Omega Yeast 028 - W

[AGbrewer]

Anyone used the Omega Yeast 028?

Looking for info on taste, aroma, flocculation, fermentation time, and attenuation. I'm planning on brewing a Belgian Tripel this week (recipe below) and wanted to see how other people perceived it. It's somewhat difficult to find much anything on this particular yeast. There are a couple blog entries, but not much. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Devil's Backbone

Brew Method: BIAB
Style Name: Belgian Tripel
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 5.25 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.052
Efficiency: 75% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.089
Final Gravity: 1.016
ABV (standard): 9.61%
IBU (tinseth): 33.24
SRM (morey): 4.38
Mash pH: 0

FERMENTABLES:
14 lb - Pale 2-Row (88.9%)
1.75 lb - Cane Sugar - (late addition) (11.1%)

HOPS:
0.3 oz - Galaxy, Type: Pellet, AA: 14.25, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 15.23
0.5 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 100 °F, IBU: 7.85
0.5 oz - Galaxy, Type: Pellet, AA: 14.25, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 100 °F, IBU: 10.16

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 150 F, Time: 75 min, Amount: 4.5 gal
2) Fly Sparge, Temp: 175 F, Time: 20 min, Amount: 3 gal

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
0.5 g - Beer Nutrient, Time: 15 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Boil
20 ml - Lactic acid, Time: 0 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Mash

YEAST:
Omega Yeast Labs - Belgian Ale W OYL-028
Starter: 2 Liter
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 76%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 64 - 78 F

 

[oliver]

Belgian Ale W is the Westmalle strain, (hence Belgian W)

It's the same DNA as White Labs 530 and Wyeast 3787, just a different company. I've used the Omega strain, I enjoyed it. It was a very strong fermenter.

If you want to grab a taste test, buy a bottle of Westmalle's tripel to get a really good idea.

 

[AGbrewer]

Belgian Ale W is the Westmalle strain, (hence Belgian W)

It's the same DNA as White Labs 530 and Wyeast 3787, just a different company. I've used the Omega strain, I enjoyed it. It was a very strong fermenter.

If you want to grab a taste test, buy a bottle of Westmalle's tripel to get a really good idea.

I've had Westmalle's tripel, but didn't really like it. It's been a while (probably 5 years or so), but I seem to recall it being a little too bitter for my liking.

Having said that, my tastes have changed and I probably need to give it another shot just to see what it's like (thanks for the suggestion). Any other commercial beer that you can think of that uses the same strain?

 

[AGbrewer]

Had to change it up due to my Mash & Boil unit giving the inevitable ERR4 message and scorching on the bottom. Ended up going with Citra for the bittering hops and Galaxy with Citra for the Flameout additions. Not really sure how to get Flameout to show up in Brewers Friend Software, guess I'll post that question on the Support Forum. Also added 1 pound of Crystal 40 for head retention, mouth feel, and some flavor. Probably not to style, but then again, I'm not all that interested in keeping inline with "Style" for this particular batch.

Anyways, wanted to give an update on the fermentation of the beer. Started out at 65 degrees (1 degree hotter than the lower limit listed for Omega 028 W yeast) and have bumped it 1/2 degree each day. Airlock shows steady activity (1 bubble every second for 3 days now), but no blow off tube needed. I'm using a 6.5 Gallon Anvil SS fermenter with a semi-conical bottom and only put in a total of 5 gallons (a bit less than anticipated due to lack of focus on my part during the boil). So far so good, can really smell the Citra hops and sweet malt coming through already. Will post more after Primary Fermentation is completed. I've heard that this particular yeast strain sometimes takes a bit longer to finish out. We'll see...


HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Devil's Backbone

Brew Method: BIAB
Style Name: Belgian Tripel
Boil Time: 90 min
Batch Size: 5.0 gallons (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 7.5 gallons
Boil Gravity: 1.055
Efficiency: 75% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.094
Final Gravity: 1.017
ABV (standard): 10.11%
IBU (tinseth): 40.16
SRM (morey): 8.4
Mash pH: NA

FERMENTABLES:
14 lb - Pale 2-Row (83.6%)
1 lb - Crystal 40 (10.4%)
1.75 lb - Cane Sugar - (late addition) (11.1%)

HOPS:
0.5 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 14.25, Use: Boil for 30 min, IBU: 15.23
0.5 oz - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 100 °F, IBU: 7.85
0.5 oz - Galaxy, Type: Pellet, AA: 14.25, Use: Whirlpool for 20 min at 100 °F, IBU: 10.16

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 150 F, Time: 75 min, Amount: 4.5 gal
2) Fly Sparge, Temp: 175 F, Time: 20 min, Amount: 3 gal

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
0.5 g - Beer Nutrient, Time: 15 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Boil


YEAST:
Omega Yeast Labs - Belgian Ale W OYL-028
Starter: 2 Liter
Form: Liquid
Attenuation (avg): 76%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 64 - 78 F

 

[AGbrewer]

Spoke too soon. Came home on Monday and the Airlock was full of yeast and junk. Had to add a Blow Off tube. Smelled great, very sweet malt and Citrusy. Time will tell if it is going to taste good.

I also upped the temp every day by 1/2 a degree. I'm at 69.5 right now.

 

[Craigerrr]

Spoke too soon. Came home on Monday and the Airlock was full of yeast and junk. Had to add a Blow Off tube. Smelled great, very sweet malt and Citrusy. Time will tell if it is going to taste good.

I also upped the temp every day by 1/2 a degree. I'm at 69.5 right now.

I had that happen once, and have used a blow off tube ever since. Better to have it in place and not need it, than the other way around

 

[ChicoBrewer]

I had that happen once, and have used a blow off tube ever since. Better to have it in place and not need it, than the other way around

Just make sure you take it off when you cold crash or you'll be asking yourself why the starsan bottle is empty

 

[AGbrewer]

It does seem odd that it took 4 days to happen. Would have thought it would have blown off withing 48 hours. Oh well, at least it didn't make a huge mess. I think I caught it within 1 hour of when it started getting into the air lock, so my fermentation fridge wasn't covered in sticky wort, just the lid of the fermenter.

Also, this thing is bubbling every 2 seconds at least. I know that bubbling isn't a reliable indicator of how much is going on in the fermenter, but that is quite a bit of activity for almost 6 days into the fermentation cycle.

 

[BOB357]

Never attempt to outthink yeast. It'll win every time

 

[GFHomebrew]

Quote of the month Bob @Yooper he should get a beer voucher for that .

 

[Nosybear]

Quote of the month Bob @Yooper he should get a beer voucher for that .

Second that. It's not that they're smarter, there are just a lot more of them.

 

[jmcnamara]

Second that. It's not that they're smarter, there are just a lot more of them.

Incidentally, that's one of the reasons I want an army of squirrels...

 

[Craigerrr]

Just make sure you take it off when you cold crash or you'll be asking yourself why the starsan bottle is empty

Yep, learned that one the hard way too...

 

[Craigerrr]

Let it ride AG