British Golden Ale Miraculix Best - Classic English Ale

Williams 728
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Shenanigans said:
WLP023 Burton Ale Yeast should serve you good.
Actually needs to be a few deg higher than your normal English yeast to give off some fruity esters.
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This one also really sparked my interest when reading through the possible catalogue, but I also read that it should be a poor flocculator which is why I removed it from my list of possible strains. I really like my yeast to flocc out well.
 
Interesting about Imperial, wonder if they've got caught by the same paperwork as Starsan. And of course Brexit (when/if it happens) will not be helpful for the logistics of this kind of time-sensitive stuff.

Since we don't know when they'll next be available, I'd check out some of the Vault strains like 025 which has a good rep, and 026 which just seems interesting. 037 gets phenolic enough to be sold commercially as a saison, although it seems lots of oxygen counteracts that, 038 is really rare and again intriguing as there's almost nothing out there about it, apparently pof+ but not strongly so, which means it is the only so example of a very common type of British yeast.

041 is one of the nicest core strains, but it does suffer the usual wl/wyeast problem of being a bit muted compared to "real" British brewery yeasts.

But since you're in the UK then it's easy for you to harvest from pub casks or bottles. And of course you have easy access in theory to Brewlab strains, even if the cult favourites like CC and F40 aren't available via Hop and Grape.
 
Northern_Brewer said:
Interesting about Imperial, wonder if they've got caught by the same paperwork as Starsan. And of course Brexit (when/if it happens) will not be helpful for the logistics of this kind of time-sensitive stuff.

Since we don't know when they'll next be available, I'd check out some of the Vault strains like 025 which has a good rep, and 026 which just seems interesting. 037 gets phenolic enough to be sold commercially as a saison, although it seems lots of oxygen counteracts that, 038 is really rare and again intriguing as there's almost nothing out there about it, apparently pof+ but not strongly so, which means it is the only so example of a very common type of British yeast.

041 is one of the nicest core strains, but it does suffer the usual wl/wyeast problem of being a bit muted compared to "real" British brewery yeasts.

But since you're in the UK then it's easy for you to harvest from pub casks or bottles. And of course you have easy access in theory to Brewlab strains, even if the cult favourites like CC and F40 aren't available via Hop and Grape.
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If you'd need to pick one yeast for the given beer here in this thread, dry finish but flavorful from the yeast, good or really good flocculation, which one would be the one you would personally choose?
 
You realise it is essentially impossible to get high attenuation, good flocculation and good flavour from a single strain, you are essentially asking for super-yeast? so it depends what is most important to you and whether you want to go outside WL/Wyeast - for instance I've not tried these new WHC yeasts that have started showing up, I wonder if they're ripoffs of Imperial. I've not used it but 025 is probably a good place to start, and add Notty if you want a bit more attenuation.

But then it you're going that route you may as well just get a minicask of Adnams bitter etc and harvest yeast from that whilst enjoying almost free beer!
 
Northern_Brewer said:
You realise it is essentially impossible to get high attenuation, good flocculation and good flavour from a single strain, you are essentially asking for super-yeast? so it depends what is most important to you and whether you want to go outside WL/Wyeast - for instance I've not tried these new WHC yeasts that have started showing up, I wonder if they're ripoffs of Imperial. I've not used it but 025 is probably a good place to start, and add Notty if you want a bit more attenuation.

But then it you're going that route you may as well just get a minicask of Adnams bitter etc and harvest yeast from that whilst enjoying almost free beer!
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Sorry, wasn't clear enough. I was referring to the taste of the beer with "dry", not to the attenuation of the yeast. I mash to create highly fermentable wort and include simple sugars in this particular recipe, so even pub gave me a dry beer.

Main factors for me are in this case good flocculation and lots of English yeast character.
 
To my mind, if you're talking about "dryness" as a yeast property then you're talking about attenuation but that's just me. Or colony morphology, but I figure not in this context.

Sounds like what you really want are cask or bottle dregs from a traditional brewery.... As it happens I have some Jaipur and Black Sheep cask dregs in the fridge, although they could probably do with some cleaning up first.
 
All I can say is that WLP037 is waaaaaay beyond my ability as a brewer. Made 5-6 batches: Some were real saison tasting, some started as saison then faded in the bottle, others had no saison tastes. Seemed pretty random to me. The amount of effort I would need to try figure out the proper temperature, aeration, and any other magic brewing tricks is far beyond my patience.

If I recall correctly @ong also gave up on WLP037 after 1-2 tries. We both got the same vault release. I was so fired up to get it, but have since decided that at least some of the WLP vault strains are in the vault because they are *ahem* not easy *ahem*. I love the vault concept, but my experience is a lot more miss than hit for getting a yeast I want to keep around. WLP085 is one I really like.

Don't think you can go wrong with Pub. It's also one of the lowest attenuating yeasts out there. Which means it is great if you want smaller ABV beers (which is primarily what I brew).
 
kmarkstevens said:
All I can say is that WLP037 is waaaaaay beyond my ability as a brewer. Made 5-6 batches: Some were real saison tasting, some started as saison then faded in the bottle, others had no saison tastes. Seemed pretty random to me. The amount of effort I would need to try figure out the proper temperature, aeration, and any other magic brewing tricks is far beyond my patience.

If I recall correctly @ong also gave up on WLP037 after 1-2 tries. We both got the same vault release. I was so fired up to get it, but have since decided that at least some of the WLP vault strains are in the vault because they are *ahem* not easy *ahem*. I love the vault concept, but my experience is a lot more miss than hit for getting a yeast I want to keep around. WLP085 is one I really like.

Don't think you can go wrong with Pub. It's also one of the lowest attenuating yeasts out there. Which means it is great if you want smaller ABV beers (which is primarily what I brew).
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Ok, 037 is off the table! Thanks for your insight, I don't want to mess around with yeasts like this for now.

The problem with pub is, it is my all-time favourite, but Imperial has problems to deliver outside of the us at the moment. I am therefore looking for another yeast (does not have to be similar, only has to be very British with lots of character and good flocculation).
 
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I use 1479 as my go-to yeast-- I've now tried ~9 different White Labs and Wyeast "English" strains, and have not found one that is a better all around performer for my tastes/desires.
 
@Miraculix Do you have experience with Nottingham? It's a dry yeast workhorse that flocculates well, is attenuative, fast fermenting, has some character without being overpowering.

I would also second the 1469 West Yorkshire recommendation. I picked up somewhere the claim that
1469 is a sibling or twin of WLP022 Essex. West Yorkshire is definitely not the same as the Yorkshire Squares WLP037
 
kmarkstevens said:
@Miraculix Do you have experience with Nottingham? It's a dry yeast workhorse that flocculates well, is attenuative, fast fermenting, has some character without being overpowering.

I would also second the 1469 West Yorkshire recommendation. I picked up somewhere the claim that
1469 is a sibling or twin of WLP022 Essex. West Yorkshire is definitely not the same as the Yorkshire Squares WLP037
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Nottingham is too boring for this one, I used it a lot for other stuff. I will check 1469!
 
Just got back from 3 weeks' vacation and chilled a couple more of the beers I bottled Aug 10. The flavor is starting to come out--well attenuated with good malt backbone and a hint of fruitiness. And '002 does not floc for shiat, always some floaties no matter how carefully I pour. Despite carbing only about 2.2 volumes, the head is crazy, what with the 1 lb torrified wheat. So between the huge foamy head and the yeast it looks like a glass of hefe. But I don't care--I like the flavor profile the yeast gave. Like @Northern_Brewer stated, you can't have high attenuation, good floc and good flavor. I got 2 out of 3.
 
MaxStout said:
Just got back from 3 weeks' vacation and chilled a couple more of the beers I bottled Aug 10. The flavor is starting to come out--well attenuated with good malt backbone and a hint of fruitiness. And '002 does not floc for shiat, always some floaties no matter how carefully I pour. Despite carbing only about 2.2 volumes, the head is crazy, what with the 1 lb torrified wheat. So between the huge foamy head and the yeast it looks like a glass of hefe. But I don't care--I like the flavor profile the yeast gave. Like @Northern_Brewer stated, you can't have high attenuation, good floc and good flavor. I got 2 out of 3.
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Another plus of pub then, this one drops like a stone and stays a the bottom of the bottle. I have literally seen it flocculating within five minutes within the glass.
 
@Miraculix what about 1318... I think it's an alround British yeast with plenty of malt character. It's probably the one I use most and it haven't failed me yet. I also quite like 1187, but it can be a bit difficult sometimes. It's very 'British', in lack of better word, when it comes to flavour.
 
Northern_Brewer said:
@MaxStout - what do your salts look like? You need calcium for flocculation (and for British beers to taste right)
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IIRC, the Ca was about 100ppm.

I'm pleased with the flavor and don't mind a little yeast in the glass, but my wife thinks it's gross. (More beer for me!) If I leave the bottles in the fridge longer I get less yeast in the pour. After a week or so cold crashed it does settle well on the bottoms of the bottles.

I might brew it again next spring and seek out the Pub yeast.
 
kmarkstevens said:
All I can say is that WLP037 is waaaaaay beyond my ability as a brewer. Made 5-6 batches: Some were real saison tasting, some started as saison then faded in the bottle, others had no saison tastes. Seemed pretty random to me. The amount of effort I would need to try figure out the proper temperature, aeration, and any other magic brewing tricks is far beyond my patience.

If I recall correctly @ong also gave up on WLP037 after 1-2 tries. We both got the same vault release. I was so fired up to get it, but have since decided that at least some of the WLP vault strains are in the vault because they are *ahem* not easy *ahem*. I love the vault concept, but my experience is a lot more miss than hit for getting a yeast I want to keep around. WLP085 is one I really like.

Don't think you can go wrong with Pub. It's also one of the lowest attenuating yeasts out there. Which means it is great if you want smaller ABV beers (which is primarily what I brew).
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I did give up on it. It was so phenolic as to be undrinkable, at least to my taste. Kudos for having the patience to try 5-6 times!

I’m really digging 026, on the other hand, another Vault strain.
 
Miraculix said:
Ok, 037 is off the table! Thanks for your insight, I don't want to mess around with yeasts like this for now.

The problem with pub is, it is my all-time favourite, but Imperial has problems to deliver outside of the us at the moment. I am therefore looking for another yeast (does not have to be similar, only has to be very British with lots of character and good flocculation).
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I think Pub is just WY1968 (the Fullers yeast?), if that’s easier to find.
 
Thanks for all the ideas so far guys! I just got a new job confirmed and will be moving back to Germany in two or three months, therefore I will not brew again till moving houses is done. I'm having a session saison in the fermenter right now and about 40 bottles of beer which need to be finished before the big move, no point in adding additional ones to carry to Germany. So I'll be experimenting again when I'm back in Germany.
 
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@Miraculix Cool. Congrats on moving to Germany. I hear you can actually find a couple of good beers there. :yes: Regardless, gives you time to plan out a pipeline for when you are ready to start brewing again.
 
Miraculix said:
Thanks for all the ideas so far guys! I just got a new job confirmed and will be moving back to Germany in two or three months, therefore I will not brew again till moving houses is done. I'm having a session saison in the fermenter right now and about 40 bottles of beer which need to be finished before the big move, no point in adding additional ones to carry to Germany. So I'll be experimenting again when I'm back in Germany.
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Good stuff, what part of Germany?
I'm from Ireland but live here about 15 years now, not far from Dusseldorf.
 
I gave it a few more weeks and tried a few more. Flavor has really developed and the malty goodness is shining through. But the head is crazy. I only bottle-carbed for 2.2 vols., but it's obviously beyond that. It might not have been completely fermented when I bottled. No off-flavors, so not an infection. I did have a lb. of wheat in the mash, so that adds to the head, too. The bottles don't appear over-pressured and no gushers when I open them, but I have to pour slowly and there's lots of effervescence.

But the flavor and aroma are great, so I'm not disappointed. Very drinkable beer.

20191008_192956.jpg
 
MaxStout said:
I gave it a few more weeks and tried a few more. Flavor has really developed and the malty goodness is shining through. But the head is crazy. I only bottle-carbed for 2.2 vols., but it's obviously beyond that. It might not have been completely fermented when I bottled. No off-flavors, so not an infection. I did have a lb. of wheat in the mash, so that adds to the head, too. The bottles don't appear over-pressured and no gushers when I open them, but I have to pour slowly and there's lots of effervescence.

But the flavor and aroma are great, so I'm not disappointed. Very drinkable beer.

View attachment 647430
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Looks perfect to me!

I am a fan of a big and stable head, so I did everything I could within this recipe, to increase it, without altering the flavour in a bad way.

Looks like it worked out :) .
 
Nah - even as someone used to Northern sparkled heads, that's too much.
 
My pouring method is good (I have to pour carefully to keep the wlp002 yeast clods from going in).

But I think it's the combination of overcarbed + wheat content.

In any event, don't care. It's a tasty beer and I'm pleased with it. It looks like a wheat beer but def tastes like an English ale. And at 3.8% abv, I had 3 of them last night and barely got a buzz. Good session beer.
 
MaxStout said:
My pouring method is good (I have to pour carefully to keep the wlp002 yeast clods from going in).

But I think it's the combination of overcarbed + wheat content.

In any event, don't care. It's a tasty beer and I'm pleased with it. It looks like a wheat beer but def tastes like an English ale. And at 3.8% abv, I had 3 of them last night and barely got a buzz. Good session beer.
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Oh i missed that it's overcarbed, that certainly explains the massive head. The wheat makes it last longer.

As long as it tastes good, everything's fine :)

Although I'll bet it would taste a bit better with less carbonation.
 
I've had a similar phenomenon all 3 times I've used 1968/WLP002. The last two times I was sure it was finished with a stable FG for over a week before bottling. Last time I even heated it up to 23oC for a few days at then end. But the beer, an English IPA still ended up overcarbed after about a month in the bottle.

I gave up on that yeast after that but that was 3 or 4 years ago so I might give it another go soon. I want to try it in a Zmobie Dust clone and a Little Sumpin' maybe i'll have more luck with kegging.
 
Shenanigans said:
I've had a similar phenomenon all 3 times I've used 1968/WLP002. The last two times I was sure it was finished with a stable FG for over a week before bottling. Last time I even heated it up to 23oC for a few days at then end. But the beer, an English IPA still ended up overcarbed after about a month in the bottle.

I gave up on that yeast after that but that was 3 or 4 years ago so I might give it another go soon. I want to try it in a Zmobie Dust clone and a Little Sumpin' maybe i'll have more luck with kegging.
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Didn't have this experience with Imperial pub yeast. I heard that rousing the yeast to the end of fermentation helps.
 
Ah man, if there was ever to be a house beer, this would be it. I made one change, using a local floral wildflower honey instead of the golden syrup. Multi-layered! Nice crisp, solid-but-light bitterness upfront (refreshing!), for which the marmalady-ness vs floral clash works as a perfect second layer of fragrant bitterness (almost a distinct second wave of bitterness in the flavor... if that makes sense). And then of course, beautiful: the long, lingering Maris Otter.

Made a horrid warm fermented Kentucky Common lager on the same brew day. This one's so good I'll dump the KC and still call the day a success.

Great work Miraculix. Superb.
 
zonkman said:
Ah man, if there was ever to be a house beer, this would be it. I made one change, using a local floral wildflower honey instead of the golden syrup. Multi-layered! Nice crisp, solid-but-light bitterness upfront (refreshing!), for which the marmalady-ness vs floral clash works as a perfect second layer of fragrant bitterness (almost a distinct second wave of bitterness in the flavor... if that makes sense). And then of course, beautiful: the long, lingering Maris Otter.

Made a horrid warm fermented Kentucky Common lager on the same brew day. This one's so good I'll dump the KC and still call the day a success.

Great work Miraculix. Superb.
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I am flattered!

Thank you for the kind words. I am really glad you like it.

Brewing a nice beer for oneself is nice but others being able to brew something nice because of it is so much better!

I really like the honey idea, I might try this the next time myself.
 
I’m gonna brew this one here pretty soon. I have all the ingredients, and have been wanting to brew some English Ales lately.

I had quite the adventure getting the Golden Syrup, but managed to track it down.

Here’s the question:

I ended up with two different types of Lyles golden syrup - one is a cane sugar syrup used for baking, and the other is a desert syrup. The regular one has cane sugar listed as the ingredient and the desert syrup has invert sugar as the ingredient.

Which is the one used in this recipe? The color looks the same to me on both products.

Cheers!
 
radwizard said:
I’m gonna brew this one here pretty soon. I have all the ingredients, and have been wanting to brew some English Ales lately.

I had quite the adventure getting the Golden Syrup, but managed to track it down.

Here’s the question:

I ended up with two different types of Lyles golden syrup - one is a cane sugar syrup used for baking, and the other is a desert syrup. The regular one has cane sugar listed as the ingredient and the desert syrup has invert sugar as the ingredient.

Which is the one used in this recipe? The color looks the same to me on both products.

Cheers!
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Good question. I will have a look later in the shop! Are both coming in plastic bottles? I know that there is also stuff in a can, but I used the plastic bottle version.
 

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