Ever used 1275, Thames Valley Ale?

[bzwyatt]

I am making an ESB with it. I made one a while back, didn't like it much, but I've overhauled my recipe to give it another shot. 1275 isn't a really common ESB yeast, but when I was looking for a yeast to use I picked it because I love the way Thames is pronounced. I just love that word and anything called 'Thames Valley' is awesome.

So I checked the profile on Wyeast's site

https://www.wyeastlab.com/hb_yeaststrain_detail.cfm?ID=138

and it says flocculation is Medium-Low. I'm going to do other research, but how will that compare to a yeast that has high flocculation? Will it have more yeast in suspension after it is done? Should I cold-crash it, or chill it in the bottle for longer before drinking if I don't want a lot of yeast flavor? Or will it just make a really dry beer because yeast stay suspended in the beer longer? I'm guessing not, because attenuation is 72-76%, and that is independent of flocculation, right?

So is this going to make a more 'yeasty' beer?

The description says it is clean, but how can that be if it has low flocculation?

 

[highgravitybacon]

What was it you didn't like about the beer you made?

 

[Gar]

made a 20 gallon batch of stout about 15-16 months ago and seperated it into 5 gallon batches and used different yeast in each one. thames valley was one of them. ive not set and tried a side by side but a few guys at the LHBS did and all of them liked thames valley the best.

 

[bzwyatt]

Too malty, hops presence was not smooth. Just a bad recipe I think, made it on a whim in beersmith.

I'm hopeful for this one, just know more about yeast now (and every other aspect of brewing) than I did then so I'm wondering about anybody else's experience with 1275.

 

[CastleHollow]

I use it every year in the fall at hop harvest time to brew a "wet hopped" brown ale. I found a number of SN Tumbler clone recipes that used it. My recipe calls for 85% MO/10% C60 and then equal parts chocolate + smoked malt, with Centennial hops for bittering and Cascade late additions. Thames Valley definitely gives the beer a nice malty profile, but a clean finish--I think it tastes very fresh.

I use whirlfloc, about a month in fermentation, and then a 2 day cold crash before packaging and it always clears beautifully in the bottle.

 

[bzwyatt]

Oh sounds nice.
Thanks for replies.

Is it a slow starter?

I've never had a yeast do this - about 18 hours after pitching, almost all the trub was floating and the airlock was bubbling but it was still, mostly, under all the floating solids.

After about 36 hours it is actively fermenting, all swimming and swirling.

My yeast wasn't so fresh and I didn't make a starter. That is probably why it started slow, but I've heard some strains (irish yeast, is it wlp004?, is one) start slow. Is 1275 like that?

 

[cavemanbrews]

I made the NB's Elevenses recipe with it and also did not make a starter. My take off time with it was a little longer more like 24 hours, pitched at 74* then into the chamber and got it down to 66* I believe. The finished beer was clear from the bottle even with disturbing the sediment on the bottom of the bottle. It seemed to be a pretty neutral yeast to me but that’s just my opinion.

 

[bzwyatt]

I used two jars of clean rinsed yeast. Normally I make a starter with one, but since I didn't make a starter and it has been a couple months since I rinsed it, I used both jars.

It was about 62 though, kinda forgot about the temp. That definitely could have slowed the start some.

Sounds like everything is good and this should be a good beer.

Thanks again for responses.

 

[highgravitybacon]

The Wyeast description of yeast says its really clean, enough so that it's suitable for an alt. Is this a temperature-dependent thing? I want some light to moderate amount of British esters for a stout.

 

[Conman13]

I used it on the NB Elevenses recipe also. I thought the beer turned out absolutely fantastic, and very clear. I cold crashed for 24 hours before kegging and pretty much everything floculated out. The yeast character was very neutral, if not slightly nutty and british tasting. I fermented at about 66F. I think it's a terrific yeast.

I don't think you should have any concerns of a yeasty flavor, or low flocculation based on my experience with this yeast.

 

[cavemanbrews]

I agree with you Conman. entered it into the Blue Bonnet Brew Off and one of the judges had that comment about the nuttiness also.

 

[bzwyatt]

Oohh that's something I'm hoping for, nice!

 

[Conman13]

It's probably one of my favorite of the British yeast strains.

 

[ImNoExpert]

Sorry to revive a thread from the boneyard, but I'm brewing a bitter this weekend and picked up 1275 to use. As far as temperature range goes, has anyone noticed flavor differences if fermented at the higher end of the range vs. lower?

I usually ferment around 65 and bump up to 70 for the final quarter of fermentation, but since this is my first English style ale, I want to make sure I don't do something undesirable to my yeasty overlords and produce a good representation of the beer.

 

[douglasbarbin]

Sorry to revive a thread from the boneyard, but I'm brewing a bitter this weekend and picked up 1275 to use. As far as temperature range goes, has anyone noticed flavor differences if fermented at the higher end of the range vs. lower?

I usually ferment around 65 and bump up to 70 for the final quarter of fermentation, but since this is my first English style ale, I want to make sure I don't do something undesirable to my yeasty overlords and produce a good representation of the beer.

I used it for a one gallon batch I made that was basically a glorified starter. It was a Pale Ale with 100% LME and Nelson Sauvin hops. I let it sit at ambient temperature in my kitchen, which is right at 70 degrees. The yeast seemed relatively clean, even at that temperature.

 

[unclebrazzie]

Just used it in a 1.055 OG porter. Pitched a 1 liter lively starter which I made from a mason jar of slurry.
Kicked off immediately, and finished 2 days later at 1.014. Fermented at 18°C.

What struck me though is pronounced icky fumes it produces. Poo, really. Not so off-putting it refrained me from tasting my gravity sample (I'm ok, really, and so was the taste) but decidedly unpleasant.
I'm sure the smell will disappear over time during maturation. Had similar experiences with Safale Abbaye, which was supersulphury in primary but came out alright in the end.