Yeast Bay updates

I've got some of their Vermont Ale that I'll be using this weekend. It's getting a bit old, so I'll probably pitch both vials into an appropriate sized starter for a 1.058 pale/ipa.

I'm not a huge saison brewer, and playing with ECY right now, but their wallonian blend sounds interesting. Looking for info myself. Saw some of HBT, but it's a bit of a mess/tangent thread.

 

I can't comment on the finished beer yet either but VT Ale yeast gave me 86% attenuation on my 1.088 IIPA. Started at 66* and increased 1* each day until 72* and let it rest there a week. 2L starter decanted in 5 gallons of wort.

 

Just pitched the Wallonia into a Biere de Garde, I will report back in a few weeks but it smells fantastic

 

Did you get any belgian-y clove like notes from the Conan starter, or as the beer warmed any?

I had that last time in a cultured conan set up, but I'm sooo, sooo wanting the peachy esters and nothing more at this point. I've got two vials, they'll be room temp starters and then I'll probably try and ferment it cool for the first couple of days and allow it to warm no more than 68*.

Thanks for the information though, I can get down with 86% on the first pitch! If I can get this 1.060 down to 1.010 and get 83%, I'd be fine with that. Even drier the better for a nice crisp pale.

 

I just had a bottle of a pretty straightforward saison with the Wallonian strain last night. Recipe was mostly pilsner and wheat with a bit of flaked rice, and 4oz/10gal of Belma at flameout. The beer is very dry and crisp, finishing around 1.003. Mellow "Juicy Fruit" character with hints of spice and light backing tartness. Hints of strawberry, pineapple, and orange peel. It really does remind me a non-funky/wild version of regular Fantôme Saison.

 

I brewed a pale ale with the Funktown blend. I forget the specifics, but 1.055ish, light crystal and carapils, and a modest dose of Simcoe/Amarillo/Centennial at the end of the boil. It drinks like a nice pale ale, with a hint of tartness. When I kegged it, it was a ripe pineapple bomb, and that flavor is still there, but much more subdued.

I also brewed an IIPA with 18 ounces of hops (16 of those at 5 mins, FO, 180* hop stand and DH). Not ridiculous attenuation, but solid (I think it was high 70s). I ended up leaving it in the primary for a month when I dry hopped it (last 4 days) and the beer ended up about as bright as anything I've every brewed. No idea how that happened.

 

It's wonderful to hear everyone is having such good experiences with the yeast! We're hoping to have a couple more Brett, a sour blend and a REEEEEEALY delicious Belgian strain well suited for the production of golden strong ale by the middle of summer, or earlier if I can get everything together and all the yeast banked in time!

Cheers everyone!

 

My starter and pale ale which it was pitched into show no sign of the belgian-y clove character I got from ECY version of the Conan strain. The YB Vermont took my hoppy pale from 1.056 to 1.011 on a first generation pitch with some peachy esters. I probably would of got more character from the yeast, but I pitched a 61 and fermented at 64. Overall though it made a fantastic beer.

 

Keep us updated on the sour blend.. Sounds like the Golden strong pitched after a sour blend gets the head start would be tasty in something.

Consider my interest piqued now.

 

I brewed a Mosaic APA with the Vermont Ale strain. Started the ferment at 62°F. The yeast didn't like that temp and stalled out at 1.016 after 7 days. Well it may have finished attenuating just at slower pace. I didn't want to wait to find out, so I warmed her up to 68°F and she took right off again and finished off nicely to 1.013 for 76% attenuation. The cold temps kept esters down, so I didn't get a ton of the peach-like character, but it still had that excellent creamy mouthfeel that this strain seems to lend to beers. I was happy with the results, though I must say the recommendation to start at 67-69°F for a few days, then letting the temp rise to 72°F seems to be sound advice. I probably could have squeaked out a few more gravity points had I done that. That said, I wanted this particular beer to have some body so 1.013 worked great for that purpose.

FWIW, I scored a gold in the APA category and BoS overall with this beer at a local comp over the weekend.

 

I gotta say, after having used this strain from two different manufacturers as well as from dregs grown from a can on two separate occasions, that I have never gotten Belgian-like clove notes from it.

 

Plenty of folks have reported belgian notes from Conan. Be it late generation, or temps, it's pretty spread out, but I'm not alone.

 

Ok, but you asked in this specific thread if any of us have ever gotten Belgiany clove-like notes and I said no, not in my experience, despite using the strain many times. I guess I don't care what "plenty of other folks" have experienced, I was just giving you my experience which I thought you wanted?

That said, I'd be curious what causes it, so i can avoid it.

 

Well if you want to act like that, I think looking back I didn't specifically ask anyone but him.

But thanks for the snark.

If you don't care what "plenty of other folks" have to say, then don't ask me what causes it.

 

Meh, whatever, God forbid I try to answer a question.

 

Thats fine. You quoted me to begin with, and then I responded that others have gotten it, when you so matter of fact stated what you saw. I was simply saying that many others have gotten the same thing, and wasn't trying to trump what you've gotten. Many have gotten the correct peach character while others have seen it turn on them and give a belgian/english character that they couldn't figure out why.

There are multiple yeast banks whoring out Conan these days now, many haven't worked as they thought, and others fell short, or went to work on the wort as expected.

No need to be pretentious about it.

 

Did someone sour mash this thread? Shit just went sour in here =/

 

Can't we all just get along (and talk yeast)?!?

hoptualBrew, nice.

 

Fair enough, guess I wasn't trying to come off dickish, but apparently did, so I apologize for that. Gotta love the internet, haha.

Anyhow, that was the first I had heard of the clove-like notes from this strain, so I was genuinely surprised. Guess I don't get around much, lol.