Wyeast 4021

Production methods from starch to sugars.

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aczesz
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Wyeast 4021

Post by aczesz »

Anyone ever use wyeast 4021? Got some in the mail today and going to run my next batch with it and save the yeast cake since its much more pricy than bread yeast. Just wondering if it is a top fermenting or bottom fermenting before i make a mess all over the floor and how much better it will make a corn and barley wash taste over bread yeast.
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kiwi Bruce
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Re: Wyeast 4021

Post by kiwi Bruce »

Only ever used it for mead, works well. They say...
AKA, Prise de mousse. Used in many white wine fermentations and also some red wines. Also used for secondary fermentation of barley wine. Ferments crisp and dry, ideal for base wines in champagne making. Low foaming, excellent barrel fermentation, good flocculating characteristics. Dry White Wines, Spumante, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Blanc, Gewurtztraminer. Temperature Range: 55-75 F. Alcohol Tolerance: 17%.
So...
aczesz wrote: how much better it will make a corn and barley wash taste over bread yeast.
You will have to let us know ! ! !
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MDH
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Re: Wyeast 4021

Post by MDH »

Probably quite neutral. If you want to try and tap some character out of it, try a lower than normal pitch rate and ferment hot (77+/25)
The still is not a liar. Mash and ferment quality is 99.9% of your performance.
aczesz
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Re: Wyeast 4021

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So I ended up trying this, made about a 750ml starter for 6gal wash. Fermented in a SSBrewtech conical fermenter. SG went from 1.061 to 1.051 and didnt drop any more even after over a week. I think the bottom fermenting yeast in the conical just didnt make out, too little surface area at the bottom. It was a corn and barley mash that I aerated. No yeast nutrients were added. I ended up giving up on it and drained the wash. I probably wont try it again unless I make a huge starter.
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kiwi Bruce
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Re: Wyeast 4021

Post by kiwi Bruce »

Total Bummer ! If you have a wash that sticks again let us on HD know, there has to at least 30 reasons why a wash will stick, and a bunch of us here who can help, by giving you some suggestions as to what you can do. For example :- Did you taste it before you dumped it ? How did it taste ?What was the temp in your "Brew shack" ?. Did you consider dropping a "Yeast Bomb" into it ? With it having started and then cutting out there was probably enough alcohol to give it some protection from the "Wild Baddies" However, there are a number of our HD members that actually encourage these wild things to invade there washes, as it gives a great flavor addition...anyway keep on trying, you will get it down to a routine.
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aczesz
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Re: Wyeast 4021

Post by aczesz »

kiwi Bruce wrote:Total Bummer ! If you have a wash that sticks again let us on HD know, there has to at least 30 reasons why a wash will stick, and a bunch of us here who can help, by giving you some suggestions as to what you can do. For example :- Did you taste it before you dumped it ? How did it taste ?What was the temp in your "Brew shack" ?. Did you consider dropping a "Yeast Bomb" into it ? With it having started and then cutting out there was probably enough alcohol to give it some protection from the "Wild Baddies" However, there are a number of our HD members that actually encourage these wild things to invade there washes, as it gives a great flavor addition...anyway keep on trying, you will get it down to a routine.
Will do next time! Trying a different yeast again this week (DADDY yeast) so if it stalls out I will post it up here.

I tried some stuff, I'll list it out here. First I tasted it after I took a sample, tasted like lite beer. I then aerated it with a sanitary fish tank air tube and fish tank air pump for 30min. Let it sit for another two days and no change in SG. Then I made my usual yeast starter out of bread yeast and dumped it in and left it over a weekend. Late sunday I took a sample and no change in SG, even checked it with two different hydrometers incase the paper in one of them had moved. The temperature in the fermenter started around 84* F when I first pitched the Wyeast and was 78* F when I took my first sample. Stayed around room temp from there on out. Now I could have added the Wyeast too hot and killed a lot of the cells. Maybe when I have some extra time I will try another batch with the 4021 in a 3gal carboy.
Only drink the stuff ya make!
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