably have to pitch something else to get the beer going.

I pitched a starter of this yeast last Saturday night around 8pm, and the next morning there was obvious airlock activity. So it was 12 hours or less for me.

 

[Roadie]

What is the lag time for this yeast? I pitched a starter from my stir plate. No action after a full day.

Going to probably have to pitch something else to get the beer going.

I began a starter from some washed yeast (2nd generation) on Wednesday night and I didn't see any sign of activity until this morning but now it has a good inch or so of krausen so 36 hours for me. I use a stir plate and am not used to it taking so long.

 

[irishrover32]

has anyone got any tips for gettin this yeast to drop out wats been your experience with it clearing up

 

[troglodytes]

Quick question. Is this yeast prone to get stuck? I pitched a very healthy pitch (350-400B cells) into 5 gals of 1.073 wort (mash temp at 153F). I got down to 1.024 which isn't horrible (66% attenuation), but much higher of an FG than I thought for a yeast that "rips through sugar" as its been advertised.

The only thing I can think of is that my fermentation chamber really fluctuates temp due to overheating then overcooling so the temp has been going back and forth between 66 and 68 but I wouldn't think that would be enough to stall it.

 

[juan_bernado]

Quick question. Is this yeast prone to get stuck? I pitched a very healthy pitch (350-400B cells) into 5 gals of 1.073 wort (mash temp at 153F). I got down to 1.024 which isn't horrible (66% attenuation), but much higher of an FG than I thought for a yeast that "rips through sugar" as its been advertised.

The only thing I can think of is that my fermentation chamber really fluctuates temp due to overheating then overcooling so the temp has been going back and forth between 66 and 68 but I wouldn't think that would be enough to stall it.

I experienced the same. I gently rose the yeast cake and ramped the temperature slightly. But it took more than three weeks for final gravity. I suppose it's better to overpitch with Conan, than underpitching.

Cheers

 

[troglodytes]

Awesome, great to know I'm not alone. I was hoping to turn my IPA around quickly, but I have no set time frame, so patience will be key.

Upon first sampling of this, all I can say is WOW, I have never experienced a yeast flavor like this. The combo of Citra hops I used and the peach/citrus of the yeast is absolutely phenomenal.

 

[joehoppy]

If you can harvest some of the yeast from this batch and work this 2nd generation up on a stir plate. I'll think you'll find it attenuate a little better and give an even better flavor profile.

 

[joehoppy]

Case in point, I just checked gravity on a double ipa just 5 days from brew day as activity has basically stopped. 1.074 to 1.011 in 5 days. 85% attenuation with Gen 3 yeast slurry from a pale ale brewed previously. I've never been able to get more than 77-78% from first generation Vermont ale. Successive generations are always 84-86% for me.

 

[troglodytes]

I like the sound of that. I stepped up two large starters to pitch ~350B cells and leave myself and extra 50-75B unstressed cells for storage. Now the question becomes whether the benefits of an actual brew to create a second generation is different from growing up a gen 2 from a small OG starter.

 

[joehoppy]

Stepping up a starter is not the same unfortunately.

 

[northwestcoast]

Interesting... I seemed to have the opposite experience. Pitched this straight from the vial into a white pale ale/hoppy American wheat (OG 1.052) two weeks ago, and by day 7 it had attenuated 80% to 1.010. It's holding steady there now, so I think it's bottling time.

My recipe didn't have any simple sugars:

62% Pale Ale
33% Wheat
5% Crystal 15

1.5 oz of Galaxy late in the boil and another 1.5 oz dry hop after 7 days.

But I did follow the mash/fermentation temperature instructions on the Yeast Bay website:

Mashed for 60 minutes at 150 F (fell to 149 F by the end)
Fermented at 66 F for 5 days, raised to 72 F for 9 days.

Maybe it was just because it was a relatively small beer, but 80% apparent attenuation is alright with me! Hydrometer sample tasted great... Smooth, and definitely peachy!

 

[BigIrukandji]

That is exactly correct. The wort does get warmer than 64 degrees. There is no way for me to prevent that with my current equipment, other than cooling the room substantially below 64 degrees.

Sorry for the 2 year late response!

 

[Biobrewer]

That is exactly correct. The wort does get warmer than 64 degrees. There is no way for me to prevent that with my current equipment, other than cooling the room substantially below 64 degrees.

Sorry for the 2 year late response!

No worries, a lot of commercial and homebrew folks pitch and ferment at 66-68, hold during fermentation, and raise to 70ish near the end of fermentation and see fast fermentation, good attenuation and nice water development.

Cheers!

 

[Hoppedupkiwi]

Hi All
Has anyone experienced spicy phenolics with this yeast?
I've had good results with it, but on two occasions feed back from judges have mentioned spicy phenolics which put the beer out of the American Pale Ale catergory.
Fermentation was as follows with ample yeast for the job.

68 for 7 hrs
65 for 5 days
69.8 for 7 days
Cold Crash and keg.

Any ideas?