Review of WLP090 Super San Diego Yeast

[Mills]

I have been working with 090 for a few batches now and I am very pleased. Let it be said that it is a very clean clean yeast in the same vein as 001. The advantage to it is speed and floc time. On the homebrew side, if you have the time, feel free to stick with 001. If you need to shave a few days off your process, give 090 a shot.

It starts pretty fast, under 12 hour if I let the starter go for 24 or so hours. It attenuates well. I mashed my helles type beer (no crystal malt) @156 and got 77% attenuation with 090, with the majority of fermentation happening at 60. It does generate more heat than a 001 fermentation, so keep an eye on your temps. I got 70% attenuation when I mashed at 159 for my Irish Red (15% of grist crystal malt). I have a cal common on now @ 63 and I will report back on that beer when it finishes. That was mashed at 155.

I find that it flocs out 33-50% than 001.

One day on gelatin in 30 degree finished beer, it gets bright.

Mills

[Stinkfist]

Have you done any of these same recipes using 001 to see how it compares directly?

[Mills]

Yes, both for the helles type beer and the irish red. The results were the same for both beers. The beer with 090 were done 33-50% faster, very similar ester profile (very clean), I thought that the 090 left the malt a touch more expressive in the helles.

Mills

[Oktober]

Cool. Thanks for the info Mills. I've been looking at that vial for a while wondering if it was worth it. Now I'll have to give it a try the next time I am doing an 001 beer.

-Okt

[Deathrider]

I have brewed several beers with the 090 and was very pleased with the results. Three days and done, for 1.050 or lower beers. I still used a starter.

[Mills]

New attenuation numbers. With a Cal Common, I had just shy of 12% crystal and dextrin malt in the grist, mashed at 155 and got 75% attenuation. It seems as if with the three brews taken into consideration, we can start making some assumptions about the attenuation rate of this yeast, system specific of course.

I would love to hear others experiences with this yeast.

Mills

[Petedadink]

First time using this yeast I did an basic wheat beer. 1.052 down to 1.010 in 3 days using one vial .It had traces of diacityl but If I was looking to have beer done in 3 days and wasnt aware of what the flavor was Id been ok with it. After 5 it dropped clear and kegged at 7. Very close to the 001 with a brighter finish. I currently have an extract version of Janets brown fermenting with it. Second day I was happy I kept the foil on my carboy. It seemed like an endless flow of yeast blowing out the top! In fac thats been going for 5 days now. I cant wait to try it out.

[beerhog]

i have found this yeast attenuates really well is clean as or cleaner than 1056/001 and flocs out well. but it is like a pommy yeast in that while it flocs well it really needs a d rest. on my first beer i thougjt it had finished in 2 days so 5 on the yeast it would be clean. wrong. big diactyl but now i treat it like i would a pom yeast and raise the temp and give it ten days total and it is brilliant.i am really loving it.