Wlp006 Bedford British review

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Nablis

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I have used this for 3 beers now and just wanted to give some observations, other please post yours.

Ferments fast, krausen drops within 3 days usually. I warm it up and give it some more time to clean up. Drops pretty clear, takes some time to mature, a couple weeks.

Does not attenuate very low.
1.052 beer went to 1.020 mashed at 154
1.068 beer went to 1.017 mashed at 148 for hour and a half

Distinctive ester profile is pleasant, haven't tried to label it. Would be good for traditional english styles. I used it a brown ale and 2 ipas and want something else for these styles.
 
I use this yeast A LOT and I've been pretty vocal about why I like it so much. In my opinion, it is *the* best yeast out there for English bitters and it does well with both malty and hoppy styles. I mostly agree with your overall assessment, except that I get consistent 75-85% attenuation with this yeast. Regardless of where my starting gravity is, it will almost always end up at 1.008-1.012. Only exception has been with successive re-pitcing without a starter. One thing this yeast does need, is a large pitch rate and plenty of oxygen. I ferment it right around 65F.

As for the flavor, I like to think this yeast is somewhat of a mix of wy1968 with the rich esters and wy1098, where it ferments out clean and lets the hops/malt shine. Or like a more characterful wy1768 (youngs).

If I have one complaint about this yeast, it is that it hasn't made the best dark beers for me. Other than that, I'd say it is among the best yeasts out there. Oh, and I'll actually be brewing a special bitter with this yeast tomorrow. :)
 
Do you use o2 or just shake your fermenter? I have been thinking of getting a stone and regulator to oxygenate but haven't done it yet.
 
I have a vile of 006 that I was going to use tomorrow night. Can I ferment it in a carboy or do you recommend an open ferment with it? What kind of krausen does it throw up? You recommend a large pitch, if the wort is in the 1.040 range, can I get away without a starter?
 
yeah with that low of a gravity a vile should be good if it is not real old. Mr malty says 1.5 vials, if u have time do a starter if not I would just pitch it.
 
I use pure o2 and a stone, although you can get away with a vigorous shake if the gravity is low. As for a yeast starter, I would recommend making one even for low gravity to ensure a quick start and fast flocculation. Only problems I've had with this yeast is when I didn't make a starter... the beer took forever to get going and it was slow to flocculate. Not worth the risk.

This yeast doesn't throw much of a krausen and is not the best top cropper, fermenting in a carboy should be completely fine. I haven't done a proper open ferment with this yeast yet and I probably wont. Works great in tight spaces. Good luck with the beer, hope the yeast works out for ya.
 
Cool, ill try pitching a little more and using o2. If that brings the FG down I will like this yeast even more.
 
what problems have you had with dark beers? One of the beers I plan on repitching to is historic pale/brown/black porter.
 
what problems have you had with dark beers? One of the beers I plan on repitching to is historic pale/brown/black porter.

Not really problems, I just wasn't that impressed with the flavor profile compared to a few other yeasts I typically use in my porters. It will make a rather clean and neutral dark beer... if that's what you want, it does a good job. Also, one batch that I pitched the yeast from slurry, under attenuated (1.060-1.016). Looking around the web, it seems this has been a problem for some other people when repitching.
 
I'm using this yeast now, re pitching from a yeast cake harvested from an Ordinary Bitter - OG 1.040 FG 1.012 ABV 3.7% I oxygenated with a stone and used a starter I had pitched the morning of the brew. It had a nice krausen but nothing crazy, but at 65 degrees finished up and dropped clear in 6 days or less. I still leave it in there for 10 days for the little bit of yeast that is left to clean up. When the bitter came out of the fermenter it had a really funky smell from the yeast. My wife said it smelled like feet or dirty socks, along with "that's all you", lol, but I could tell it was going to be nice. We bottled it at around 1.5 volumes, conditioned for 2 weeks and now they have been in the refrigerator for a few days. The last of the yeast has almost completely dropped out, the funky smell is all but gone, and the beer is amazing. Very fruity, nice dry finish, and my wife was blown away when I had her try it and then told her what it was. She absolutely loves it and so do I. The flavors this yeast puts off are so outstanding and unique, so different from WLP002.
I re pitched into a Newcastle type Northern English Brown Ale, and I will keg that next week. Hopefully it will turn out just as good! :mug:
 
Using this yeast again. Repitched slurry that was 3 weeks old. Mr.malty called for 200ml, I wanted to try overpitching with this yeast so pitched 300ml.
Pitched at 66 right after siphoning noisily for aeration.
12 hours later had krausen. 3 days later krausen dropped but beer is not clear.
6 days later is down to 1.020 from 1.075 but still cloudy, yeast in suspension. This yeast seems dusty and takes awhile to finish out.

Also top cropped all the foam four times to a starter and pitched that in a second beer and it took off in 12 hours. The foam would keep returning after about an hour.
 
So I brewed a 5gal batch of a 1.040 bitter 2 weeks ago tomorrow. I did a 2L starter, chilled to 17C and fermented it in an 18C basement. Last weekend I took a gravity sample and it was at 1.013 but the airlock was still bubbling. The airlock hasn't moved much since Wednesday so tonight I took another sample and it seems to be stuck at 1.013. Should I rouse it? or warm it up? both? Its definitely too sweet and thick for a session beer right now but I don't want it to dry out too much or lose all its awesome maltiness like 1968 does if you give it a warm diacetyl rest or bottle condition. It isn't clear and there seems to be still lots of yeast in suspension so I doubt rousing will do too much.
 
my experience has been that once the krausen drops or it slows down it doesn't drop alot of points after that.

I don't think rousing it will do anything, for me this yeast didn't get real dry, after 2 weeks I think it is done.

I am thinking of adding a lager yeast to my IPA i used this yeast in, it finished at 1.020. You could always add another yeast to dry it out if you think it needs it.
 
...hmm...I roused and brought it upstairs into a warmer closet and we'll see. I'll probably keg it mid week if nothing is happening. This one is ok to leave on the yeast? I know everyone is hardline "primary only, yeast bite is a myth" these days but some of the british yeasts do go bad....1318 is one that does some weird things if you leave the cake in contact with the beer too long. I said this before but I think I'm done with seasonal yeasts. Unless this beer is the greatest thing I have ever tasted its not worth the hassle. I like yeast that attenuate and can be repitched successfully.
 
A final gravity of 1.013 doesn't seem too out of whack for this yeast. It is a tad high considering the starting gravity, but much of that could be due to your mash process. I don't know where people get the impression this yeast is an under-attenuator, because it is certainly not... especially compared to some of the other characterful British yeasts. In my experience, this yeast consistently drops to 1.008-12 and flocculates out a few days later. Whitelabs lists 72-80% attenuation and that is fairly accurate.

As for re-pitching, reusing any 3 week old slurry without a starter is not the best idea. There are certainly more user-friendly yeasts out there, but as with most English ones, they require a bit more attention if you want to get the most out of them.
 
As for re-pitching, reusing any 3 week old slurry without a starter is not the best idea. There are certainly more user-friendly yeasts out there, but as with most English ones, they require a bit more attention if you want to get the most out of them.

Yeah, that is just my experience. 1.075 to 1.020 is 73% ADF
I would have to change my mash temperatures to get this to finish 1.008 to 1.012 like u say and of course grain bill makes a difference.

The first beer I used this in I pitched a vile into 2.5 gallons and it got down to 1.014 on 7/15. Then I did a starter with this saved yeast on 9/4 and pitched to a beer that finished at 1.020, so I guess it was the repitching for me.

EDIT: I would not call it an under attenuator but I would not call it a dry yeast either. wlp001 is 72-80% and it tends to get drier than this yeast.
I do like this yeast.
 
..alright....I was brewing today and realized that the carboy I had planned on using was cracked so I had no choice but to keg up the bitter. Still 1.013 but it was clearer and tasted pretty good so I decided to repitch the yeast into todays batch. No time for a starter so I repitched the about 50% more slurry than Mr Malty was suggesting. We'll see how well the 3hour old slurry attenuates:) The beer is a 1.060 porter....not the ideal beer for the yeast but I'm going to be adding bret C in secondary...if it doesn't attenuate it isn't the end of the world.
 
I've used this yeast for 4 beers now:
Bitter: 1.040-1.012; 70% app. atten; mash 157 - White Labs vial with ~1L starter 18hrs
Northern Brown: 1.052-1.012; 77% atten; mash 153 - repitch from Bitter slurry (7 days old)
ESB: 1.059-1.015; 74.5% atten; mash 154 - repitch from Northern Brown slurry (1 day old)
Eng. IPA: 1.061-?? - ; mash 154 - 2nd repitch from N. Brown slurry (7 days old)
all were fermented at 65-66 for 14 days; the slurrys were measured with a grad. cylinder according to the slurry part of Mr. Malty's calculator set to thin slurry and maximum non-yeast material. I oxygenate well with O2 and a stone, low rate for 2-3 mins or so, until a nice layer of foam is on the top. I will oxygenate once more after 8 hours or so, same low rate for a minute or two.

I agree with bierhaus15, I love the character this yeast gives to English Ales. It does need at least a week, two even better, to cold condition after carbonation. You want to get all the yeast you can to drop out before you serve or enter into competition. The yeast really puts out a weird aroma when the beer is young, especially on the Ordinary Bitters as I mentioned in my previous post.
 
I just took a gravity sample of the 3 malt stout that repitched the 006 into. In 7 days the gravity is down from 1.061 to 1.012...so about 80% attenuation this time. ...and I noticed the weird aroma too on the bitter. Hope it will face quick.
 
Just tapped my latest special bitter with this yeast. Went from 1.047 to 1.012, kegged after 17 day primary and it's been in the keg for two weeks now. Flavor is very nice, light fruit esters with good maltiness and the yeast really lets the hops and malt shine. Could still use another week to get crystal clear, but so far it looks to be another good bitter.

As for the strange aroma in young beers with this yeast, I've noticed that too... especially for the first week. One batch I was considering dumping as it did have a musty aroma out of the keg. A week later, it was completely gone.
 
I absolutly love this yeast. For me and family, friends, it imparts a flavor to English pales and IPAs that no other yeast can. The thing that gripes my butt is it is seasonal. Meaning I have to culture from plates once or twice before it's on the market again. That's a real PITA!
Bedford Ale yeast teams up well with the old English Northern brewer hops, Challenger, and Willemette hops. It's not overly malty, and makes a great English IPA. I can't brew British without it, espessially with Marris Otter and Norther Brewer. MMmmm!
 
I brewed quite a delicious brown ale with this yeast. 1.053 to 1.016 ~69% AA. Even after a month in the keg it failed to clear, but no finings were used.
 
I use this yeast A LOT and I've been pretty vocal about why I like it so much. In my opinion, it is *the* best yeast out there for English bitters and it does well with both malty and hoppy styles. I mostly agree with your overall assessment, except that I get consistent 75-85% attenuation with this yeast. Regardless of where my starting gravity is, it will almost always end up at 1.008-1.012. Only exception has been with successive re-pitcing without a starter. One thing this yeast does need, is a large pitch rate and plenty of oxygen. I ferment it right around 65F.

As for the flavor, I like to think this yeast is somewhat of a mix of wy1968 with the rich esters and wy1098, where it ferments out clean and lets the hops/malt shine. Or like a more characterful wy1768 (youngs).

If I have one complaint about this yeast, it is that it hasn't made the best dark beers for me. Other than that, I'd say it is among the best yeasts out there. Oh, and I'll actually be brewing a special bitter with this yeast tomorrow. :)
Very old thread, but WLP006 is out as a seasonal vault release now. Do you still feel the say way about this yeast?
 
I just ordered some. I was underwhelmed by 1037, but hope springs eternal.
 
Very old thread, but WLP006 is out as a seasonal vault release now. Do you still feel the say way about this yeast?

Yes, largely feel the same. It is a great yeast for moderately hopped bitters and english pales, good mix of fruity and dry character with a touch of residual sweetness. It can throw some sulfur if you underpitch or oxygenate, but is temp tolerant (best in that 64-66F range). Clears up well if given time, but the yeast is powdery. I see it as an intermediate type yeast, requires good yeast handling/fermentation control but when treated well it makes really great tasting beer.
 
Yes, largely feel the same. It is a great yeast for moderately hopped bitters and english pales, good mix of fruity and dry character with a touch of residual sweetness. It can throw some sulfur if you underpitch or oxygenate, but is temp tolerant (best in that 64-66F range). Clears up well if given time, but the yeast is powdery. I see it as an intermediate type yeast, requires good yeast handling/fermentation control but when treated well it makes really great tasting beer.

Bierhaus, you mention good for moderately hopped. For more aggressively hopped, does it accentuate harsh edges, or does it lose some of the bitterness and/or character you'd expect by your hop bill/regime?

I was looking to get some, but last I checked NB has it as OOS and I think Yeast Man did as well. You guys are getting it now? Mind sharing from where?

Finally, you mention powdery. Can't recall where, but I seem to recall a description mentioning it flocc's well and ferments out (which I can see from here). I've never known a powdery yeast described as a good flocc'er at the same time. Is this what you mean when you say, given time, it drops clear? How about in cask, with traditional finings?

I may have used it in the past, cannot remember. But I love estery, fruity British yeasts and would like to try this one.
 
Bierhaus, you mention good for moderately hopped.
I was looking to get some, but last I checked NB has it as OOS and I think Yeast Man did as well. You guys are getting it now? Mind sharing from where?

I was able to place an order for it on the yeastman site, if it not does show as out of stock you are good to order.
 
I was looking to get some, but last I checked NB has it as OOS and I think Yeast Man did as well. You guys are getting it now? Mind sharing from where?

Finally, you mention powdery. Can't recall where, but I seem to recall a description mentioning it flocc's well and ferments out (which I can see from here). I've never known a powdery yeast described as a good flocc'er at the same time. Is this what you mean when you say, given time, it drops clear?

It's currently available as a seasonal for November/December, but that seems to operate entirely separately from the Vault releases. Which is kinda nuts, but White Labs seem to be in such chaos at the moment that it's probably best if they try to keep things as simple as possible.

There's all sorts of confusion between how well a yeast drops and how well it floccs - brewers tend to conflate the two when they are actually separate attributes. Windsor is a good example of a yeast that drops well but is very powdery and doesn't flocc well. Still, if WL says that Bedford has high flocculation, I'd tend to assume they know what they're talking about.
 
Yes, largely feel the same. It is a great yeast for moderately hopped bitters and english pales, good mix of fruity and dry character with a touch of residual sweetness. It can throw some sulfur if you underpitch or oxygenate, but is temp tolerant (best in that 64-66F range). Clears up well if given time, but the yeast is powdery. I see it as an intermediate type yeast, requires good yeast handling/fermentation control but when treated well it makes really great tasting beer.
Thanks for the feedback, I went ahead and ordered the yeast to give it a try.
 
It's currently available as a seasonal for November/December, but that seems to operate entirely separately from the Vault releases. Which is kinda nuts, but White Labs seem to be in such chaos at the moment that it's probably best if they try to keep things as simple as possible.

There's all sorts of confusion between how well a yeast drops and how well it floccs - brewers tend to conflate the two when they are actually separate attributes. Windsor is a good example of a yeast that drops well but is very powdery and doesn't flocc well. Still, if WL says that Bedford has high flocculation, I'd tend to assume they know what they're talking about.

Thanks Northern, thanks on the release timing - wasn't aware of that. Thanks, too, on the yeast properties. I've never heard this and yep, I'm afraid I've always assumed "dusty" necessarily meant a poor floc yeast. I'd love to read more, if you happen to have any lit you could point me to. Many thanks!
 
I'm afraid I've always assumed "dusty" necessarily meant a poor floc yeast. I'd love to read more, if you happen to have any lit you could point me to. Many thanks!

Well you're correct. Where it gets complicated is that brewers are only interested in clear beer, which is a question of how well the yeast drops. If the yeast is "sticky" it flocculates into big lumps that drop quickly - WLP002 & 1968 are classic examples of this. Hefe yeasts don't flocc and stay in suspension. But then Windsor is an example of a yeast that doesn't need to flocc in order to overcome gravity and drop out of the beer, the individual yeast cells are more dense than beer. So it's possible to have crystal-clear beer with Windsor, but because the yeast doesn't stick together like WLP002, it will 'puff up" in the bottle with the slightest nudge. I think I've still got an odd bottle of Windsor beer kicking around, I'll try and do a photo over Christmas.
 
Well you're correct. Where it gets complicated is that brewers are only interested in clear beer, which is a question of how well the yeast drops. If the yeast is "sticky" it flocculates into big lumps that drop quickly - WLP002 & 1968 are classic examples of this. Hefe yeasts don't flocc and stay in suspension. But then Windsor is an example of a yeast that doesn't need to flocc in order to overcome gravity and drop out of the beer, the individual yeast cells are more dense than beer. So it's possible to have crystal-clear beer with Windsor, but because the yeast doesn't stick together like WLP002, it will 'puff up" in the bottle with the slightest nudge. I think I've still got an odd bottle of Windsor beer kicking around, I'll try and do a photo over Christmas.

Fascinating. Thanks Northern. I'll see if Briggs et al/M&BS covers some of this, like I said, never considered it, appreciate you bringing it to our attention.
 
Bierhaus, you mention good for moderately hopped. For more aggressively hopped, does it accentuate harsh edges, or does it lose some of the bitterness and/or character you'd expect by your hop bill/regime?

Finally, you mention powdery.

It lets hop character come through well for a full flavored UK yeast, although it does tend to soften the overall hop character and bitterness. I tend to take a minimalistic approach with my bitters and don't use much crystal malts, and helps with hop character and drinkability with this one. That said, what makes this yeast so nice is that you can go heavier on crystal and end up with a very tasty round and fruitier flavor profile as well.

Per powdery, this yeast flocculates well - I would not say "highly" - but it does not form a firm, concrete like sediment. It can be somewhat easily roused into suspension and takes a while to drop out of solution when that happens. It fines beautifully though. Powdery is a common term for this type of behavior and there is a fair amount of technical info on the reasons for it. Zinc being a major one.
 
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Do you use o2 or just shake your fermenter? I have been thinking of getting a stone and regulator to oxygenate but haven't done it yet.

This is my aeration process that follows what we do at work - the wort is just splashed down the side of the FV wall. In my home setup I just let it run off into the FV from a few feet up (kettle on top of the cooker, and FV on the floor - works a treat).
 
View attachment 603724

This is my aeration process that follows what we do at work - the wort is just splashed down the side of the FV wall. In my home setup I just let it run off into the FV from a few feet up (kettle on top of the cooker, and FV on the floor - works a treat).

That is one insanely beautiful wort, HTH. Inspirational, haven't had a wort like that in a long time.
 
That is one insanely beautiful wort, HTH. Inspirational, haven't had a wort like that in a long time.

Thank you for the compliment - I’m glad to say I get nice clear wort like that all the time. Key is Irish moss, a good strong boil, then a quick chill followed by a rest for around half an hour while the break material falls to the bottom. I then crack the valve very slowly and let the wort run off (never more than halfway open).
 
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