Tobacco Flavor/Aroma

I brewed a mild last Sunday, Jamil's recipe. I usually go for the WLP002 but the LHBS was out, so I used Wyeast 1968 (supposedly both the Fuller's). I tasted this on Friday (5 days post pitching). It had a remarkable tobacco aroma. The tobacco flavor followed but was not as strong as the aroma would make you believe. I hope it subdues a bit, I like it but others might not find it pleasant.

I have brewed this exact same recipe before. All the ingredients were the same except the yeast (same hops; different source of the malts) and I know I did not get this tobacco note at all. I know I tasted it young, I was drinking it on day 7. So, I have to believe that it was the yeast. Has anyone else gotten this from Wyeast 1968? The recipe also has some C120 and black patent that could possibly lend or enhance this flavor/aroma.

It is interesting, I was looking at the little write up in Brewing Classic Styles and Jamil mentions that when he was in England he had some milds that had a tobacco note.

Thoughts?

Since this is not the beginners forum, no one will likely jump in and say "3 WEEKS IN THE BOTTLE BEFORE YOU JUDGE YOUR BEER!",.....but that's what I might say to you.

It sounds good, to be honest. I love the flavor range inherent in those british milds, bitters and browns.....send me one over!

snailsongs said:

Since this is not the beginners forum, no one will likely jump in and say "3 WEEKS IN THE BOTTLE BEFORE YOU JUDGE YOUR BEER!",.....but that's what I might say to you.

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An interesting point. On Jamil's podcast for this same mild recipe he says that this beer is ready to keg and drink in only one week. However, I have always found that age does remarkable things to a beer. Does the simple fact that it is a low-gravity beer mean that age has less effect? It won't mature?

snailsongs said:

Since this is not the beginners forum, no one will likely jump in and say "3 WEEKS IN THE BOTTLE BEFORE YOU JUDGE YOUR BEER!",.....but that's what I might say to you.

It sounds good, to be honest. I love the flavor range inherent in those british milds, bitters and browns.....send me one over!

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Ha ha. Yeah, I know. But how will you ever know if a certain flavor is "young beer" unless you habitually taste young beer. I like to take a gravity sample and taste once I see the krausen drop. The mild I made in the past was kegged and chilled on day 6, it was carbed and I was drinking on day 7. I left it to age after that, it improved a bit with time but nothing like bigger beers.

It will be interesting to see if this flavors disappears or subsides with time.

Casey27 said:

An interesting point. On Jamil's podcast for this same mild recipe he says that this beer is ready to keg and drink in only one week. However, I have always found that age does remarkable things to a beer. Does the simple fact that it is a low-gravity beer mean that age has less effect? It won't mature?

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This is precisely why- these low-gravity session beers are intended to be consumed young and at the peak of freshness. My mild goes grain to glass in 10 days.

To the OP, the pleasant tobacco note that you mention I would attribute to the roasted malt and high L crystal malt. 1968 is an excellent yeast, although I tend to use 1028 when brewing my mild.

flyangler18 said:

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This is precisely why- these low-gravity session beers are intended to be consumed young and at the peak of freshness. My mild goes grain to glass in 10 days.

To the OP, the pleasant tobacco note that you mention I would attribute to the roasted malt and high L crystal malt. 1968 is an excellent yeast, although I tend to use 1028 when brewing my mild.

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I just brewed a bitter at 1.042 and used 1028 thinking that it WAS the same strain as WLP002....it was a 1/2 batch so maybe I'll do another one with WLP002 and do a side by side....

BTW, what other good english yeast strains are out there? I've used both of these multiple times now, and I'd like to try some others.

BTW, what other good english yeast strains are out there?

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1968 and 1028 are two of my favorites, and I use them regularly. The Whitbread strain (US-04) is quite good as well, and I've brewed fermented milds and ordinary bitter using that yeast many times.

I experiment as well with the Wyeast PC offerings often; I'm planning a ferment with the West Yorkshire strain for my Old Boot ESB.

snailsongs said:

I just brewed a bitter at 1.042 and used 1028 thinking that it WAS the same strain as WLP002....it was a 1/2 batch so maybe I'll do another one with WLP002 and do a side by side....

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1028 is equivalent to WLP013 (Worthington White Shield)
1968 is equivalent to WLP002 (Fullers)

I have used 002 a lot in the past and I am a big fan. I have also used S-04 (Whitbread), I like it in darker beers (porters, stouts).