[stpug]

I'm finally getting around to brewing with the 1768 tonight.  I have a smack pack from January 11, 2016.  So it's probably got what, 60-75 billion viable cells?

I'm trying to decide between pitching just the smack pack or making a small starter to pitch at high krausen. 

Standard ale pitching rate would be 180 billion cells for the beer I have planned, so if I pitch just the smack pack I'll be somewhere around 33-40% of that.

Maybe a low pitch rate with a warm fermentation will coax some good character out of it.

Using information from S cerevisiae in previous posts about pitching really low (~50-60 billion cells per 5 gallons of standard gravity wort); using british malts; fermenting on the warm side (68-72F); and, coupling that with the 'have you seen ester' blog author's comments at experimental brewing (http://www.experimentalbrew.com/comment/497#comment-497), you  might want to add in a warm pitch (73F) before letting it settle it into your fermentation temperature over 12 hours.

I intend to take another stab at a distinctly british bitter in a couple months and will try again to hit these marks in hopes of pulling something more out of the yeast than I've managed so far.

[narcout]

I was thinking I would pitch at 69-70 and let it ride there for a day or two before letting it rise to 72. 

[brewinhard]

Be aware that under-pitching at those higher temps could lead to increased diacetyl production.  Just be sure to keep that yeast active enough to clean up after themselves if it drops bright like other english strains.

[narcout]

I hit my target gravity of 1.046 on the nose and just oxygenated and pitched a single smack pack (I cannot remember the lat time I did that) at 69 degrees. 

[brewinhard]

At 1.046 and a fresh pack you shouldn't have any worries.

[stpug]

I hit my target gravity of 1.046 on the nose and just oxygenated and pitched a single smack pack (I cannot remember the lat time I did that) at 69 degrees.

Oh boy! I got the itch to try this method again, soon. Maybe it'll happen sooner than I thought... I think I'll wait to hear how your experience goes first - particularly the ester production from this strain.

What kind of recipe did you go with, if you don't mind me asking?

Next time, for a special bitter, I'm thinking I'd like to almost do 100% TF Optic Malt but I feel like I have to add in a little something extra to fully push me into that style (maybe carastan 30/37, or crisp 45L; at the 6oz range; or I could do less of a darker crystal; or more of a lighter; I'm torn ).  Then EKG for 60, 15, 5; or maybe challenger at 60 but keep EKG for finishing. I'm open to suggestions but aim to keep it fairly simple and focus on the yeast pitch, fermentation schedule/temp.

[narcout]

What kind of recipe did you go with, if you don't mind me asking?

It's something I've been meaning to brew for awhile:

9 lbs. Golden Promise
1 oz. East Kent Goldings - 60
1 oz. Styrian Goldings - 20
.5 oz. EKG and .5 oz. SG - 10
.5 oz. EKG and .5 oz. SG - 2

[stpug]

What kind of recipe did you go with, if you don't mind me asking?

It's something I've been meaning to brew for awhile:

9 lbs. Golden Promise
1 oz. East Kent Goldings - 60
1 oz. Styrian Goldings - 20
.5 oz. EKG and .5 oz. SG - 10
.5 oz. EKG and .5 oz. SG - 2

I like it! Simple, direct, and too the point.  Keep us posted on your experience using 1768. I'll be super jealous if you manage to get something significant from it

[narcout]

Well, there was no activity after 12 hours, but it was going strong when I checked on it at 22 hours.  I haven't checked the gravity, but it looks like it was finished or close to it after 3.5 days.

I ended up fermenting at 69-70 the entire time. 

I'll keg it up sometime late next week.

Edit: I kegged it tonight, and it tastes pretty good.  FG was 1.013 from 1.046 which is an AA of about 72%.

[narcout]

I tapped the keg this afternoon.  The beer has the same soft, round mouthfeel as the inspiration beer (actually tastes closer to the goal than I was expecting), but I think the finish is a bit drier.  At 1.013, it actually has a drier finish than the 1.006 Belgian Strong Golden I have on the second tap.  Of course, the BSG has almost twice the alcohol content.

The overall flavor is more earthy/woodsy than fruity; that could be due to the hops I used though.

It also has more of an "English" character than I usually achieve.  Whether that's because of the strain or the fact that I used such a low pitch rate, I cannot say.

I'm not picking up any of the lollipop ester that S. Cerevisiae described.

[brewinhard]

I tapped the keg this afternoon.  The beer has the same soft, round mouthfeel as the inspiration beer (actually tastes closer to the goal than I was expecting), but I think the finish is a bit drier.  At 1.013, it actually has a drier finish than the 1.006 Belgian Strong Golden I have on the second tap.  Of course, the BSG has almost twice the alcohol content.

The overall flavor is more earthy/woodsy than fruity; that could be due to the hops I used though.

It also has more of an "English" character than I usually achieve.  Whether that's because of the strain or the fact that I used such a low pitch rate, I cannot say.

I'm not picking up any of the lollipop ester that S. Cerevisiae described.

After reading Mark's latest blog post, I am going to try pitching warm as he recommended to get the most out of these english ale strains.  Will probably brew a simple bitter and pitch at 72-73F and let cool slowly to fermenting temp around 68F for primary.