Lallemand London ESB Premium Yeast

[Kev888]

Yeah, from what people have described I don't think this will supersede wlp002 for me. It still sounds very interesting though, particularly as the attenuation seems to respond so well to changes in mash temperature and grain types. Will definitely be trialling some in the new year.

[Rkzi]

Any new experiences with this yeast?

I brewed a vienna fuggles smash "summer bitter" a month ago with this and I'm quite happy with the result. Late hop amounts were taken from Jamil's best bitter recipe but I increased the IBUs from 30 to 39 and used fuggles instead of EKG (https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/ ... irsty-esb/). I pitched 1 packet into 10 liters of 1.050 wort and the fermentation started fast and seemed to be over quickly. Gravity at this point was 1.017, which was spot on with predicted gravity (65 C mash temp, 65% attenuation), but I let it sit for two weeks in the primary. When the bottling time came, the beer was at 1.014 but my fast fermentation test was reading 1.012-1.013, so I added sugar to reach carbonation of only 1 vol. There was bit of apple aroma in the beer and the leftovers had a bit of apple taste so I was bit worried about acetaldehyde but bottled anyway.

Luckily the apple aroma and taste went away during the first week of bottle conditioning, in fact I think that the yeast itself has a bit of appley taste when in suspension. Two weeks after bottling the beer is already clear in bottles but still bit hazy when chilled. Carbonation is also quite good, but I think it's closer to 2 vols so the yeast probably ate the two missing points after bottling. Taste is good, crisp, clean and balanced, but I don't seem to detect any esters. I'm really liking the strong fuggles flavor, it's my first time tasting them in a freshly-made beer. I will definitely brew something similar again, but maybe alter to the grain bill to get some complexity and try it with different British hops to truly get to know the flavors they give. I would also like to test Windsor to see how it compares to this yeast.

[Piscator]

I use it and like it a lot more than SO4 or Notty.
I make sure I have plenty of calcium in the liquor, some invert sugar and unmalted adjuncts in the recipe and a fairly low OG (say about 1.040, which it will get to 1.012 easily).

I start fermentation with this at 20°C and allow it to rise to 22°C after 72 hours.
In the bottle it drops out crystal clear and sticks to the bottom nice and tight.

[charliemartin]

Just brewed a best bitter with this yeast. OG of 1.043 mashed at 66C. Two days in and dropped to 1.016. Definite slight sulphur note to the aroma. Hoping to get it down to 1.012 before bottling.

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[stokie_spaceman]

Interested on what it does next. Just done two brews with this yeast. A 1.045 gravity bitter mashed at 67 deg c and a 1043 gravity mild mashed at 66 Dec c on some slurry made into a starter from the bitter. Both stopped dead at 1.016 (less than 65% att) and never moved. Nice flavour but a touch sweet.

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[Kev888]

Since last posting, I tried this strain in a small test batch of all-grain bitter with an OG of 1.048. Fermented at 20c it dropped to an FG of about 1.013, which was slightly lower than wanted or expected from an ESB style yeast. I'd been hoping for more like 1.015 or so, though the mash was only 67c so there is scope for adjustment.

It cleared to an acceptable degree without post-fermentation finings or chilling, though it took a while it was better than say Windsor in this respect. So not an especially flocculant strain, though not terrible. The flavour was okay, it did taste like a true British style, but just wasn't very pronounced. However there were no dodgy flavours either so it could probably be pushed a bit in the hope of bringing out more character.

So, I'd want to try it with a warmer mash and warmer fermentation, possibly under-pitched a bit, to see if it responds with more flavour and higher FG. IMO there are better combinations of flocculation, attenuation and flavour available in liquid form, but in comparison to other dried yeast types this has potential. I'm certainly going to keep some in for emergencies and unanticipated brew days.

[charliemartin]

My SG didn't move for 4 days so pitched a pack of rehydrated Crossmyloof US Pale Ale yeast as I wanted this to finish a bit drier than 1.016. Fermentation started up again with bubbles through the blow-off tube. Checked the SG today and it is down to 1.012 and still active. Small dry hop planned for tomorrow to boost the aroma a little.

[stokie_spaceman]

Finding the sweet spot seems to be the key. From my limited experience on two batches, I would mash lower than normal, but the difference between fermenting maltotriose and not fermenting it seems to be quite a few gravity points I reckon.

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[Kev888]

The sweet spot may also differ for different preferences too. TBH I personally find it surprising that many people are selecting an ESB yeast yet wanting a low FG, which IMO isn't really what this type is about - reducing the residuals seems unlikely to take full advantage of it.

[stokie_spaceman]

I do agree, But I felt that 1.016 final gravity from 1.043 and 1.045 was high when 1.012 or 1.013 would have been nice. Especially as it didn't really reach spec attenuation at just under 65%. Also, I seem to find I can finish at low gravity say 1.010 and high gravity 1.016 say for modest og, but struggle to get in between.

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[charliemartin]

It depends what you mean by "wanting a low FG". I wasn't looking for a low FG, just not one as high as 1.016. I quite like a bit of residual sweetness in my beer, but I was looking to hit about 4% abv and at 1.016 it was only 3.5%. If I were to use it again I would mash lower. Apparent attenuation only hit about 62% ish. I expected a little more than that even from an ESB yeast. My other concern was that I would get creeping attenuation in the bottle and end up with overcarbed bottles.

[Kev888]

Yeah, I wasn't specifically thinking of you in this; sorry I should have been clearer - 1.016 is certainly not in danger of being over-attenuated. Its more those who seem to be expecting quite low FGs that have surprised me - I'd have thought (say) nottingham would suit that aim far better.

[charliemartin]

For sure Nottingham is the way to go if you are looking for a low FG. The CML yeast I pitched is churning away still. Just hope it doesn't go too low!
One of my best beers was an ESB made with Windsor and US05. The Windsor stuck at 1.020, but the 05 finished it off. A few weeks conditioning and it was lovely. Be nice if this beer turned out as good.

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