WLP002 starter

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Cobnut
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WLP002 starter

Post by Cobnut » Fri Jun 26, 2020 1:47 pm

I've never used WLP002 (White Labs English Ale yeast) before, but my recipe suggested a starter, so a starter I am making.

After about 27 hours on stir plate (1 pack in approx 1L @1036), I saw no frothy head I'm familiar with from other yeast starters and the body of the liquid was full of "lumps" of yeast - rather like curdled milk -swirling round.

I'm wondering whether others have used this yeast and can comment on whether this is normal?

I will - of course - give it a good sniff and a little taste before using the yeast.

Thanks!
Fermenting: nowt
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Dark Mild, Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, Bitter, Citra PA and more!

guypettigrew
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Re: WLP002 starter

Post by guypettigrew » Fri Jun 26, 2020 2:07 pm

Should be fine. This happens sometimes, depending on the yeast. I did a WLP 007 starter a couple of weeks ago. Looked just like you described. Took off like a rocket when I pitched it!

Guy

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Re: WLP002 starter

Post by Cobnut » Fri Jun 26, 2020 2:09 pm

Thanks, Guy.

Could definitely do with getting this beer brewed quick!
Fermenting: nowt
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Dark Mild, Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, Bitter, Citra PA and more!

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Dennis King
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Re: WLP002 starter

Post by Dennis King » Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:08 pm

I use this yeast a lot and would not worry the clumping is quite normal. I normally get a slight head at this stage. How old is the yeast and how long do you intend to keep on the stir plate

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Re: WLP002 starter

Post by Cobnut » Fri Jun 26, 2020 3:29 pm

Thanks, Dennis.
Yeast has a use by date of Sept 2020.
I'm brewing tomorrow, so plan to remove from stir plate Saturday morning, but welcome guidance from your experience with this yeast.
There certainly looks to be lots of yeast grown.
Pic attached is a screen shot from a short video I took - which JBK won't permit me to upload :@
Attachments
WLP002.jpg
Fermenting: nowt
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Dark Mild, Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, Bitter, Citra PA and more!

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Re: WLP002 starter

Post by guypettigrew » Fri Jun 26, 2020 4:33 pm

That looks really good! Is there any way you can now cool it down? 'Fridge temperature is good, but anything below about 15°C will help. If you can cool it the yeast will settle on the bottom of the flask in a very obvious layer.

When you're ready to pitch it, tip off almost all the liquid above the yeast. Then whizz the flask around to resuspend the yeast in the little bit of liquid left. Pour it into your fermenter once the wort is at the right sort of temperature and you should see signs of fermentation within a few hours.

Guy

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orlando
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Re: WLP002 starter

Post by orlando » Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:45 pm

If it is the Fuller's strain that is normal. I'm fairly sure it is. DWHAHB. :D
I am "The Little Red Brooster"

Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,

Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer

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Dennis King
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Re: WLP002 starter

Post by Dennis King » Fri Jun 26, 2020 5:56 pm

Looks good to me.

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Cobnut
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Re: WLP002 starter

Post by Cobnut » Fri Jun 26, 2020 7:27 pm

Thanks chaps. I’ll put it in the fridge.
Fermenting: nowt
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Dark Mild, Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, Bitter, Citra PA and more!

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Re: WLP002 starter

Post by WalesAles » Sat Jun 27, 2020 11:02 am

Cobnut,
I see two pics of beer on your screenshot.
Are we going to see them in all their glory on JBK? [-X

WA

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Re: WLP002 starter

Post by PeeBee » Sat Jun 27, 2020 3:18 pm

Cobnut wrote:
Fri Jun 26, 2020 1:47 pm
… I saw no frothy head I'm familiar with from other yeast starters …
I rarely get a "frothy head" on my yeast starters. I always consider such things as indicating I've got the stirrer going too slow and/or I've left it too long. The piccie is a WLP002 starter I used some time ago. It's just a blizzard of fine flocs. (Crikey, those foam stoppers used to be white!).
20170920_080119_WEB.jpg
However … the yeast will do a similar thing (create "flocs") in the fermenter, and create a very solid sediment at the end of fermentation. It can be dug out in "chunks" rather than sloppy mud pie, and makes the best bread yeast I've ever got from a fermented beer. Only keeps a few days though.
Cask-conditioned style ale out of a keg/Cornie (the "treatise"): https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BwzEv5 ... rDKRMjcO1g
Water report demystified (the "Defuddler"; removes the nonsense!): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... sp=sharing

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Re: WLP002 starter

Post by Cobnut » Sun Jun 28, 2020 2:36 pm

WA, since you asked so nicely. Here’s a pic of my recent Brakspears Bitter (ish) clone as drunk from keg (but too cold as I have yet to sort the temperature control on the keg fridge. Sitting around 5-6C). Disappeared all too quickly :-(
The other pic was before I adjusted the colour of the pic.
Plenty more where that came from.
C.

PS the WLP002 is working away. Took a while to get going, but going great guns now. =D>
Attachments
31D60840-D4F1-435A-9EF1-225E0B284D66.jpeg
Fermenting: nowt
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Dark Mild, Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, Bitter, Citra PA and more!

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orlando
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Location: North Norfolk: Nearest breweries All Day Brewery, Salle. Panther, Reepham. Yetman's, Holt

Re: WLP002 starter

Post by orlando » Sun Jun 28, 2020 4:26 pm

I spy an Adnams glass. :wink:

I used to love the bitterness you used to get in a Brakspears Special Bitter. What recipe did you use?
I am "The Little Red Brooster"

Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,

Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer

WalesAles
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Posts: 3899
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Re: WLP002 starter

Post by WalesAles » Sun Jun 28, 2020 7:14 pm

Cob,
Good looking Beer there! =D>
Are you adjusting the colour of your beer pics just to make them look better? [-X

WA

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Re: WLP002 starter

Post by Cobnut » Mon Jun 29, 2020 9:02 am

orlando wrote:
Sun Jun 28, 2020 4:26 pm
I spy an Adnams glass. :wink:
Indeed :D
orlando wrote:
Sun Jun 28, 2020 4:26 pm
I used to love the bitterness you used to get in a Brakspears Special Bitter. What recipe did you use?
I used the Wheeler recipe with a few judicious adjustments to a) suit what I'd got in stock (e.g. Styrian GOldings in place of Fuggles) & b) to use "invert sugar" rather than black malt to get the colour about right.

I cut my drinking teeth on Brakspears back in the early 80s and so have fond memories of both Bitter and Special. More so the bitter, though, 'cause it's perfect for a long session. The Special was a little heavier.

I do quite like the Oxford Gold in bottles - buy it when I see it - but Brakspears is no longer brewed in Henley; I believe it's brewed at the old Morlands brewery in Oxford.

And @WalesAles, I colour adjust purely to make the photos look a little better. Not the beer ;-)
Fermenting: nowt
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Dark Mild, Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, Bitter, Citra PA and more!

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