Favorite Yeast for a Bitter

[MrGrieves]

I'm working up a recipe for an ordinary bitter to brew next weekend and wondering what yeast people suggest.

I'd like to try the West Yorkshire yeast but unfortunately it isn't available. In the past I've used the Fuller yeasts for a couple Milds. While I love the flavor profile I've gotten from it, I am a bottle, and the weird cottage cheese clumps it flocs into are kind of unappealing.

What do people think? Should I stick with Fullers (WLP002)? Any suggestions?

 

[petep1980]

I have used wyeast 1098 for it, and I don't know how true it is to style, but it makes an absolutely delicious ale.

 

[KingBrianI]

If you have the time and inclination, check out this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/british-yeasts-fermentation-temps-profiles-cybi-other-thoughts-221817/.

It has tons of info on different strains of british yeast as well as experiences with bottling, etc.

 

[Patrick604]

I have used White Labs' Burton Ale Yeast for a few brews now and really like it. Very good flavor and gets to work quickly.

 

[Chuckus95]

I like both Wyeast Thames Valley and White Labs Burton Ale. I have made very good ESBs with both.

 

[azscoob]

I tend to use Wyeast 1968 (WLP002) for most of my bitters, I love the profile I get when fermented in the mid 60s+ and it clears amazingly well, you can almost hear the thud as the yeast drops out of the beer when it is finished!

 

[TacoGuthrie]

If you have the time and inclination, check out this thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/british-yeasts-fermentation-temps-profiles-cybi-other-thoughts-221817/.

It has tons of info on different strains of british yeast as well as experiences with bottling, etc.

I recently found this thread and am about 5 pages into it. Believe him when he tells you there is a TON of information.

Even on pg 1 there is a detailed ranking of British Wyeast strains.

 

[bierhaus15]

I would highly recommend to anyone who wants to brew English bitters to go out and get/order a few packs of wy1882 Thames Valley II before the end of the month. Along with 1318 and 1968, it might just be my favorite English yeast.

 

[nefarious_1_]

I'm all about WLP002 and Wyeast 1968. S04 is pretty nice for a dry yeast.

 

[BeerLogic]

I brew a lot of bitters and have always used 1968 around as my house strain, but I'm thinking of revising that after a recent brew. Thanks to a shipping mistake and my impatience, I ended up brewing an ESB with Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale). Wow! Really interesting ester profile and absolutely delicious. I will be conducting some side by side 2.5 gallon ordinary bitter comparison batches to see if I want to switch. I highly recommend the 1084 for something different.

 

[944play]

If you're getting "cottage cheese clumps" in your bottles, you're bottling WAY too early.

 

[MrGrieves]

If you're getting "cottage cheese clumps" in your bottles, you're bottling WAY too early.

I think it floc'd out all the way actually. I think the problem was that when I racked to the bottling bucket I was being cheap and trying to get every last drop and I pulled a lot of yeast in trying to get that last beer.

 

[statseeker]

I like S-04 actually for anything bitter. It clears out amazingly and attenuates very well.