Edinburgh Yeast, Low and Slow

[frazier]

I brewed up a Wee Heavy two weeks ago (OG 1.072) and pitched a healthy starter of WLP028. I've been keeping my swamp cooler in the high 50's the entire time. This is based on advice I read somewhere regarding this yeast.

Two weeks later, and it is still swirling, still bubbling the airlock. The kraeusen has subsided a bit, but is still there. Since my intention was to ferment slowly, I guess this is a good result so far. So I'm looking forward to - I dunno, several more weeks of low and slow.

Anybody else with experience with this yeast at these temps?

 

[Clementine]

Remember that bubbling airlock CO2 off gassing Krausen and all those other things does not mean it is still fermenting only change in SG. However colder will equal slower fermentation and possibility of pushing it too far and having a stuck brew that you have to get aggressive with, most people who go low of fermentation temps raise them towards the end when the yeast is getting sluggish this helps the finish up the more complex sugars. As most of the flavor profile of the beer happens during yeast multiplication and most of the sugar has been consumed by now raising the temps won't make more esters and will make the yeast that bit more eager to finish up fermentation and also more active in the clean up phase.

Clem

 

[frazier]

So, do you have experience with this yeast, or not? I'm looking for information from people who have used Edinburgh yeast at 55 to 60*.

 

[Clementine]

Yes it was a while ago (last year) but fermented it at an air temp of 58 degrees but with the increase in temp from fermentation I would be guessing that it was around 60ish on the inside. When it looked like it was slowing, at 10 days I raised the temp a degree a day until I got to 68 degrees. Note, as you raise the temp you will see off more off gassing of CO2 and it looks like it is fermenting again, don't be fooled. I checked my notes and I normally take an SG reading before making any changes but this time I didn't, so I cannot tell you exactly what the Gravity was when I raised the temp. I did not secondary it but rather long primary(ed) it for 4 weeks and let the bottles age for about 2 months, the FG/OG was 1082/1018.

I ferment almost all of my beers a lot lower than White lab recommends but I finish them a by raising the temp. My SG when I start the increase is normally only 5% or less off the target gravity. The point of my previous post was most people think that to get that clean flavor you have to ferment low, however to get a really clean flavor profile you will want that temp raise at the end and that way the yeast are active in their clean up phase.

Clem

 

[SwampassJ]

So, do you have experience with this yeast, or not? I'm looking for information from people who have used Edinburgh yeast at 55 to 60*.

I used the wyeast version of this yeast down at 48 but it took 2 weeks to ferment out a much lower gravity beer. Here is the whitelabs page for WLP028 and they don't recommend it below 62. Test it and see how it's moving along.