Conan???

Expiration dates on yeast packs are arbitrary and meaningless (except inasmuch as they allow you to determine age). Cells are slowly dying off (or quickly, if warm) starting the day the yeast is packaged. For most beers, you should be making a starter. The age of the yeast (and thus the estimated remaining cell count) is simply a factor in determining the starter size(s).

 

If by that you mean the non-off speeds range from "really fast" to "really, really fast," it sounds like adding a resistor would do the trick.

 

Did VT Ale come and go? Been checking every day this week to order some and never saw any available.

 

Yes, came and went. Their Facebook page says it will be in stock again on 02/11 and should have enough to remain available this time.

 

I'm curious if anyone has compared Conan to BRY 97/West Coast Yeast from Danstar? I've brewed a good bit with BRY 97 and it produces a pineappley/tropical/stone fruit character with low flocculation, very similar to Conan. I have only used Conan once and plan on reusing the yeast here in the next week or so to get more experience with it, but my immediate reaction when I first tasted the Heady clone I did was that these 2 yeast are very similar to my taste buds and olfactory senses. When I do use the Conan again, I hope to do 2 5 gallon batches of the same IPA recipe and use Conan on one and BRY 97 on the other, for science sake

 

I wouldn't think a west coast yeast and an english ale strain would be very similar. Most west coast strains strive to be very neutral.

I just brewed a 10-gal IPA and pitched WY1217 (West Coast) in half and WY1968 (London Ale) in the other. They are worlds apart. In the end, I ended up blending the two batches.

FWIW, I brewed this same IPA with Conan from Yeast Bay back in SEPT and it is my favorite homebrew to date. I was hoping to capture some of that magic but both these yeasts don't stand up. I'll be ordering more VT Ale yeast tomorrow.

 

BRY 97 isn't the same yeast as the liquid West Coast yeast strains that Wyeast sells...at least in my experience. I've used BRY 97 maybe 10 times and WY1217 4-5 times or so and saw major differences in both. WY1217 gave off the slight fruity esters, but flocced out better than BRY 97, while 97 stay suspended much more noticeably and puts off more of a tropical fruit aroma/flavor.