In an attempt to explore more nuances in the world of yeast, we have been posting yeast strains reviews along the way. Most of the reviews have happened in an isolated instance. What I mean is that the yeasts have been reviewed based on a particular beer and then we’ve moved on. This time I wanted to do something a little different.
I love English Ales and have attempted to brew several different varieties. One of my favorites has to be a Pale Ale. This being the case, I decided to see how the same beer would act under different yeast strains. So, I pitted this Wyeast 1099 against 1728 (the review of the 1728 will come later). At any rate, the attenuation and flocculation levels were extremely similar. The notable exception was a matter of 2%+/- for alcohol tolerance.
Fermentation temps were the same and the gravity of the beer was spot on, so it was up to the yeast to show the differences.
Yeast Type: Wyeast 1099
Yeast Uses: The Wyeast page names several style uses for the strain, including Pale Ale/ESB, English IPA, Blonde Ale, Oatmeal Stout, Southern Brown Ale, Bitters (of several types), and Sweet Stout. My beer fit right into this category, although the plan is to actually use the cake for a 1,700s style Porter. Like the Scottish Ale yeast, higher ester levels are a consideration to keep in mind with warmer fermenting temps.
Yeast Attenuation: The stated attenuation for the beer is 68-72%. My beer reached a slightly higher attenuation level than the website states. I’ve seen this to be the case for several yeast strains in general. OG sat at 1.067 and the final was at 1.016. Either way, the amounts were fairly close and still left enough residual sweetness to suit my tastes.
Alcohol Tolerance: The tolerance of the strain was not tested by the brew that I made, so it’s hard to say whether it would exceed the stated level. However, it had no problem at all blowing through the sugars in the beer. Of course, most yeast companies recommend starters once levels of gravity exceed 1.070, so prepare for that if you want a really big beer.
Yeast Lag: Very little lag time occur in this strain. I was seeing signs of active fermentation within the first 6 hours of pitching. The pack didn’t swell as robustly as some that I’ve seen, but that was not indicative of the yeast’s capabilities. The lion’s share of the yeast work was complete within two days with some activity for several days following. Clearing took a bit, but flocculation was good.
Overall Performance: I’m happy with the qualities I got from the beer. As I drink it, I realize that it’s not particularly malt emphatic and not heavy on the esters. However, the subtle flavors and longevity of the flavor make up for robust qualities. The finish was dry and honey-like on my palate, and I’m looking forward to how this beer develops.
I’ve recently begun brewing a series of Boy’s Bitter with different yeasts. So far I’m on my third batch which is in secondary right now with Thames Valley yeast. Currently the drinkable batch is the second made with Whitbread, and I think my beer came out similar, pretty light on the malt, some fruitiness with a 68f ferment, and a honey quality, fairly dry, and very brilliant clarity. The first batch I made was using Whitelabs platinum Essex ale and that had some great qualities, very “English” in charachter which accented both hops and marris otter malt very well. I hope I can find something similar to essex moving forward, as I really liked it and sadly didn’t culture any.
[Reply]
Matt, thanks for posting on this article.
I think this starts to develop nicely over a month or two in the bottle. It’s cool that you are trying the different yeasts, too. I had really good results with wyeast’s Scottish Ale yeast. It was certainly a bit more malt emphatic and beautifully clear.
Let me know how the Thames turned out. By the way, isn’t Maris Otter such a wonderful grain?
[Reply]
I just started a similar test myself. I picked up a couple Pale Ale BrewHouse beer kits(bag in a box), and then two Wyeast packages: Thames Valley 1275, and Whitbread Ale 1099.
I’m anxious to see the difference JUST THE YEAST makes to these beers. Should be a fun experiment. I may continue to do this with other kits/yeasts in the future.
[Reply]
I’ve been enjoying even throwing the same yeast into a different temperature context. It really is an amazing organism…so many fun variables.
[Reply]
The Whitbred is one of my mainstay strains used for all of my brewing. I’ve used it in Bitters, Milds, Stouts and Porters with excellent results. I’ve tried a fermentation range of 64-70 over the past few years. When setting my controllers temp, I usually cool the wort 2-3 degrees cooler and let it free rise up to that temp. This has always done well for me. I perfer this strain with my American IPA’s as well. It works well in a nice Robust Porter, too.
Whitbred strains I’ve used:
Wyeast 1099 and SafAle S04- When using the 04 I rehydrate as instructed. I’ve tried direct pitching but I do get better results with rehydrated prior to pitching- Less esters and better attenuation.
I’m also a fan of the wyeast 1098 but prefer 1099.
[Reply]
beer_scientist Reply:
February 21st, 2012 at 3:58 pm
Pat,
Thanks for replying. I’ve only used this strain once and distinctly remembering that I have a preference for British Ale I or II over it. However, it’s been a long time that I’ve used this one and would like to throw it into some other contexts…both style and temps.
[Reply]