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Author Topic: WLP002 English Ale  (Read 3392 times)

Offline gmac

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WLP002 English Ale
« on: September 01, 2011, 12:23:40 pm »
I'm planning on a brown ale this week and I wondered if anyone had any thoughts on this yeast?  I've read that it flocculates extremely well.  Do I need to rouse it during fermentation as I did with the Wyeast London II I tried before?  It stalled out and had to be warmed and roused to get it moving again (maybe I should have checked to see that these were different strains - just thought about that...).
Thanks

Online hopfenundmalz

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Re: WLP002 English Ale
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2011, 12:37:12 pm »
WLP-002 is the same as Wyeast  1968 London ESB, which is Fullers yeast.

I have never had to rouse it,and have had good fermentations that finish at a low gravity and then the yeast drop out, and the beer is quickly brilliant.  Some have it drop out early, as you said.  This is the go to British strain in my brewery, but I do use many others. 
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Offline euge

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Re: WLP002 English Ale
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2011, 12:58:57 pm »
+1 this yeast produces some great flavors. Also, it might finish a tad higher than you're probably expecting.
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Offline dak0415

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Re: WLP002 English Ale
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2011, 01:19:12 pm »
My trick is to pitch a big starter, start fermentation at 62 for 3 days then let it rise to 68-70 for 7 more days, then crash it to 32 and it will be clear in a week.  If you are making a Northern Brown mash at 150, Southern mash at 154-156.  This yeast may finish a little sweet, so plan on increasing your IBUs by 5 or so.
Dave Koenig
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Offline gmac

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Re: WLP002 English Ale
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2011, 12:27:13 pm »
Holy Flocculation Batman!!!

I brewed my bitter yesterday (not sure where this fits in between bitter or brown).  I made a 2.5 L starter a few days ago and put it in the fridge to cool about 12 hours before I pitched it.  I dumped the liquid and then tried to swirl the yeast into suspension in the cup or so I left behind.  No matter how much I swirled it, I couldn't get it back into suspension.  I ended up pitching it but it was like pitching cottage cheese.  In the end, I had to shake it out of the measuring cup that I was using.  I gave the pails a really good shake to try to get it suspended and not just drop to the bottom.  Is this normal?

I probably underpitched because I ended up doing a double batch (10 gals) and splitting it between the two but I am very sure that there was a lot more yeast in each than in a WLP tube.  Now, 15 hours later they are both bubbling like crazy.  OG was about 1.055 so it wasn't that high gravity to start with.

Can I top crop this?  I have another starter going for a stout on Friday but I want to take out some krausen and store it in a sterile jar in the fridge for building a future starter.  Is this a dumb idea?

Offline James Lorden

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Re: WLP002 English Ale
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2011, 12:31:09 pm »
Holy Flocculation Batman!!!

I In the end, I had to shake it out of the measuring cup that I was using.  I gave the pails a really good shake to try to get it suspended and not just drop to the bottom.  Is this normal?


I feel your pain.  The first time I ended up trying to repitch this I was shocked that I couldn't break up the floc's when I tried washing -  the yeast falls out of solution faster then the trub that you are trying to seperate it from!... that said, there is no yeast better for a fast turnaround beer since it clears so fast.
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Offline dak0415

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Re: WLP002 English Ale
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2011, 01:04:59 pm »
I usually pour a pint or 2 of fresh wort onto the starter "Cake" and shake the crap out of it.  The yeast WILL suspend in sweet wort.
Dave Koenig
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Offline Slowbrew

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Re: WLP002 English Ale
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2011, 02:29:41 pm »
I usually pour a pint or 2 of fresh wort onto the starter "Cake" and shake the crap out of it.  The yeast WILL suspend in sweet wort.

+1

That's what I was going suggest.

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Offline wingnut

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Re: WLP002 English Ale
« Reply #8 on: September 13, 2011, 08:37:22 pm »
you could try and top crop too.  But, it does not stay afloat for very long, but I had great luck with this.
-- Wingnut - Cheers!