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Author Topic: Wyeast 1338 to balance sour fruit?  (Read 1992 times)

Offline ipaguy

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Wyeast 1338 to balance sour fruit?
« on: November 12, 2010, 12:43:17 pm »
I'm planning a beer that will have 3# of raspberry puree added to the secondary.  I plan on using a fair amount of 10L crystal to balance the acidity, and am in looking for an appropriate yeast.  I figure that something with low attenuation would be good.  I was struck by the description of Wyeast 1338 European Ale (Alt).  This is listed as 67% - 71% attenuation and described as 'full-bodied, and sweet, finishing very malty'.  This sounds like just what I need.  Am I on the right track here?
Primary: gotlandsdricke/alt/dunkel hybrid
Secondary: pale barleywine,
Bottled:  Gotlandsdricke
               Oatmeal/blackberry stout
               Honey Kolsch

Offline denny

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Re: Wyeast 1338 to balance sour fruit?
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2010, 12:50:32 pm »
Maybe...I used that yeast for quite a while for alts, but I eventually got discouraged at the battle I'd have to wage to get it to finish.  So you'd probably get the sweetness you're looking for out of it.
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Offline Hokerer

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Re: Wyeast 1338 to balance sour fruit?
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2010, 12:51:08 pm »
My experience with that yeast was that, in addition to being a low attenuator, it was also a slow attenuator.  Thing built a krausen that was like an entire loaf of bread on top of the wort.  Took much longer than I expected to reach a steady FG.

But, it definitely turned out a malty beer.
Joe

Offline ipaguy

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Re: Wyeast 1338 to balance sour fruit?
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2010, 01:06:08 pm »
Maybe...I used that yeast for quite a while for alts, but I eventually got discouraged at the battle I'd have to wage to get it to finish.  So you'd probably get the sweetness you're looking for out of it.
How much of a battle?  My crawl-space is currently at 62F.  If I have to leave this in the secondary for 4 - 6 wk. I'm OK with that.
Primary: gotlandsdricke/alt/dunkel hybrid
Secondary: pale barleywine,
Bottled:  Gotlandsdricke
               Oatmeal/blackberry stout
               Honey Kolsch

Offline Hokerer

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Re: Wyeast 1338 to balance sour fruit?
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2010, 02:19:42 pm »
How much of a battle?  My crawl-space is currently at 62F.  If I have to leave this in the secondary for 4 - 6 wk. I'm OK with that.

It's not the secondary you should be worrying about.  Standard procedure is that you don't rack to secondary until primary fermentation is complete.  That's what takes forever with this yeast.  Can you tie up your primary for several weeks?
Joe

Offline ipaguy

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Re: Wyeast 1338 to balance sour fruit?
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2010, 03:31:54 pm »
How much of a battle?  My crawl-space is currently at 62F.  If I have to leave this in the secondary for 4 - 6 wk. I'm OK with that.

It's not the secondary you should be worrying about.  Standard procedure is that you don't rack to secondary until primary fermentation is complete.  That's what takes forever with this yeast.  Can you tie up your primary for several weeks?

I've got an extra 6.5 gal. plastic primary that I could tie up, but it sounds like with the head this stuff generates, I should really use a carboy w/ blowoff tube for the primary.  Does rousing the yeast in the primary seem to help much?  I'm sure that fermenting at the low end of the recommended temperature range is not going to help matters.
Primary: gotlandsdricke/alt/dunkel hybrid
Secondary: pale barleywine,
Bottled:  Gotlandsdricke
               Oatmeal/blackberry stout
               Honey Kolsch

Offline gordonstrong

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Re: Wyeast 1338 to balance sour fruit?
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2010, 07:59:41 pm »
Why not try Wyeast 1968 / WLP002?  You can basically get that yeast to stop any time you want by chilling it below 65F or so. Flocs well and can give you a bit of fruit if you want. I'd just let it go myself.
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Offline ipaguy

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Re: Wyeast 1338 to balance sour fruit?
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2010, 08:19:50 pm »
Why not try Wyeast 1968 / WLP002?  You can basically get that yeast to stop any time you want by chilling it below 65F or so. Flocs well and can give you a bit of fruit if you want. I'd just let it go myself.

That certainly looks like a possibility.  Another I was considering is WY1728: looks like low attenuation, high floc, as well as working well at lower temperatures.  Giving things more thought, I think I can get things as sweet and/or malty as I need by grain selection alone.  I would probably be OK going with old reliable Chico Ale.
Primary: gotlandsdricke/alt/dunkel hybrid
Secondary: pale barleywine,
Bottled:  Gotlandsdricke
               Oatmeal/blackberry stout
               Honey Kolsch