I’ve been planning a couple of APAs next, but I’ll have a nice, big 2nd gen pitch of Weihenstephan 34/70 harvested from primary of my Oktoberfest-Märzen and it seems a shame to let it go to waste, as it’s been my long time house lager strain taken out many generations. Thinking of trying it instead of a dry English yeast fermented cool for a clean, lightly fruity, American ale character. I’d plan on fermenting warm (65°-68°F.) But does anybody have good experience on how pitch rate affects esteriness in this strain (W-34/70, WY2124, WLP830, L13…) at any temperature? (I have some vague suspicions but I’d like more input.) I know pitch rate vs. esters is confusing anyway, I remember Denny had a recent thread that didn’t really resolve anything. But any empirical or anecdotal evidence is welcome.
I may have missed it, but all the information I’ve seen on 34/70 fermented warm is that it does not produce esters. Not sure about the others.
I currently have 2 beers on tap fermented with 34/70 in the 60s. No fruitiness.
Very low fruit. If you like fruity, use something else.
Thanks, guys, guess I’ll go with plan “A,” actual ale yeast. It’s just so unlike me to use a pitch for just one batch! At least I remembered to do an Oktoberfest this year. Worth the one-off on the yeast.
I am using the slurry from a split batch of lager (34/70 and S23) on a split batch of APA right now. I believe of the two lagers, the half with S23 has a much better, more lager-like flavor. It will be interesting to taste the two APA’s when they are done.
Jeff, do you have an early impression of what the yeasts are going to be like in the APA? Either at all encouraging?
Not yet. Just brewed Sunday.
Well, I probably won’t get the Märzen off the yeast in time to brew next weekend (wasn’t I on an August brewing hiatus?) so I have a couple of weeks to think about this. I probably should go ahead and try it and see for myself. After all, it’s the hop bill and not the yeast that will characterize this as an APA.
I kegged the two beers yesterday after a week of dry hopping. Since I had more than two kegs worth, I blended a couple of gallons into a small keg, carbed it up and sampled. I get no fruit and the hop aroma really comes out nicely. I would not be afraid to use either of these yeast varieties fermented in the 60’s for an American ale.
Thanks for the report. I’ll consider these to be all-purpose American yeasts in future. (For my next brew I realized it’s time to get a winter warmer going instead of a typical APA, so I dumped the slurry from my Märzen and will use WY1275. Fermented on the cool side, I can probably get a few APAs out of that slurry too.)