[quattlebaum]

Does anyone know if O'dells brewery uses a German Ale yeast for their house yeast.  Just curious i know they are pretty tight lipped about there beers understandably, but yet have reportedly given one of the recipes in the new book, "Craft Beer for the Homebrewer" and the yeast is WLP 007 

[tonyccopeland]

This book is pretty good and worth the coin, imho. The Odell 90 Shilling Ale is the recipe that lists that yeast in my copy.

[mihalybaci]

There is an Odell IPA clone recipe in the July/August 2012 Zymurgy. They don't name a specific yeast, just that the house yeast is a "strong top-cropper with medium attenuation and low-medium flocculation." Based on that description, and Odell's tendency to make a lot of British-style ales, I would guess there house yeast an English strain.

[dkfick]

WLP007 is an English yeast not a German yeast.  Just an FYI. ;-)

[HoosierBrew]

WLP007 is an English yeast not a German yeast.  Just an FYI. ;-)

+1. 007 is IIRC the equivalent of Wy1098 (Dry Whitbread).  The OP was probably thinking of WY1007, the German strain.

[ynotbrusum]

The book says what it says.  WLP 007 Dry English Ale.  So that is supposed to be its strain.  Denny or Billy Broas, might know more about it, but they may not know for sure.  My guess is that it works with that strain.  I have had luck with different strains with Scottish Ales, so it doesn't sound way off track.

[quattlebaum]

WLP007 is an English yeast not a German yeast.  Just an FYI. ;-)

yes i know WLP007 is an English strain. Maybe i didnt state it clear enough. it seems most "clones" of odells are using an English Strain like 007 however i have read somewhere and a few have said they use a German strain that is a strong top-cropper with medium attenuation and low-medium flocculation. 
I was considering brewing the 90 shilling from "Craft Beer for homebrewers". Maybe ill split a batch and pitch WLP007 and Wyeast 1007 to see which one i prefer or comes close to the original. Thanks fellas 

[hopfenundmalz]

WLP007 is an English yeast not a German yeast.  Just an FYI. ;-)

yes i know WLP007 is an English strain. Maybe i didnt state it clear enough. it seems most "clones" of odells are using an English Strain like 007 however i have read somewhere and a few have said they use a German strain that is a strong top-cropper with medium attenuation and low-medium flocculation. 
I was considering brewing the 90 shilling from "Craft Beer for homebrewers". Maybe ill split a batch and pitch WLP007 and Wyeast 1007 to see which one i prefer or comes close to the original. Thanks fellas

Please report back with your taste impressions. Inquiring minds want too know. I liked the 90 shilling when in CO.

[stpug]

I did some digging a while back on Odell yeast and the best I could come up with was that it was a German yeast. I harvested some from an Odell beer a while back and have used in many times in various beer styles. Through my experiences with it, I have come to my own conclusion that it is nearly identical to WLP029 German/Kolsch yeast from white labs. Odell yeast forms a MASSIVE krausen that is extremely well suited to top cropping; has a substantial attenuation level coupled with medium-low flocculation; and, interestingly enough, is hard to use under 62°F. I had one fermentation pegged at 59F and it just lagged; over the next few days I would ramp by 1°F; on day three (i.e. when I reached 62°F), it took off like a racehorse and the krausen raised up almost 6 inches! I do not get any sulfur characteristics from the yeast, but it can give a pseudo-lager impression if fermented cold (60°F). Clearing is slooooow with Odell yeast.

I recently did a kolsch with Odell yeast. I started the fermentation at 62°F and once the lag was finished and krausen started raising up, I lowered the temp to 60 over the course of a day where I left it for about 10 days, afterwhich I crashed the fermenter into the 30s for another 10 days. Best kolsch I've ever drank (tasted more like a small pilsner).

Probably the best beer to harvest their yeast from is East Street Wheat - lots of yeast in a low ABV bottle. I originally got mine from a bottle of Myrcenary DIPA since it's all I had on hand and it has worked out. The one major caveat to using this yeast is it's a b*tch in a flask unless you have about 2/3 of the volume left as headspace.

[denny]

The book says what it says.  WLP 007 Dry English Ale.  So that is supposed to be its strain.  Denny or Billy Broas, might know more about it, but they may not know for sure.  My guess is that it works with that strain.  I have had luck with different strains with Scottish Ales, so it doesn't sound way off track.

I didn't do that recipe and I don't know who did so I can't send you to the source.  I'll see if I can find out who contributed it.

[Iliff Ave]

I can't imagine that they use a German yeast especially for something like 90 shilling. To me, most of their beers have a distinct British yeast character of some sort although I wouldn't be able to identify it.

[majorvices]

I wonder if the confusion here is WY1007 is the German Ale yeast for Wyeast.

[Iliff Ave]

That would make sense but stpug says he harvested some yeast from bottles and says it is nearly identical to WLP029. I don't know how that could be possible since I am pretty familiar with that yeast.

[stpug]

That would make sense but stpug says he harvested some yeast from bottles and says it is nearly identical to WLP029. I don't know how that could be possible since I am pretty familiar with that yeast.

It's just what I've experienced with the two yeasts. Strains obviously change over time so saying that Odell is identical/exactly to WLP029 is a stretch, and not at all what I'm saying; but their fermenting and beer nuance characteristics are extremely close. I'm just suggesting that if a brewer were after a commercial yeast to closely match Odell yeast then I would recommend WLP029.

[Iliff Ave]

That would make sense but stpug says he harvested some yeast from bottles and says it is nearly identical to WLP029. I don't know how that could be possible since I am pretty familiar with that yeast.

It's just what I've experienced with the two yeasts. Strains obviously change over time so saying that Odell is identical/exactly to WLP029 is a stretch, and not at all what I'm saying; but their fermenting and beer nuance characteristics are extremely close. I'm just suggesting that if a brewer were after a commercial yeast to closely match Odell yeast then I would recommend WLP029.

Got ya. I wasn't trying to challenge you by any means. I have no horse in this game other than to say that their yeast seems to be very british to me however that is according to my novice palate and knowledge.