I have brewed a California Common Beer 4 days ago. OG was 1.051 and I pitched WLP810 (San Francisco Lager) which has been fermenting at 60F from a Yeast Starter. I plan on adding WLP041 (Pacific Ale) from Yeast starter to finish it up after racking to a secondary and keep fermenting at 60F The target FG is 1.018 As of a few hours ago it was still active in the air lock. When do you recommend pitching the second yeast? Should I wait for activity in the airlock to slow significantly or pitch at specific gravity? Thank You all
I like the finish of this Yeast. It would be a good combo with the WLP810 but I just need the right balance I guess. I don't want to pitch too early or too late. Leave that yeast enough sugar while giving the WLP810 enough time to do its job. thx
I have never done a second pitch of a yeast to 'enhance' the finish but maybe the strategy here is to take hydrometer samples daily and pitch the second yeast when the specific gravity hits the 'target mark'. What would that 'target mark' be? Beats me. Maybe 1.025? Cheers!
I would have kept the beer in the primary and added your second yeast to that. Lots of comments out there saying that one yeast will dominate the other. I hope your second yeast is very healthy. It's got about a week to compete with the 810 in an unforgiving environment. Pitch it now, if it's not too late.
Do you mean you like the taste "finish" (i.e. the post swallow impression) when drinking a beer made with WLP041, or do you mean you have done this before, and like the way WLP041 finished the fermentation. If the latter, you probably wouldn't be asking the question. If the former, I wouldn't count on a beer whose fermentation was finished with a late pitched second stain to much resemble a beer fermented solely with that strain, because so much yeast flavor contribution is a result of things that happen very early in the fermentation. (Speaking only of Sacch strains here.)
Thanks for your response. It sounds like you don't recommend doing it. Starter has started so I'll pitch tomorrow anyway. Gravity is 1.022 already. I'll reply to this post in a few weeks to tell you how it came out
Thanks for your post. It is in a conical so I haven't drained the bottom yet. I'll add the yeast tomorrow after being in the starter for nearly a day. I'll drain the bottom ofconical in a week or so. Gravity went from 1.051 to 1.021 in 4 days only at 60F... Thanks again Matt
I think it is fair to say that a number of BAs have no idea why you are doing what you are doing. A follow up post might be useful here. Cheers!
