Wyeast 1469 gets warm

[duncan.brown]

I normally ferment my English bitters (OG 1.038) and best bitters (OG 1.045) with 1318 (supposedly the Boddingtons strain), but I thought I'd give 1469 (Timothy Taylor) a try. My basement is at 62F this time of year. With 1318, I chill my wort to 60F, pitch, and let 1318 free rise in my Brewbucket to around 65 F. After fermentation is mostly done, it drops back down to ambient temperature after about five days.

After 48 hours with 1418, a 1.045 OG batch in a 62 F ambient basement is reading 70 F on my Brewbucket thermometer! I'm curious to see how this batch will turn out.

According to the Timothy Taylor brewery tour, they pitch at 59F and temperature control the fermentation (I am guessing to the mid to low 60s). Next time, the 1469 might need to go in the Chronical... I did top crop some nice healthy yeast for the next batch.

 

[duncan.brown]

The warm-fermented brew from the original post wasn't the best. A bit too forward on the esters for my liking. Great for beer-boiled bratwurst, though.

I brewed exactly the same recipe a couple of weeks ago (8lb 12oz Golden Promise, 12oz Crystal 40; 13 IBU Fuggle at 70, 17 IBU EKG at 45, 4.4 IBU Styrian Golding at 15; 0.5oz Styrian Golding at flameout). The only difference was fermentation temperature. This time, I kept the 1418 at 60F throughout primary.

It's a completely different beer. Smooth, drinkable, and with a very slight honey-sweet note on the back end. Dangerously drinkable.

 

[BrewMan13]

I actually like the esters it gives off - adds a bit of nutty/fruity complexity to my oatmeal stout. Always meaning to try it in other beers (did an amber ale at slightly lower temps that was good), but only so much space on the brew calendar.

 

[John Coo's Brews]

Next time, the 1469 might need to go in the Chronical... I did top crop some nice healthy yeast for the next batch.

Reaching out on this earlier post since you mention top cropping. I'm wondering if you've every used top cropped yeast at bottling? I'm currently in day 2 of fermenting a high gravity Belgian ale (OG 1.096) using Wyeast 3787 (Trappist High Gravity) and was considering top cropping some to use at bottling. This one will spend at least a month in secondary, and most folks have recommended re-pitching yeast at bottling because of the high alcohol stress and time prior to bottling. But that means I need to harvest now and then store it for a month or six weeks (possibly longer) before repitching to bottle.

I'm thinking of grabbing it now (Krausen is already nice and thick) before the high alcohol stress. Maybe a couple days before bottling I can take it out of storage and reinvigorate it in a small starter - cold crash it the night before bottling day. Alternatively, I could just buy more 3787 to be on the safe side - I'd hate to ruin this one if everything goes well for the next 6 - 8 weeks.

 

[duncan.brown]

No, I’ve not tried that. I keg my beers, so when I crop the yeast it’s for future primaries.

 

[John Coo's Brews]

No, I’ve not tried that. I keg my beers, so when I crop the yeast it’s for future primaries.

OK, Thanks for replying

 

[TheOriginalDBS]

I’m also a fan of Wyeast 1469. The first time I used it, I made an americanized english bitter with Lotus and First Gold hops. The beer had a really nice peachy top note. It was a big hit with friends, even those who aren’t bigtime craft beer drinkers.

fast forward to two weeks ago. I pitched a massive dose of 1469 and Verdant IPA into an imperial stout. I pitched at 66, let free rise to 68, and then raised the temp to 72 on day 5. Well, from the hydrometer sample I took a few days ago, they tore through the wort (1.016 FG?!) and there’s a really strong italian plum/apricot/peach ester. It’s not offensive in and of itself, but it’s not really what I wanted. The sample smelled and tasted a lot more like a barleywine or quad than a stout (some of the fruitier iterations of Firestone Walker anniversary comes to mind).

anyway, this is a cautionary tale. If you’re using 1469 on high gravity beers, I recommend fermenting in the low to mid 60s. Here’s hoping those esters fade with age. Cheers!