Who has used WLP080 - Cream Ale?

[Invertalon]

Made a starter yesterday and when I cracked open the vial to pitch the yeast noticed a very strong, sour aroma. Caught me by surprise... I know yeasts can smell and ferment funky, but I don't have experience with this strain.

Anybody use this yeast before and notice the same thing? I even tasted a tiny bit (what was left in the vial after I pitched) and it tasted sour as well.

Wondering if I should plan on scrapping this starter... I am letting it go for now, but as of this morning the starter is smelling sour as well.

 

[m00ps]

I think you have an infection. Ive use this blend 4 or 5 times and have never gotten a hint of sourness. A bit of sulfur once or twice at low temps but thats it

 

[theheroguy]

Use it anyway!

 

[agrazela]

I'm using it right now for the first time in a cream ale. As I recall my starter smelled like a typical lager starter, and like m00ps I got some sulfur in the early days of fermentation.

My first gravity samples (10 days after massive krausen showed up) did have a hint of a sour-ish cidery note, which I thought was maybe from a tired palate, but which I re-confirmed the next day. But at 14 days after krausen (and with some more clearing, though no further change in gravity) that note seems to have completely gone away.

 

[Invertalon]

Thanks for the info! I decided to dump that starter and make another. Picked up another vial of 080, this time non-expired, and will try again. The starter I dumped had a sourish smell but didn't taste as sour as expected. Still, better safe than sorry. I noticed the last vial was three months expired, which I didn't catch. Oops.

Will advise once I crack open the vial and note and difference in aroma.

 

[theheroguy]

You should have kept it .