Fermentis W-34/70

[jonhughey_att.net (HoosierBrew)]

@beersk

I think I read it on Kai’s site that a 36 hour lag time is normal for most lager fermentations. So 44 hours isn’t all that far off. Personally, I like to see signs of fermentation at 12 hours, or the next morning after brewing if I can help it.

+1.  I see airlock activity on lagers at ~ 12-16 hrs normally, but I know 34/70 (and other dry yeasts) are slower to start. Should be a good beer anyway.

[system]

Wha!..

44hrs is normal??? You guys are crazy!

[system]

@JT

Well, whether it was a 5 or a 6 it is now fermenting.  I was a bit nervous as there was a much longer lag time than I’m used to (around 44 hours before krausen even started to form), but I’ve only done ales thus far, almost always use liquid yeast with a starter and have never pitched at 50 degrees before this batch.

I would recommend against using dry Bry 97 at a temperature below 66F if you cannot handle long lag periods.  I have had fermentations that took the better part of 72 hours to start at 61F ambient (the temperature of my basement during that fermentation).

[system]

W-34/70 is the prototypical tetraploid (4 sets of chromosomes) lager yeast strain.  It has two sets of S. cerevisiae chromosomes and two sets of S. eubayanus chromosomes.  However, it also suffers from aneuploidy.  Aneuploidy is a condition where an organism does not have a total number of chromosomes that is evenly divisible by the haploid cell count (i.e., one full set of chromosomes, which is 10 chromosomes when discussing yeast) due to chromosome addition or deletion.  Down Syndrome is an example of chromosome addition aneuploidy in humans.  People who have Down Syndrome have a full or partial extra copy of chromosome number 21.  Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome is an example of chromosome deletion aneuploidy in humans.  It is caused by partial deletion of chromosome 4.

As an aside, scientists used to believe that the Saaz (e.g., Carlberg Bottom Yeast No. 1) and Frohberg (e.g., W-34/70) families of yeast strains were the result of two different hybridization events up until very recently.  However, a research team at Carlsberg labs proved that the two families of yeast strains are more than likely from the same hybridization event due to carrying identical genetic translocations.  A translocation is the exchange of genetic material between nonhomologous chromosomes (i.e., chromosomes that are not part of a chromosome pair).  What is really interesting about this discovery is that the Saaz family of lager yeast strains are triploids that contain one set of S. cerevisiae chromosomes and two sets of S. eubayanus chromosomes.  The S. eubayanus genetic admixture is what gives lager yeast its cold tolerance; hence, Saaz strains are more cold tolerant than Frohberg strains.

[JT]

@JT

Well, whether it was a 5 or a 6 it is now fermenting.  I was a bit nervous as there was a much longer lag time than I’m used to (around 44 hours before krausen even started to form), but I’ve only done ales thus far, almost always use liquid yeast with a starter and have never pitched at 50 degrees before this batch.

I would recommend against using dry Bry 97 at a temperature below 66F if you cannot handle long lag periods.  I have had fermentations that took the better part of 72 hours to start at 61F ambient (the temperature of my basement during that fermentation).

Thanks Mark.  I was concerned as to whether the lag was excessive, but it appears to be normal.  I’m not really concerned with it from a sanitation point of view (knock on wood).  It is certainly chugging along now, the small krausen is a welcome change.  I’ve got 6 gallons in that carboy with no need for a blowoff tube - although I currently have one on, I’ll remember it’s not needed next time.