WLP835 German X?

[BrewerJ]

Has anyone used it? I just picked up a vial at my local HBS and have it going in a cream ale type wort. I would be interested in other brewers results with this yeast. Temps, flavor profiles, esters, Diacetyl?

[brewpunk]

I brewed a Munich Dunkel, pitched @ 45F with 1750ml starter and let it rise to 48F. It took off within 12 hours and I held at 48-50 for a week. I let it free rise to 60F where I held it for 2 days. I then crash cooled and lagered at 33F for 6 weeks. OG: 1.056 FG 1.014. One of the best beers I've ever brewed. Very rich malt character, no sulfur or diacetyl. I will definitely keep using this as long as White Labs makes it available.

[BrewerJ]

sounds good, does it compare to any other lager yeast? 830, 833, 838 are my usual lager yeast

[Afterlab]

I also brewed a Munich Dunkel with it back in August.

73% Munich
13% Weyermann Pilsner
3% Caramunich
1.7% Carafa Special II
1.7% Franco Belges Kiln Coffee

27 Total IBU's of Hallertauer.

Fermented at 48F-50F, activity started within 8-10 hours, had lots of foamy krausen and typical sulfur aroma but didn't need a blowoff tube. Did a 60F diacetyl rest for 24 hours starting on Day 14 then bumped it up to 65 for another 48 hours. Around Day 17 all airlock activity ceased. Yeast was very flocculent and did not leave any chill haze present compared to the other lager yeast I was using at the moment (940 Mexican Lager (Grupo Modelo), 830 (Weihenstephan 34/70), 833 German Bock Lager (Ayinger)).

I don't pretend to be a lager yeast expert but I would say this is very different from the 830. I may also be biased against 830 because I was not a huge fan of the beer I made using it. 835 flocculated a lot more and quicker, attenuated a little less and left a creamy mouthfeel. I think the the 833 is a better comparison for 835 and it maybe worth doing a side by side comparison of the two strains.

One thing to mention is this beer required a quick turnaround and was done in less than 55 days. Here is the initial impression I got from the first beer:

Creamy mouthfeel with a semi-dry, bready, caramel coffee, cinnabon flavor and aroma in the finish. Pours a creamy white head with a dark ruby brown color. Crisp and easy drinking despite the creamy malt texture. Real smooth bitterness from the hallertauer hops. Fantastic balance of malt flavor and sweetness. No fusel alcohols or off flavors detected. No yeast esters or sulfur present. May need to increase the amount of late IBUs because it almost smelled like there were no hops in the beer.

I would definitely use this yeast again.

[BrewerJ]

Well I look forward to doing a series of lagers with this yeast. I will post my results for anyone interested in the future.

[brewinhard]

Well I look forward to doing a series of lagers with this yeast. I will post my results for anyone interested in the future.

Please do! I was going to purchase a vial of this last time I ordered, but I wimped out and went with WL 833 instead for my winter lager run. I am such a pussy....Thanks J!

[dunleav1]

I do split fermentations all the time.I ferment my lagers at 50 - pitch at 44. I warm up to 55 after I'm 85% fermented.
I have tested all the normal White lab lager yeasts and 830 is my favorite for Helles, dunkel, rauch, swartzbiers.
I think a pilsner needs a pilsner yeast.

I then ran 830 against 835 and found that I like 835. I like it a lot.
It's a lot cleaner than 830. In my helles I preferred 835, but in rauchbiers I like 830. 835 is like the chico lager to me.
The people who have tasted 830 vs 835 in my beers have split preferences.
Some like 830 and some like 835.

I hope White labs makes it a permanent strain.

I think of it this way...
The same way saaz hops make a beer taste like a beer, 830 makes a beer taste like a beer.
Make perfect sense?

[BrewerJ]

Thanks for the info dunleave, I look forward to the results!