3 replies to this topic

[ncbeerbrewer]

I just called my LHBS and reserved a smack pack of the VSS Wyeast Hella Bock strain. I am going to pick it up tomorrow morning and probably brew with it this weekend. I have reused yeast and repitched many times with a huge assortment of yeasts and I have generally followed the repitch yeast from a lower gravity beer into a higher gravity brew. I have gone reverse high to low but it was like a 1.056 beer into a 1.052/50 beer. I have never seen any ill effects. I was at the LHBS this past weekend and was talking to the owner and we got into repitching yeast discussion. I mentioned to him about going from low to high and he said you can go from high to low and would be ok since the yeast would have built up a higher alcohol tolerance from fermenting in the higher gravity wort first. He also thought it would have minimal off flavor impact going from high to low. I want to brew a German Bock with the Hella Bock strain and projected SG is around 1.070. I also wanna use this yeast again and might go down in SG with a future beer. My question is do you think this is a bad idea and if you do can anyone suggest a recipe to try as a first go around with the Hella Bock strain. I am curious to hear what you all think about the high to low repitch of yeast. Now understand I would not consider a repitch from say an Impy IPA to a lower gravity I understand high alcohol fermentation make the yeast struggle and are not healthy for repitches too. Cheers all.

[drewseslu]

I don't know that strain in particular, but in general a 1.070 wort fermentation won't do too much damage, but it will stress the little fellas, out. If you're concerned about health, then make a weak starter for some of your harvested yeast before pitching into the next batch. It will give them a generation to get their act back together. But, I think if you pitch soon after fermentation, you'll be fine.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Thanks Drew. I did get to thinking about a plan after I put in this post and I think I am going to switch it up a bit from what I posted too. I have a fresh Staro Prague yeast cake that I just transferred my Bo Pils off of that I am going to brew a Vienna Lager with then I will start off the Hella Bock on a Schwarzbier and go up the gravity scale from there. Your advice makes sense too and I will keep that in mind further so we will see how things go. Thanks

[drewseslu]

Looks like a good plan...and some tasty lagers, to boot!