1187 Ringwood Yeast

[Beer-lord]

I'm helping RedBEERd brew this weekend (Yaaaaa!) and he chose to brew the Black Butte Porter from Deschutes (another yaaaaa!) and we're using the suggested Ringwood yeast. I've never used this and am making a starter but everything I read says it really benefits from a diacetyl rest. Now I know 3 weeks should do the trick but we're going to try to get this into the bottles and keg a little sooner since some are going to show up in Asheville and as it calls for fermenting between 63-65, would you think a week at that temp and a week at 68-70 should do the trick with maybe a few extra days on the end as insurance?
I know this yeast has it's own fruity ester profile that works with certain ales but I think we really don't want to push those flavors too much so we're going to follow the recipe and keep it no higher than 65 until fermentation is on the way down.
So, anyone use this yeast and want to share their thoughts? I'm surprised to see many people poo-poohing this yeast. Sounds like something perfect for this beer to me.

[mashani]

This is going to sound like I'm being a jerk, but this is just being honest (and I love Ringwood yeast).

Use London ESB if you don't want the esters.

Ringwood is a lot of trouble to keep happy. But if you do, it makes a wonderful ester profile (think Samual Smiths nut brown like) if you like those kinds of English beers.

But if you do not want the ester profiles that Ringwood brings when fermented at proper real ale temperatures, then *do not use it*. You are just wasting the yeast and your time as far as I'm concerned.

If you try to ferment Ringwood too cool it will stall out, flock out, and you will be stuck with a high FG and a sweet beer. In a closed pressurized fermenter Ringwood needs to be swirled around all the time to re-suspend it even at proper temps. It's likely going to try to floc out a few days into fermentation and if you ferment too cold to avoid esters, no amount of rousing is going to get it going again.
If you do manage to ferment that cool and keep it from flocing out, then you will need the long D-rest, because you were not being friendly to the yeastie beasties.

The only thing that might help in that regards is if you pitch at Pro Brewer rates, I'd say around 400 billion cells at 5 gallons (this is assuming your making a 5.something% beer and not the imperial version of that stuff) or maybe even more. That might solve all problems. It is probably what Deschutes does if they turn it over quickly. Maybe they even open ferment a bit, that's how Ringwood and West Yorkshire yeasts are used in their natural habitat by the English brewers who love them.

[Beer-lord]

Thanks mash but it's already in the starter. I am going to overpitch (calls for 284 billion and I'm going to use about 350 billion) and oxygenate so I expect a fast ferment at 63-65. This recipe does specifically call for this yeast of the White Labs equivalent (which the LHBS did not have) so we're going with it.
I've done a ton of reading on it and it seems that if do what I planned, I'm good. Most of what I've read says it flacs out fast, usually in 4-5 days. I'm going to suggest he ferments at 65 or so for 7 days and the next 7 days at 68-70 then see where we are.
I predict an awesome Porter sooner than later.
Thanks for the info.

[mashani]

Most of what I've read says it flacs out fast, usually in 4-5 days

Just be aware that it might try to do it even sooner then that, and if so, you need to swirl around your fermenter a bit to stop that from happening.

[Beer-lord]

Gotcha! I read that too. Maybe twice a day for the first few days.