London Ale III

[Martin the fish]

I have a Wyeast activator smack pack of this safely stored in my yeast fridge.

What's your experience of this yeast? Do any of you guys use it often? Or at all? I am looking for a yeast to use as my standard 'brewery' yeast. I also got Ringwood and have dried windsor and nottingham arriving shortly. I'm keen to ranch a bit of each to enable me to have some viable yeasts at all times. It takes a week plus shipping to get any yeast other than S04 where i am. S04 is ok but it's a bit boring.

Also, as i like hoppy pale ales and tend to steer towards APA's would some yank yeast be worthy to have and to use-any reccomendations? Your comments appreciated.

[steve_flack]

If you're brewing American ales you could try out US-05. It's a dried yeast and is similar to the Sierra Nevada strain (which is similar to Wyeast 1056 and Whitelab WLP-001).

[Martin the fish]

I think i've used US-05 before in a kit. I think i'll give it a go in my next NZPA.

[steve_flack]

It interesting to note (whilst on the subject of NZPA) that Sierra Nevada are doing a special NZ version of their Harvest beer.

http://www.sierranevada.com/beers/harvest_southern.html

[Martin the fish]

It interesting to note (whilst on the subject of NZPA) that Sierra Nevada are doing a special NZ version of their Harvest beer.

http://www.sierranevada.com/beers/harvest_southern.html

Damm, they've nicked my idea the buggers!!!

Mine is a bit more English than that though. NZPA should be. After all we are mostly POMS here. But you'd kill half the population here with 6.7% alcohol. Anything over 4% is a bit racey here.

[steve_flack]

It seems that in American craft beers 5% is seen as a session beer (a bit like in Belgium).

[iowalad]

I have used it a few times.
I have been happy with it.

It tolerates warmer temps a bit better than other English yeasts I have tried. It flocs out well (although nothing like 1968). It also leaves a little bit more residual sweetness than say 1028 or 1275.

Like many English yeasts it doesn't let the hops shine thru as much as say US-05 or Notthingham. I have liked it well enough in bitters and milds.

Wyeast website: http://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain ... cfm?ID=140

[Oscar Brewer]

I've used Y1318 quite a lot over the past year and have re-pitched it for 8 generations and I've currently stored it on a slant for future use. It's generates good but not excessive esters and settles hard on the base of the bottle or keg. I've top-cropped it for re-use by skimming when the fermentation is just above the 1/4 gravity stage. Although it doesn't ferment as rapidly as some strains it remains my current favourite and seems especially suited to low gravity bitter & milds. I understand it has an alcohol tolerance of about 9% although I've never tried it for a beer of this strength.

[Grot]

1318 is the house yeast at my local brewpub. They use it in stouts, american ambers and wheats, IPAs and a couple of others. I think it does quite well with their hoppy beers and they tend to go pretty big (both IBUs and ABV) with their IPAs.

It seems that in American craft beers 5% is seen as a session beer (a bit like in Belgium).

Sad but true. Most places seem afraid to brew a traditional bitter in the 3.3-4.0 range as most of my compatriots equate low ABV with low flavor.