Textured crystals of have been grown by the platinum strip heater-floating zone technique. Texturing ratio and phase purity (Bi-2212) of the grown crystals were calculated from the x-ray diffraction data. Chemical compositions of the grown crystals were quantified from the inductively coupled plasma analysis. was found to be increased by 2 K for a lower level of substitution and a superconductor to semiconductor transition was observed for the higher order Y substitution. Oxygen stoichiometries of the Y substituted crystals were quantified from the iodometry titration method. Micro-twinning along the growth axis was revealed during etching studies for the cleaved crystals.