Observation about White Labs WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast

[Shanna]

Hi there

I recently made an irish red ale using a vial of White Labs WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast. It did a great job and finished up at 1.010. Not wanting to waste the yeast I washed the trub from the red ale with a couple of ltrs of cooled boiled water. I drained the liquid and some of the trub in to a cleaned conical ( covered with tin foil) and moved it to a fridge. This was on Friday night.  On Saturday I brewed and stout and reused the washed trub. I took the conical out of the  fridge around 18:00 and left it near the radiator to warm up. As I had never used trub in this fashion before I was unsure of how it would turn out. 

I used approx 1 & 1/2 ltrs from the conical flask in the stout (og 1.063) pitched at 01:00 in the morning. By Sunday morning there was already a two inch krausen formed and the Bubbler was going like the clappers.  Got home from work this evening and the krausen had completely died off with little or no co2 release.  I checked the gravity and it was down to 1.012 (used a hydrometer).

Is this normal to have such quick fermentation? I have created two ltrs starters in the past but they have always taken about 5-7 days. I am tempted to rack it to a 2ndary now or should I wait for a few more days,

Shanna

[Ciderhead]

The yeast is really fast but not that fast quickest I have ever got through is 4 days, leave until Friday and measure again.
What (be precise) is your ferment temp?
Remember as well, slower longer temp controlled ferments will improve the flavour profile of your beer.

[johnrm]

Sounds fast all right.
Over pitched maybe?
Go to bed CH.

[Ciderhead]

Could be
I don't sleep, in fact I suspend from the rafters like a bat, it's a bugger trying to type upside down tho.

What do you want the acid malt for? You only need Tiny amounts of that stuff, I put 50g into one of my stouts and boy you knew it!

[beerfly]

was it long after the krausen had died off on the red? if the yeast was at the end of its active phase then put in the stout i would imagine it would tear through it pretty quick, but 48hrs does seem on the fast side. 
Main thing, did you taste it when taking the reading. if there was no out of place flavours you could have set a fast ferment record! I would leave it another day or two.  not because the gravity would drop more just to make sure the yeast had a bit of time to clean up any potential leftovers

and CH turn the monitor upside down, problem solved 

[Shanna]

The yeast is really fast but not that fast quickest I have ever got through is 4 days, leave until Friday and measure again.
What (be precise) is your ferment temp?
Remember as well, slower longer temp controlled ferments will improve the flavour profile of your beer.

Air Temperature in the kitchen around 20C-26C depending on whether there is cooking going on. However temp strip on the side of the fermenter reads between 20-22C. Sample that I tasted don't suggest any off flavours. Beer tastes good with a slight bitter after taste that is what I expect from the recipe used.

Shanna

[Shanna]

Sounds fast all right.
Over pitched maybe?
Go to bed CH.

What are the problems if any of over pitching? I had heard others talk about pitching a new beer on to the yeast cake from a beer just finished. I would assume that I have done something similar just watering down the yeast trib a bit by adding the 2litres of water and only taking the top portion of liquid and and only a fraction of the trub.

Shanna

[Eoin]

The main issue from over pitching is lack of body.

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[Rossa]

I've had 1040 beers ferment out in 2/3days with 004. One of my favourite all founders.

[TheSumOfAllBeers]

The main issue from over pitching is lack of body.

How come? Surely the unfermentable sugars dont ferment regardless of pitching rate?

[Eoin]

The main issue from over pitching is lack of body.

How come? Surely the unfermentable sugars dont ferment regardless of pitching rate?

I've read from one pro brewer that he often will use only one house yeast to make all styles only varying the pitching rate to account for style differences.

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[Shanna]

Thanks to everyone for responding. Will keg said beer this weekend and try it next week. Hope it will be good.

Shanna

[TheSumOfAllBeers]

The main issue from over pitching is lack of body.

How come? Surely the unfermentable sugars dont ferment regardless of pitching rate?

I've read from one pro brewer that he often will use only one house yeast to make all styles only varying the pitching rate to account for style differences.

It is normal for pro brewers to settle on one yeast variety, as there is huge savings to be made if you can culture them up and standardise on one process. While under pitching a yeast may result in missing your final attenuation, therefore leaving more sugars and body, it wouldn't be the best way to achieve this - the normal approach is to mash at a higher temperature.

Under pitching can result in some interesting effects - the stressed yeast can produce more character in styles that call for it.

[Eoin]

The main issue from over pitching is lack of body.

How come? Surely the unfermentable sugars dont ferment regardless of pitching rate?

I've read from one pro brewer that he often will use only one house yeast to make all styles only varying the pitching rate to account for style differences.

It is normal for pro brewers to settle on one yeast variety, as there is huge savings to be made if you can culture them up and standardise on one process. While under pitching a yeast may result in missing your final attenuation, therefore leaving more sugars and body, it wouldn't be the best way to achieve this - the normal approach is to mash at a higher temperature.

Under pitching can result in some interesting effects - the stressed yeast can produce more character in styles that call for it.

There's a really good thread on yeast on homebrewtalk, guy reckoned he made lagers by over pitching ale yeasts. I'm being very crude with information that was good and detailed, he obviously also played with mash types and temps.

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