Yeast Fundamentals for Homebrewers (2/16/13)

Early registration is now available for our next Yeast Fundamentals for Homebrewers course held at our San Diego location. Sign up before January 15th and save $25 on registration. These info-packed courses tend to sell out quick, so sign up soon if you want to secure your spot! The course covers a range of topics with the homebrewer specifically in mind, including yeast strain selection, flavor impact and pitching rates, as well as in-depth information on yeast starters and proper handling.

Speakers include Chris White, Neva Parker, Kara Taylor and John Carroll.

For more information, contact info@whitelabs.com

Belgian Dubbel Reserve

WLP510 Bastogne Ale Yeast returns in January for a limited time as a Platinum Strain. Curious what to brew with it? Try out this great dubbel recipe!

Belgian Dubbel Reserve (5 gallon, all-grain)

Malt 8 lbs Pilsen Malt

1 lb. Caracrystal Wheat Malt

1 lb Aromatic Malt

8 oz. Carabrown Malt

4 oz Carapils Malt

1 lb Cane Sugar

1 tsp Irish Moss

Hops 1 oz. Saaz Hops (60min boil)

WLP510 Bastogne Belgian Ale Yeast

Mash grains in 3 gallons water at 155-160 F for 45 minutes.  Sparge wort and collect to 5 gallons.

Add bittering hops and bring to a boil.  Boil for 60 minutes.  Heat Cane Sugar in saucepan. Stir constantly until liquid and slightly browned.  Add Cane Sugar and Irish Moss. Boil 15 more minutes.  Cool to 70º ­F, oxygenate wort and add 2 vials WLP510 Bastogne Belgian Ale yeast.

What are you brewing with WLP510? We’d love to hear!

Under the Microscope: WLP665 Flemish Ale Blend

Raise your hand if you like Cuvee des Jacobins. How about Rodenbach Grand Cru? I thought as much. West Flanders is known for having given birth to and inspired some of the most revered beers on the planet. Our WLP665 Flemish Ale Blend strain is ideally suited to making Oud Bruins and Flanders Red Ales in the spirit of the aforementioned brews. This yeast debuted earlier in the year as a Platinum Strain and, due to popular demand, will return as a year-round offering in 2013. A proprietary blend of Saccharomyces yeasts, Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus, WLP665 creates the complex, funky flavor and aroma profiles that characterize the wonderful, distinctive ales of West Flanders.

Bastogne Belgian Ale Platinum Strain Returns in Jan. ’13!

January sees the release of three Platinum Strain varieties, including one that we get a lot of questions/requests for: WLP510 Bastogne Belgian Ale Yeast. This high gravity Trappist-style yeast is ideally suited for those big beers that keep us warm throughout the winter, such as Belgian ales, dubbels and trippels. This yeast is a strong fermenter and produces spicy aromatics and dark fruit notes as well as a slightly tart finish. Moreover, it’s a very versatile strain that produces very little phenolic character. It’s also a superb option for an Orval clone. Once 2013 rolls around, ask about it at your local homebrew shop!

Homebrewers, how’s your QC?

Our Alcohol Test Kit Plus let’s you test your beer like the pros. Each kit includes an ABV test for one sample and is postage paid. You can easily add more analytical tests when you register your sample. Ask about it at your local homebrew shop or order online!

Under the Microscope: WLP644 Brettanomyces bruxellensis Trois

Under the Microscope is a new series of Yeastbuddy posts that highlight specific (usually new or seasonal) White Labs strains.

The cat is out of the bag, so to speak, with wild ales, gueuzes, lambics and sours. The demand and desire for funky, sour beers has never been higher- just ask a bottle shop that’s trying to stock Cantillon, or the guy who traveled hours for the release of the newest batch of Lost Abbey’s Cable Car. In 2012, we introduced WLP644 Brettanomyces bruxellensis Trois and it proved to be one of our most popular Platinum Series strains of the year. 2013 will see Brett trois added to our year-round offerings due to popular demand. Brett trois is a versatile Belgian strain that works great in primary fermentation, producing tropical flavors and the signature funky bite that people look for in wild ales. The strain is perfectly suited for 100% brett beers (check out this 100% Brett IPA brewed by our friend The Mad Fermentationist), and works well in bottle conditioning, producing consistent effervescence when added during bottling. So sour brew fanatics rejoice, your homebrewing yeast options just got funkier.

2 new strains part of 2013 Platinum schedule

2013 Platinum Strain Series Release
The White Labs Platinum Series features three seasonal strains that are available in stores for two months at a time.
Jan/Feb
WLP022 Essex Ale Yeast
WLP510 Bastogne Yeast
WLP815 Belgian Lager Yeast
Mar/Apr
WLP009 Australian Ale Yeast
WLP017 Whitbread Ale Yeast – Back by popular demand
WLP860 Munich Helles Yeast
May/June
WLP410 Belgian Wit II Yeast
WLP076 Albion Ale Yeast – NEW
WLP072 French Ale Yeast
July/Aug
WLP006 Bedford British Ale Yeast
WLP540 Abbey IV Yeast
WLP585 Belgian Saison III Yeast
Sept/Oct
WLP039 East Midlands Ale Yeast
WLP709 Sake #9 Yeast – NEW
WLP885 Zurich Lager Yeast
Nov/Dec
WLP037 Yorkshire Square Yeast
WLP515 Antwerp Ale Yeast
WLP920 Old Bavarian Lager Yeast

Announcing the January/February 2013 Platinum Strains

We’re beyond excited to announce the first batch of 2013 Platinum Strains, which will be released in January.

Be sure to ask your homebrew shop about them and plan your brews accordingly!

WLP022 Essex Ale Yeast
Flavorful British style yeast. Drier finish than many British ale yeast. Produces slightly fruity and bready character.    Good top fermenting yeast strain, is well suited for top cropping (collecting). This yeast is well suited for classic British milds, pale ales, bitters, and stouts. Does not flocculate as much as WLP002 and WLP005.

WLP510 Bastogne Belgian Ale Yeast:
A high gravity, Trappist style ale yeast. Produces dry beer with slight acidic finish. More ‘clean’ fermentation character than WLP500 or WLP530. Not as spicy as WLP530 or WLP550. Excellent yeast for high gravity beers, Belgian ales, dubbels and trippels.

WLP815 Belgian Lager Yeast
Clean, crisp European lager yeast with low sulfur  production. The strain originates from a very old brewery in West Belgium. Great for European style pilsners, dark lagers, Vienna lager, and American style lagers.

Chris White To Visit HomeBrew USA

As part of the Customer Club Vial Redemption program, White Labs offers rewards and discounts to repeat customers who send us labels from their used vials. The ultimate reward, given to a homebrew shop that amasses 5,000 labels, sees Chris White himself paying a visit to the shop to brew a beer and hang out with fellow brewers and White Labs faithful. On Saturday, December 8^th, Chris will travel to Norfolk, VA to visit Homebrew USA where he will give a talk, answer questions, and brew an award-winning homebrew with Customer Club member Christopher Knight (a hop-forward Belgian ale brewed with coriander, grapefruit peel and chamomile!)

A real fan

There is a world of dedicated homebrewers out there, but one guy really wants to share his love with others. A gentleman with the tattoo in this photo came into the White Labs tasting room this week. He told company people that he wanted a tattoo that had all the materials he uses for homebrewing, including White Labs yeast. His devotion to the hobby and White Labs is greatly appreciated!