Top Ale Yeasts?? What Are They??

I am looking for a little guidance on what you think are the top Ale yeasts and why? Why is one better than another?

I've been using Wyeast 1275 (Thames Valley Ale) lately.

Adds a nice, balanced quality to the beer without dominating the flavour. It attenuates well too, though it does finish a bit hazy.

I have a smack pack of Wyeast 1099 that I want to try out, so, at risk of being a post-hog, anyone used it before?

From what I've seen, the 2 most popular liquid yeasts are Wyeast 1056 (WLP001) and Wyeast 1968 (WLP002).

The 1056/001 is very clean and commonly used in American ales.

The 1968/002 has lower attenuation, making it good for malty English styles. It's also extremely flocculent and produces slightly fruity ales.

+1 for wy 1968. i've used it on an IPA and a porter so far and am very impressed with it... makes for a super clear beer. i know a bunch of micros use it also, which is a good sign.

My favorite yeast is probably wlp001. But, I have been using wlp028 Edinburgh Ale a lot recently. It is really a great yeast and incredibly versatile.

My favorite for British style ales is the WLP002/Wy 1968. My favorite for American style ales is WLP051 (California V)/Wyest 1272 (American Ale II). Both are dependable fermenters, and I prefer the fermentation character of Cali V over Cali I.

The 1056/Cali I is very popular and for good reason.


TL

"Top", "best" and even "better" discussions are pointless. Many brewers prefer different strains, even for the same purpose/style. It depends on what you want it to do.

The "best" tool to insert a nail is a hammer, no matter how highly regarded the screwdriver. And different craftsmen will prefer different hammers.

Now, if you ask, "What do you experienced brewers prefer to ferment London ESB?", you'd get a lot more useful information.

Just sayin'.

Bob

My vote is for WLP001 and WLP002

I love Safale S-04. It's great not having to make a starter and be able to brew anytime you want. It's also cheaper than a liquid yeast which is nice. I think it makes a great beer, it ferments fast, and I can keg a crystal clear beer within a week of brewing. I mostly brew English style ales, porters, and stouts and it's all I use. Occasionally when I brew American styles I use Safale S-05 and it works great as well.

NQ3X said:

"Top", "best" and even "better" discussions are pointless. Many brewers prefer different strains, even for the same purpose/style. It depends on what you want it to do.

The "best" tool to insert a nail is a hammer, no matter how highly regarded the screwdriver. And different craftsmen will prefer different hammers.

Now, if you ask, "What do you experienced brewers prefer to ferment London ESB?", you'd get a lot more useful information.

Just sayin'.

Bob

Click to expand...

I agree. There is no "best" in brewing, the is no best method, no best gear...Just like the idea of -vs- questions are pointless, because whatever you posit against another like aluminum vs stainless, etc. They all make beer, and have the potential to make great or crappy beer, depending on the brewer.

It's not a matter of "best" it's a matter of preference.

Personally I use more Us-05 than any other ale yeast, it's not necessarily even my "favorite" but I use it more than any other, because I brew more clean ales than any other type of beer, where I want the flavor to come from the grainbill, and hops, and NOT from the yeast. So I use -05 because it's the most neutral, and tenacious yeast I know of.

I guess my "favorite" would be Belgian Saison yeast, 'cause of all the funk and phenols and spices you can get out of it. But I don't brew that style all that often.