WLP090 San Diego NOT SO SuperYeast

[bguzz]

Wierd experience with this yeast for the first time.

Brewed an IPA with 1.074 OG and mashed at 151F.

Pitched a decanted 2L stirplate starter which finished in 24 hours and dropped quickly to make a clear starter (before I decanted).

Oxygenated the wort for 1 minute with pure O2 and pitched, held fermentation temp in my chest freezer at 65F with temp controller.

6 days later, Gravity is 1.027 and lots of stuff in suspension (not trub, it was a clear transfer to bucket). No bad smells, tastes ok, maybe a bit sweet).

I really expected this to process faster than 6 days and FG of 1.016 or lower as I would normally get with WLP001.

I don't think I've had an infection in the last 50 batches...but maybe I have one now?

I'm letting it warm up to 68F now to see if that does anything. There is still a slight krausen on top.

 

[stratslinger]

65F is just on the cool end of the range for WLP090 - I've done a few brews now with this yeast, each to good effect. I've given each of them 2-3 weeks, but closer to 67F, each of them has cleared up nicely in that time and attenuated out in the mid 70%'s.

Give it a few more days, particularly with that higher temp, see what you get. The slight krausen and stuff in suspension really sounds like you've still got some active fermentation going on - doesn't sound like infection territory to me.

 

[bguzz]

yep, that's what I'm going to do, wait it out at higher temp.

I was surprised given all the 'WLP090 took me from 1.070 to 1.011 in 3 days!' posts out there. Maybe next generation will do that--i'll give it another shot or else go back to pacman.

 

[stratslinger]

Yeah, the WLP090 I've been using is a few generations old - brewed with a buddy, used a repitch of his for a brew we did togeher, and I'm about to repitch again this weekend. Not sure if it went faster with earlier generations or not... Or, honestly, not sure if it went faster than I realized with my own - I just tend to toss my fermenters into my chamber and come pull 'em out 2 weeks later to start checking on them...

 

[bguzz]

Well, I stand corrected...I let another 6 days go by at 70F and it dropped to 1.013...that's 80% attenuation! I'm pretty happy a new fan of SanDiego Superyeast!! I'll bet future pitchings are fasters. I tasted it and this is going to be a fantastic IPA!!