WLP023 Burton Ale Yeast (vs) S-04?

[Bisco_Ben]

I have a bunch of liquid yeast on hand that has been in the fridge a bit long and would like to use up my White Labs Burton Ale yeast on my next batch. The best by date is in mid-may and were now in July, but it should still be good to use, right? I would assume that I will just need to make a slightly larger starter to get to the right numbers. Anyways onto the real question here, TO ANYONE WITH EXPERIENCE USING BOTH YEASTS, what should I expect in terms of differences in flavor, attenuation and flocculation(sp?)? I am going to use the Burton Ale yeast on a recipe that I have already made with S-04. I assume that since they are both English yeasts, this could be a good liquid yeast substitution. For the record I plan to brew an IPA with the yeast. Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Bisco_Ben]

Bump... Anyone?

 

[loball]

Your yeast should be fine assuming it's stayed in cold conditions for its storage period since may....bigger starter is appropriate. Mr Malty should give you an idea of what you need.

I have not brewed with burton but have done side by side taste comparisons amongst many white labs yeast.

I had 4 brown ales just last week at the white labs bar that just opened in San diego. All single hopped simple grain bills with different yeast in each....all same batch beers.

I do recall burton yeast as being one of my favorites in a brown ale i drank. It had definite fruity off tones but also displayed the most complexity of the yeast on display for that particular beer style. This was fermented at 68F per the white labs bar tender.

Hope that helps some, good luck with your brew!

 

[bierhaus15]

Both yeasts are quite different, not really a substitution for one or the other. First, s-04 is one of the Whitbread yeast (similar to wy1098, 99, and wlp007) and is characteristically drier with high flocculation and a light malt flavor, with light esters. It is pretty neutral as English yeasts go, though at higher temperatures (68F+) it can be unpleasantly estery with a distinct "twang" that I especially don't like. Think clean, dry, bready type flavors. Lets hops come through nicely.

On the other hand, wy1275/wlp023 is completely different. This yeast is substantially more malty and estery, with a lower attenuation/flocculation, and produces some of those 'rich' yeast flavors like you'll get with wy1968/wlp002. It will produce some diacetyl with a low yeast pitch. It can have some mineral type character, though overall it is fruity, malty, and flavorful. Does well with hops too. It is a good yeast choice for darker colored ales and makes a nice bitter too.

If your going to brew an IPA, wl023 is a fine choice, though know you won't get the same clean, dry, and malt neutral character as you would from the s-04. Pitch a large amount of yeast, ferment on the cooler side (64-66F) and you'll have a very nice IPA. Makes a very good English version of the style and tastes nice with American hops. I say go for it, s-04 is so bland, any of the English liquid yeasts are a better choice if you want some yeast complexity. Good luck.

 

[ghpeel]

Yeah I agree with bierhaus15, even though I haven't done a true side-by-side. S-04 is a great go-to yeast for basic English beers, but its a bit bland compared to the WLP023. I used the Burton on a dark, hoppy english ale and really loved it. There was some "stone fruit" character to that beer that was very mild, but flavorful, and I attribute that to the yeast. Given the choice, I'd use WLP023 over S-04, but sometimes I'm lazy and prefer the convenience of dry yeast