Yeast Washing WLP500 Trappist...for what?

[alby44]

Have a belgian strong sitting atop WLP500 that will finish its two week primary tomorrow and was curious if others have reused trappist ale yeast? If so, have you found other uses for it (other than strong/tripels, etc...)?

Would it work with ales (APA/IPA) instead of say, S-04/05 or WLP001, which i also have....

Also, have seen conflicting opinions as to whether a Belgian Strong should be bulk aged in secondary, or straight to keg after primary is complete. My own thinking is that the BSA will finish in the 9-10% range, meaning I won't gobble it down so quickly (thus aging in secondary, then bottle). Would love to hear any experiences with this?

 

[webby45wr]

I've used WLP530 in an APA. It turned out fine. I've also done dubbels and tripels with it.

I'd vote for secondary and then bottling. I like to let my big beers sit and try them over time, so bottling is the way to go.

 

[alby44]

Yeah, that's my thinking too...give it some time to age and not occupy a keg too

 

[JonM]

Yep, I reused Wyeast 1214 (which I think is the same strain as WLP500) and used it in Northern Brewer's patersbier recipe (a 4% ABV summertime quaffer). It was so, so, so unbelievably good. I'd highly recommend trying it. I liked it so much I'm holding onto some more washed yeast to make it again this summer.

What was the OG from your strong ale? The yeast might be too strained out to wash at this point if your OG was too high.

 

[WhamFish]

I think you can bulk age in primary though, I've done a few of these and I've just let them sit in primary for 2 months. I dont think there is much to worry about as far as off flavors. Unless your secondary is somehow different form your primary and you need your primary for your next batch.

As far as what to do with WLP500, you could do most anything belgian. Anything on this list https://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=127

you can also get creative, I used a belgin yeast on an APA recipe and it turned out well. Just keep it cooler if you want to suppress the "belgian" character. In particular, in the first 3 days.

 

[WhamFish]

Also this,

What was the OG from your strong ale? The yeast might be too strained out to wash at this point if your OG was too high.

but you could put the washed yeast in a starter the evening before brewday and it would be good by the time you were ready to pitch.