Apex yeasts, anyone?

[J A]

Label Peelers has this yeast in their line up and has a brick of lager yeast at a great price. Anyone have any experience with this brand?
https://labelpeelers.com/beer-makin...s/apex-cultures-munich-true-lager-yeast-500g/

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

Sorry never heard of it.....but that means nothing!

 

[Hawkbox]

Never heard of it. Worth a try though.

 

[J A]

The guy I spoke to at Label Peelers said it was a new product for them. I suspect that it's similar to or the same as 34/70. If that's the case the price in brick quantity is a fraction of the cost of the packets. I'm giving it a try.

 

[HighVoltageMan!]

There is almost no info about this yeast on the internet. Seems to be a bad start to what could be otherwise a great yeast. All I can find is that it's manufactured in Switzerland.

 

[J A]

UPDATE:
I brewed my International Lager last Wednesday and used the Apex Munich Lager yeast for it. I did a 20 gallon batch (21-22 gallons in the fermenter) and pitched 72 grams based on the recommendation. I cooled the wort to 60 and rehydrated the yeast in water until it was warm and foaming. I set the fermenter temp for 58 degrees and it got down to that fairly quickly. I added 2 minutes of bottled O2, though I think the splashing as I filled my big conical might have been enough aeration.I pitched right at midnight (I got a late start and my double batch for that fermenter is a loooong brew day) and the next morning there was already a little pressure in the blow-off tube.
By mid afternoon the first day, there was steady blow-off activity and by around 9 PM it had ramped up to peak blow-off, so essentially 12 hours lag period and less than 24 hours to full krausen.
Very active blowoff continued through day 2 and into day 3 and a mid-morning gravity check showed on day 3 showed that it had dropped to 1.034 (OG 1.052). Blow-off slowed slightly on day 4 and a gravity check showed 1.014. I raised the temp setting to 67 to start diacetyl rest, though the taste sample showed zero diacetyl flavor.
This morning, day 5, gravity is at 1.011 and blow-off has slowed nearly to a stop. It may make another point or two over the next couple of days but the taste sample is crisp and dry and the attenuation is 79 percent. Even if it doesn't go any further, it'll be a successful lager and a good tasting beer. It's hard to tell a lot about the flavor at this stage and can't tell whether it's more like the Fermentis S-23 or 34-70 yeasts. Both of those are pretty fast and clean but the S-23 tends toward a little more fruity flavor. I think in the end, this will be cleaner than that and more like the 34-70.
Conclusion so far is that this is a very clean, very fast yeast with reasonable pitch rate - I could use less at the temp I chose or use the same and drop temp by at least 4-6 points. If I were using Fermentis, I'd use a 2 packets per 5 gallons for fermenting in the 50s that would have been 8 packets and $40 or $50 in yeast. Pitching abundantly with the Apex, I spent about $10 in yeast and that's the first pitch. I could easily brew another 20-30 gallons with this slurry.
I'll update again when I see how it finishes and flocs out.

 

[Brewer #295158]

UPDATE:
I brewed my International Lager last Wednesday and used the Apex Munich Lager yeast for it. I did a 20 gallon batch (21-22 gallons in the fermenter) and pitched 72 grams based on the recommendation. I cooled the wort to 60 and rehydrated the yeast in water until it was warm and foaming. I set the fermenter temp for 58 degrees and it got down to that fairly quickly. I added 2 minutes of bottled O2, though I think the splashing as I filled my big conical might have been enough aeration.I pitched right at midnight (I got a late start and my double batch for that fermenter is a loooong brew day) and the next morning there was already a little pressure in the blow-off tube.
By mid afternoon the first day, there was steady blow-off activity and by around 9 PM it had ramped up to peak blow-off, so essentially 12 hours lag period and less than 24 hours to full krausen.
Very active blowoff continued through day 2 and into day 3 and a mid-morning gravity check showed on day 3 showed that it had dropped to 1.034 (OG 1.052). Blow-off slowed slightly on day 4 and a gravity check showed 1.014. I raised the temp setting to 67 to start diacetyl rest, though the taste sample showed zero diacetyl flavor.
This morning, day 5, gravity is at 1.011 and blow-off has slowed nearly to a stop. It may make another point or two over the next couple of days but the taste sample is crisp and dry and the attenuation is 79 percent. Even if it doesn't go any further, it'll be a successful lager and a good tasting beer. It's hard to tell a lot about the flavor at this stage and can't tell whether it's more like the Fermentis S-23 or 34-70 yeasts. Both of those are pretty fast and clean but the S-23 tends toward a little more fruity flavor. I think in the end, this will be cleaner than that and more like the 34-70.
Conclusion so far is that this is a very clean, very fast yeast with reasonable pitch rate - I could use less at the temp I chose or use the same and drop temp by at least 4-6 points. If I were using Fermentis, I'd use a 2 packets per 5 gallons for fermenting in the 50s that would have been 8 packets and $40 or $50 in yeast. Pitching abundantly with the Apex, I spent about $10 in yeast and that's the first pitch. I could easily brew another 20-30 gallons with this slurry.
I'll update again when I see how it finishes and flocs out.

any update on this? can anyone confirm that Munch Lager is or is not the same as 34/70?
thinking about buying a 500g brick from Label Peelers - works out to $1.60 a packet which is a significant cost savings

 

[Nosybear]

34/70s are isolated from the Weihenstephan lager strain. A Munich lager yeast may or may not be that.

 

[J A]

any update on this? can anyone confirm that Munch Lager is or is not the same as 34/70?
thinking about buying a 500g brick from Label Peelers - works out to $1.60 a packet which is a significant cost savings

That batch of beer turned out quite nicely. I didn't get the initial clearing that I wanted because I think I dosed with too little Biofine. It did clear quite nicely in a couple of weeks but I can usually count on clear beer in just a few days with enough biofine.
I'll have to brew again and put the yeast through it's paces with an all-malt Pilsner to really judge the flavor of it. My initial batch was my 20% rice recipe and that tends to have a slightly less malty finish.
No matter the strain, it's worth the price!

 

[GFHomebrew]

Awesome stuff JA. I hope you got another lager on that slurry or atleast saved some.
That way stretching out your yeast brick buy. I'm a cheap Bast@rd I like to get a few gens out before refreshing the strain plus hey the second gen always outperforms I find.

The descriptor makes it sound like an all round lager yeast much like 34/70 to me.

 

[Bigbre04]

That batch of beer turned out quite nicely. I didn't get the initial clearing that I wanted because I think I dosed with too little Biofine. It did clear quite nicely in a couple of weeks but I can usually count on clear beer in just a few days with enough biofine.
I'll have to brew again and put the yeast through it's paces with an all-malt Pilsner to really judge the flavor of it. My initial batch was my 20% rice recipe and that tends to have a slightly less malty finish.
No matter the strain, it's worth the price!

I know this is an old thread, but do you have any more experience with the Apex yeasties? I bought some of their Voss and im eyeballing their Sandiego and possibly a lager strain?

 

[The Brew Mentor]

I use it, Stock it and sell it.

 

[Bigbre04]

I use it, Stock it and sell it.

Why dont they have a damn website lol?

Do you know if it is Diastaticus(sp?) negative?

Have you had good experiences with any of their lager strains? I love nova lager, but it is pricey. Same thing, height of tourist season, I will still fall back on Nova for clean fast fermentations Without off flavors.

 

[The Brew Mentor]

I believe they are exclusively though LD Carlson (our main supplier).
I have used their San Diego, London, Munich Lager and Kolsch (now discontinued), all with great results.
The store mentioned above is located very close to our supplier and can basically use them as a warehouse, so not having to stock what a typical store would have to. They run on very thin margins and are mainly internet.
We will offer the same products and match price, but it might take me a week to get it in and ship it.
No issues with diastaticus with the ones I've used.
I do my lagers at 60° without issue.
I'm disappointed they dropped the Kolsch yeast as it was the best one I've used.

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

I pitched Apex London 2 days ago and the fermentation is barely happening. It is in an low abv stout and the gravity has gone from 1.044 to 1.039 in 2 days. I read where this yeast is a fast starter and finishes in about 7 days. Unless this thing picks up, 7 days will be surpassed.

 

[Bigbre04]

I pitched Apex London 2 days ago and the fermentation is barely happening. It is in an low abv stout and the gravity has gone from 1.044 to 1.039 in 2 days. I read where this yeast is a fast starter and finishes in about 7 days. Unless this thing picks up, 7 days will be surpassed.

We will need more info especially temps.

I have a brick of their hazy yeast which i assume is what you are referring to? I have not yet used it.

I have used the Munich lager, Voss, and San Diego(chico).

The Voss worked as expected.

The Munich Lager was a little slow to take off, but it finished clean and down to about 78% attenuation. Which is not terrible for the beer style.

The San Diego is currently bubbling away in a sour. It has been very slow fermentation wise, but it was pitched into beer that had llalemand sour pitch already rolling. The PH was 3.4 when i pitched the yeast and 12.8P on Friday afternoon. This morning the ph was down to 3.19 and the grav was 9.1p. This is a HARSH environment to say the yeast! Even Voss struggles to get started in the sours. The Lactic bacteria has eaten most of the Small sugars and it didnt get its normal O2 kick while knocking out.

This does not surprise me at all, but i was hoping that being solidly within the temp range of the Chico yeast would give it a leg up over the Voss. Its going slow but i dont think that is the fault of the yeast.

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

I'm fermenting at 65F which is in the range listed for this yeast.

 

[Bigbre04]

I'm fermenting at 65F which is in the range listed for this yeast.

65 is for sure within range. how hot was it when you pitched it?

 

[Bigbre04]

I'm fermenting at 65F which is in the range listed for this yeast.

I just re-read your comment. 2 days is a long lag phase, but it may kick off and finish fine?

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

Let's hope so. I also have the San Diego I was going to try in a couple of weeks. Now I'm not sure I want to. The good thing is I have time to see if this London works. It's a St Patty's day stout so......