9 replies to this topic

[johnpreuss]

Ok, so I'm getting a grain mill in a couple weeks (Yeeeaaaa!!! I'm excited if you can't tell!! Oh barley crusher make a home in my garage!!!)Anyways, I am also planning on buying a sack of Marris Otter, and a pound of Targets, Goldings, williamettes and cascades off Hopsdirect and making a run on English(okay, maybe an american brown or two as well thus the cascades). I'll probably get my crystal, adjuncts, etc from my LHBS so I will have lots of options.I have an ESB recipe I would like to tweek a little, and would like to try making an English Pale ale and an English blonde (Ken Lenard's British Blonde looks like a nice start) and maybe finishing with an Old Ale for grins. I think I'd make the pale ale first, harvest half the cake and pitch something on top of the other half possible giving me a couple more beers to go as well, may be a brown, stout or porter. I know this looks like alot of beers off of one pack of yeast but it's only 2 or three of each half of the cake so from everything I have read I should be good.So I have very little experience with the british yeasts other than S-04. I would like to go the Wyeast route but I'm not sure what strain would be a "house strain" to make a run on. I know Ken loves the 1099 strain, several other people like the 1968 ESB strain and still other's have their own favorites. I need some insight on where to go with this one so if you guys could help me out that would be greatly appreciated.

[ncbeerbrewer]

Ok, so I'm getting a grain mill in a couple weeks (Yeeeaaaa!!! I'm excited if you can't tell!! Oh barley crusher make a home in my garage!!!)Anyways, I am also planning on buying a sack of Marris Otter, and a pound of Targets, Goldings, williamettes and cascades off Hopsdirect and making a run on English(okay, maybe an american brown or two as well thus the cascades). I'll probably get my crystal, adjuncts, etc from my LHBS so I will have lots of options.I have an ESB recipe I would like to tweek a little, and would like to try making an English Pale ale and an English blonde (Ken Lenard's British Blonde looks like a nice start) and maybe finishing with an Old Ale for grins. I think I'd make the pale ale first, harvest half the cake and pitch something on top of the other half possible giving me a couple more beers to go as well, may be a brown, stout or porter. I know this looks like alot of beers off of one pack of yeast but it's only 2 or three of each half of the cake so from everything I have read I should be good.So I have very little experience with the british yeasts other than S-04. I would like to go the Wyeast route but I'm not sure what strain would be a "house strain" to make a run on. I know Ken loves the 1099 strain, several other people like the 1968 ESB strain and still other's have their own favorites. I need some insight on where to go with this one so if you guys could help me out that would be greatly appreciated.

John,Are you and me on the same wavelength here or something? I am starting a run of some English based beers myself too. Now I can't give you much in the lines of personal experience from all the english yeasts as I was in your place earlier this week. I am planning to brew a Pale Ale, IPA, then probably an English Barleywine. What I did was look at the Wyeast site read the descriptions and what they suggest for each style. I tried to pick the yeast that fit the most styles that I wanted to brew. I decided to go with the Wyeast 1335 British Ale II and got a smack pack this week. I am making a starter in the morning. There is a thread posted on this yeast that I put up a couple of days ago. Anyways just my $0.02 as I know there are plenty on here that have already brewed with these yeasts but 1335 seems to be a good choice too.Prost.

[ThroatwobblerMangrove]

I've only used 1318 for liquid english strains. I've actually made 2 beers with it but I haven't tried either yet so I can't say much there. From my previous research I think 1028 would be an excellent choice for an all around yeast.

[Breakpoint]

You could go with VSS 1882 Thames Valley II. I haven't brewed with it, but when I make runs with a single yeast I like to make it with the VSS since you don't know when you'll see them again.

[ncbeerbrewer]

You could go with VSS 1882 Thames Valley II. I haven't brewed with it, but when I make runs with a single yeast I like to make it with the VSS since you don't know when you'll see them again.

+1. When I got a smack pack of 1335 on Thursday the guy at the LHBS suggested this yeast as well. He says its a really good one. I agree though I have made good use of the VSS strains. I brewed 5 lagers with the Staro and Hella Bock strains that were out this past quarter.

[Big Nake]

There was another good thread here on English Ale yeasts... maybe do a search. FWIW, the 1028, 1098, 1099 and 1968 are all fantastic and slightly different in their own way. They are all relatively clean, floc like MOFOs and just have slight differences. This one is slightly tart, that one is more bready, this one is minerally, etc. Because these yeasts like to floc, they leave a slightly sweet beer behind so take that into consideration when you put the recipe and mash schedule together. Mash lower and don't overdo the specialty grains. I think the 1028 is the place to start because I think it's sort of the 1056 of English Ales, but that's just my opinion. I think that 1968 is another possible starting point because it's an amazing yeast. It's attenuation is a little lower (leaving residual sweetness) and it's floccing capability is unparalleled. As I look through English Ale recipes (for pales & bitters), it occurs to me that many of them are very simple... UK Pale Malt, some amount of British Crystal 55°L (anywhere from 8 oz up to about a pound) and some Torrified Wheat for body & head stability. Kents, Fuggles, EKGs, Styrian Goldings, Phoenix & Target seem to be the most commonly used hops. I think my last bottle of Aviator's English Ale was dusted at the last local homebrewer's gathering. Cheerio!

[orudis]

IMO there are just too many to choose from. I typically use White Labs and really like London Ale, but almost every platinum strain I've sed has also been great- I have a carboy of essex ale finishing up right now, and the best bitter is a great one as well. My suggestion would be to pick one and pitch it into an ordinary bitter or mild- if you want to get inside british styles, this is the place to start- a bitter if you like 'em more hop-balanced, a mild if you are more of a malt-balanced type. Good luck!

[johnpreuss]

Thanks for the input guys. I will have to see what I can get. I think I would like to go the Thames Valley II but if I can't get it maybe run the 1968 because how well it floccs. I'm just really leary to order yeast from midwest right now because I'm afraid it would freeze in the fedex truck right now. It's been awefully cold up here lately.

[drewseslu]

WL007 FTW!

[Big Nake]

What about this... brew a 5-gallon batch with whatever grain & hop schedule you like and then divide the wort into however many vessels you like (2 primaries with 2½ gals, 3 primaries with 1.66 gals each, etc.) and pitch a different yeast into each vessel. Btw, I think that WLP002 English Ale is the White Labs equivalent of WY 1968. Cheers and have fun.