[reverseapachemaster]

Possibly a product of under or overpitching?

[chumley]

I scorched a decoction once when brewing an Oktoberfest, and got a smoky taste in the beer.  Maybe the wort carmelization process does a similar thing.

[Kinetic]

You may be able to drop the temp of your fermenter a few degrees by:

1) place the fermenter in an inch or two of water
2) place a t-shirt "on" fermenter with bottom of shirt in water (carboys can wear shirts)
3) blow a fan on the fermenter and shirt

The evaporation of the water will cool the fermenter. There is no "control" in this set up, but, in a dry ambient you get some cooling effect.

Thanks for the tips.  I was aware of them, but thank you. 

I think I'm more interested in seeing what the yeast does when the ambient temp is 66ish and the fermentation temp is 70ish.  I'll pitch cold at 58 and let it rise naturally.  Wish me luck.

[yso191]

Please report back how it goes.

[Kinetic]

Sure, I'll let you know when it's done.  Brewing it soon.

[tommymorris]

I looked back through my notes and found a beer with WLP028 Edinburgh Ale. This yeast is supposed to be the same as Wyeast 1728 Scottish.

I made a blonde ale with
96% 2-row
4% Caramel Pilsner (8L)
29 IBU Magnum @ 60 min
WLP028 2L starter decanted
Cooled to 64F before pitch
Fermented at 67F with temp probe taped to bottle.

Beer was very clean. Malty. No diacetyl, fusels, or ester off flavors. I  thought the beer was clean like a lager.

This case may be slightly different because the temp measured was the temp of the carboy not the ambient air. But I thought the data might be useful.

[denny]

Based on my own experience, I don't think it's the same yeast.  Maybe it started out the same, but it doesn't seem to ferment as cold as 1728.

[tommymorris]

Based on my own experience, I don't think it's the same yeast.  Maybe it started out the same, but it doesn't seem to ferment as cold as 1728.

Interesting. I have never used Wyeast 1728. I always wonder about those tables that show equivalence between the yeast brands.

[Kinetic]

Please report back how it goes.

I bit the bullet and bought a temperature controller, so there will be no report of a warmer 1728 fermentation from me, sorry.   

[yso191]

Well that's the way to go anyway.  Hope it turns out very well for you

[kramerog]

Wouldn't it have something to do with the malting process?  Back 200 years ago, they would have used peat to fire the furnaces and kiln the grain.  All of the malt would have been slightly, but unintentionally, peat smoky, right?

I'm not sure that's something that could be proven.  At least, I've never seen any solid evidence of it.

Ron Pattinson said at NHC 2014 that back in the day all the Scottish breweries malted their own malt.  The malt would most likely have been malted near the breweries.  All the breweries were located in the lowlands where coal was plentiful and peat is not economical to transport because of its poor heating value.  Thus he concludes that it is highly unlikely that peat was used to make malt for beer.

On the other hand the Scotch distilleries are located where peat is plentiful. 

[Kinetic]

Well that's the way to go anyway.  Hope it turns out very well for you

Thanks.  I've been making good beer without it for years because my basement is pretty cold most of the year.  I finally decided that I didn't want the season to dictate my yeast selection anymore.  Now I can be one of those guys who says you can't make good beer without temperature control.   

[klickitat jim]

Wouldn't it have something to do with the malting process?  Back 200 years ago, they would have used peat to fire the furnaces and kiln the grain.  All of the malt would have been slightly, but unintentionally, peat smoky, right?

I'm not sure that's something that could be proven.  At least, I've never seen any solid evidence of it.

Ron Pattinson said at NHC 2014 that back in the day all the Scottish breweries malted their own malt.  The malt would most likely have been malted near the breweries.  All the breweries were located in the lowlands where coal was plentiful and peat is not economical to transport because of its poor heating value.  Thus he concludes that it is highly unlikely that peat was used to make malt for beer.

On the other hand the Scotch distilleries are located where peat is plentiful.

Ya, but what about before coal?

Just kidding. My peer review vote goes to No Peat, No Smoke, Ever.

[HoosierBrew]

+1 to that. I remember one of my first AG batches was an 80/ and (back in the day) a lot of the recipes had peated malt as an ingredient. So I went with it - hated it. Gave most of it away.

[scottNU]

Anyone have any thoughts about this yeast for an Imperial Stout?

Thanks!