Drewed
Well-Known Member
Too bad it’s not cider season....
White Labs WLP773 from the vault
- Thread starter Maylar
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
Too bad it’s not cider season....
Northern_Brewer
British - apparently some US company stole my name
Well it is in the southern hemisphere....
It does seem a bit daft having this one as a Vault strain, particular as it's a blend that is harder to store. It makes much more sense to release it as a seasonal in time for the northern apple season. To be fair, it is on the list of seasonal releases for September/October (along with WLP515 Antwerp, a Chico variant which I'm playing with at the moment).
Mine too!
OP
OP
Mine will stay in the fridge until November cider season. The "Best Before" date of July is stupid, but it should keep OK. Chris White says yeast loses 5% viability per year, and shouldn't be used if less than 90% so it aught to be OK in 8 months.
Albionwood
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2013
- Messages
- 304
- Reaction score
- 134
Mine arrived too. Now what do I do with it? Won't have juice to ferment until September. This is dumb.
As per another post of mine a couple of weeks ago, my local store "Brew your own at Home", (well, to us a two hour drive and 180 kilometers away in Canberra is local) offered me some WLP773 that they had in the fridge, "but was a bit out of date". It is Best before Jan 18 18, Lot Number TB1773.
The good bit is that it is cider time here in Oz, and at last apples are in plentiful supply. Also I had to go to Canberra for other reasons so I did get a vial of the "out of date" WLP773.
BUT, I am a bit like the dog that caught the bus... What do I do with it? Until now I have used dry yeast (EC1118, SO4, DV10) so what is the best way to use this slightly out of date WLP773. How do I make a starter etc? How long will it remain viable?
At present I have enough apples for a one gallon batch but can get more. The first batch will be windfalls or straight from the trees. It will be a mix of Cox's Orange Pippin, unknown apples (we think are some sort of Pippins) and Pink Ladies which I might have to buy at a couple of bucks per kilo but which are in abundance right now. The wild apple trees have been trashed by the wildlife this year because of the drought so there isn't much of them left around the district.
One of our major apple growing regions is an hour or so away on the other side of the mountains so if I don't have enough of my own (a bit of a problem with deer, parrots, cockatoos and not much rain this year) I can certainly get more apples.
All advice is welcome as I understand that WLP 733 is something special and I don't want to waste it.
The good bit is that it is cider time here in Oz, and at last apples are in plentiful supply. Also I had to go to Canberra for other reasons so I did get a vial of the "out of date" WLP773.
BUT, I am a bit like the dog that caught the bus... What do I do with it? Until now I have used dry yeast (EC1118, SO4, DV10) so what is the best way to use this slightly out of date WLP773. How do I make a starter etc? How long will it remain viable?
At present I have enough apples for a one gallon batch but can get more. The first batch will be windfalls or straight from the trees. It will be a mix of Cox's Orange Pippin, unknown apples (we think are some sort of Pippins) and Pink Ladies which I might have to buy at a couple of bucks per kilo but which are in abundance right now. The wild apple trees have been trashed by the wildlife this year because of the drought so there isn't much of them left around the district.
One of our major apple growing regions is an hour or so away on the other side of the mountains so if I don't have enough of my own (a bit of a problem with deer, parrots, cockatoos and not much rain this year) I can certainly get more apples.
All advice is welcome as I understand that WLP 733 is something special and I don't want to waste it.
OP
OP
From White Labs' web site:
Starter should be about 1.040 to keep yeast in the growth phase.
Starter should be about 1.040 to keep yeast in the growth phase.
Here’s my starter. Just 1/2 gal. of juice. Pitched the yeast last night and shake. Shake again this AM.
View attachment 564535
View attachment 564535
Last edited:
bmd2k1
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2017
- Messages
- 1,303
- Reaction score
- 377
Cool....keep us posted!
OP
OP
I'm really curious if it performs as advertised and leaves 20% residual sugar. No other yeast I know of will do that. I sent White Labs an email asking if there are any special requirements like temperature range that helps it quit before going dry, but got no reply.
bmd2k1
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Nov 18, 2017
- Messages
- 1,303
- Reaction score
- 377
How are the lees? Is it a good flocculation?
OP
OP
So, already lower than the 80% attenuation White Labs stated.
johnnyseko
Well-Known Member
Mine are going!! I've been away from here for quite a while but still brewing! Made a starter and plan to age each gallon a bit longer than the next. I've finally experienced what 6 months aged can do. Amazing. So we'll see how this turns out at each stage.
OP
OP
Wonder how White Labs could claim that it attenuates 80%. Seems to be BS for those who've used it so far. That sucks.
Just a "heads up" for anyone worrying about the Use by Date coming before you have any apples. In an earlier post I mentioned that I had found some of last year's WLP773 at a brew store in Canberra, dated Use by 18 Jan 2018.
I pitched half a vial into starter then into a gallon of fresh juice (SG 1.060) made from our apples on 24 April. The juice had been sitting with Pectinase and Campden for two days. By 26 April nothing much was happening except for a bit of thin brown foam, so on advice from the forum I pitched the rest of the vial.
Today, 28 April there is quite a thick brown/white foam and the SG is 1.050, so clearly even though it is three months past the Use by Date, something is happening.
There is no fizz sound that I am used to with SO4, which really gets into action quite quickly. Nevertheless it seems that the WLP773 is quite happy doing it's stuff even if it is a bit old. Look forward to September, people.
I pitched half a vial into starter then into a gallon of fresh juice (SG 1.060) made from our apples on 24 April. The juice had been sitting with Pectinase and Campden for two days. By 26 April nothing much was happening except for a bit of thin brown foam, so on advice from the forum I pitched the rest of the vial.
Today, 28 April there is quite a thick brown/white foam and the SG is 1.050, so clearly even though it is three months past the Use by Date, something is happening.
There is no fizz sound that I am used to with SO4, which really gets into action quite quickly. Nevertheless it seems that the WLP773 is quite happy doing it's stuff even if it is a bit old. Look forward to September, people.
OP
OP
johnnyseko
Well-Known Member
Day 20. SG 0.998. Tasted ok - enough to want more but I have to resist the urge. Planning to rack in another week or so - still bubbling....temps @68F
johnnyseko
Well-Known Member
Yeah I got lazy and didn't cycle ice in my tote fermenter.... I was getting @60F with the ice. Not sure it was worth the hassle when I was doing it for the 8 degree reduction in temp.
johnnyseko
Well-Known Member
Racked my 5 single gallons of 773 yesterday (5/7). SG .997
2 gallons went to age for some months
1 gallon got 14g of Centennial Hops and will chill for 7 days before bottling
The rest was bottled, some tasted...
Retained just enough apple flavor for me, slightly sweet and tart. A buttery mouthfeel that I haven't experienced before. Although warm and not carbed it will be interesting to see what final will be chilled. Definitely one of the best I've tasted straight out of the fermenter. I did run into an issue I haven't had with this or any other juice before. You'll see in the picture how nice and clear the cider got (my hand behind the carboy). On the lower 1/4 is a not so nice pectin cloud. I'm open to suggestions here. I have pectic enzyme, have never used it (obviously lol). Wasn't sure if it's worth adding now to my 3 gallons or if I could do something else. Or just drink it.
2 gallons went to age for some months
1 gallon got 14g of Centennial Hops and will chill for 7 days before bottling
The rest was bottled, some tasted...
Retained just enough apple flavor for me, slightly sweet and tart. A buttery mouthfeel that I haven't experienced before. Although warm and not carbed it will be interesting to see what final will be chilled. Definitely one of the best I've tasted straight out of the fermenter. I did run into an issue I haven't had with this or any other juice before. You'll see in the picture how nice and clear the cider got (my hand behind the carboy). On the lower 1/4 is a not so nice pectin cloud. I'm open to suggestions here. I have pectic enzyme, have never used it (obviously lol). Wasn't sure if it's worth adding now to my 3 gallons or if I could do something else. Or just drink it.
Last edited:
OP
OP
Time will clear that. Dunno if pectic enzyme would be helpful at this point or not - that's a big cloud of schmutz there.
johnnyseko
Well-Known Member
Update....so the cloud above never really settled. After a few months I got impatient and had to rack off the top of the cloud, unfortunately losing quite a bit of cider in the process. Bottle carbed and waited weeks for it to carb up.
The hopped 773 cider was bottled almost straight from primary after 4 days on hops. After 4 weeks in bottles had perfect carb. Delicious.
The 'aged' 773 gallons (3 months) were bottle carbed and allowed to sit for 3-5 weeks (with me taste testing a few every so often). None of them had carbed up besides the last 1 I tried at 5 weeks in the 12oz. Another at the same time had no carb at all. I'm wondering if the yeast was pretty much done after the longer aging. Next time I'll add a tiny bit of yeast at bottling.
I don't want to give 773 all the credit but this was the best cider I've made so far. Only other addition was 4g malic acid per gallon. This cider was nice and clear, the yeast formed clumps in the bottles I haven't seen before and even after being disturbed would sink right back down, keeping the cider clear. I got the 'thumbs up' from the woman of the house, which was a first! I will be making more of this soon. So glad I have another vial!
The hopped 773 cider was bottled almost straight from primary after 4 days on hops. After 4 weeks in bottles had perfect carb. Delicious.
The 'aged' 773 gallons (3 months) were bottle carbed and allowed to sit for 3-5 weeks (with me taste testing a few every so often). None of them had carbed up besides the last 1 I tried at 5 weeks in the 12oz. Another at the same time had no carb at all. I'm wondering if the yeast was pretty much done after the longer aging. Next time I'll add a tiny bit of yeast at bottling.
I don't want to give 773 all the credit but this was the best cider I've made so far. Only other addition was 4g malic acid per gallon. This cider was nice and clear, the yeast formed clumps in the bottles I haven't seen before and even after being disturbed would sink right back down, keeping the cider clear. I got the 'thumbs up' from the woman of the house, which was a first! I will be making more of this soon. So glad I have another vial!
Give me a couple of weeks for an answer. Mine bottled at SG 1.002 (it took over three months to get down to this) plus FAJC to bring it up to 1.005. It tasted pretty good at bottling on 7 August before the FAJC, but I want to give it a few more weeks for carbonation.
Similar threads
