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Wyeast 1968 Dry Substitute

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jrsdws

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Is there a dry yeast sub for 1968? I tried Apex London Ale yeast in a Citra pale ale and it wasn't good. Finished very sweet with hardly any hop character and this is a Zombie Dust clone....lots of Citra.
I have no homebrew shops in the area and liquid yeast is getting expensive with shipping so I've been trying to move to mostly dry yeast. I see where some people like S-04 but I have never used it. Any help much appreciated!!
 
S04 is excellent, ferments in a couple of days leaving a crystal clear, clean, and malty brew. I think that it is best fermented right at 68 degrees, and it should attenuate to 80%ish.
 
I'd say Lallemand London ESB. While S04 is a great yeast I think it goes too dry and doesn't hit anywhere near the same notes as WY1968/WLP002.
 
There is not a good characterful English dry yeast. At least, not for most people.

Some people have good results with S-04, but it is very neutral compared to 1968, and many (including myself) get a "raw biscuit dough" tangy flavor from it consistently. Flocs and clears well though. Ready to top crop.

Nottingham and Windsor pitched together is popular. It takes awhile to clear compared to 1968, and is not really fruity, but has a pleasant ester profile.

Verdant is a winner, but most people are off put by its "fruit salad" flavor except in dark English or American hoppy beers. Not good for a bitter. I personally believe overpitching helps a little. It top crops better than most anything but takes an extra week to clear compared to 1968.

I'm still looking for the good English dry yeast. Please let me know if you find it.
 
There is not a good characterful English dry yeast. At least, not for most people.

Some people have good results with S-04, but it is very neutral compared to 1968, and many (including myself) get a "raw biscuit dough" tangy flavor from it consistently. Flocs and clears well though. Ready to top crop.

Nottingham and Windsor pitched together is popular. It takes awhile to clear compared to 1968, and is not really fruity, but has a pleasant ester profile.

Verdant is a winner, but most people are off put by its "fruit salad" flavor except in dark English or American hoppy beers. Not good for a bitter. I personally believe overpitching helps a little. It top crops better than most anything but takes an extra week to clear compared to 1968.

I'm still looking for the good English dry yeast. Please let me know if you find it.
I can see where Verdant could make a good Citra pale ale.
 
Over the years i used many different strains of British ale yeast. The only dry yeast that comes anywhere near close in terms of complexity has been verdant. I use it a lot now. But the batch i just kegged was 1968, because its so good
 
There is not a good characterful English dry yeast. At least, not for most people.

Some people have good results with S-04, but it is very neutral compared to 1968, and many (including myself) get a "raw biscuit dough" tangy flavor from it consistently. Flocs and clears well though. Ready to top crop.

Nottingham and Windsor pitched together is popular. It takes awhile to clear compared to 1968, and is not really fruity, but has a pleasant ester profile.

Verdant is a winner, but most people are off put by its "fruit salad" flavor except in dark English or American hoppy beers. Not good for a bitter. I personally believe overpitching helps a little. It top crops better than most anything but takes an extra week to clear compared to 1968.

I'm still looking for the good English dry yeast. Please let me know if you find it.
Have you looked at the WHC Labs dry yeasts ?
 
I recently discovered that they exist. I think you can only buy them in the big brick here in the US, but I was thinking of getting one to try. Maybe send some samples out to other US brewers and get some other opinions.

But certain circumstances are preventing me from brewing at all for severely months, so who knows.

Do you have experience with them?
 
There is not a good characterful English dry yeast.
Pretty much this.
Is there a dry yeast sub for 1968? I tried Apex London Ale yeast in a Citra pale ale and it wasn't good. Finished very sweet with hardly any hop character and this is a Zombie Dust clone....lots of Citra.
I have no homebrew shops in the area and liquid yeast is getting expensive with shipping
Best option in the UK is just to harvest yeast from bottle-conditioned beers or pub casks, obviously depends at what price and how fresh you can get hold of something like Fuller's 1845.

AEB New-E and Cellar Science Hazy are other versions of the Apex London so don't bother with those if you don't like the Apex. But one of the most underrated yeasts is BE-256 - despite the Belgian branding it's a British yeast with high attenuation and flocculation, and a good deal of fruit character - whether it suits you or not is another matter, but it may be worth a try.

S-33 is just the Fermentis version of Windsor. T-58 is a lightly phenolic cousin of them both, and again may be a more interesting option for some trad British styles.
 
Pretty much this.

Best option in the UK is just to harvest yeast from bottle-conditioned beers or pub casks, obviously depends at what price and how fresh you can get hold of something like Fuller's 1845.

AEB New-E and Cellar Science Hazy are other versions of the Apex London so don't bother with those if you don't like the Apex. But one of the most underrated yeasts is BE-256 - despite the Belgian branding it's a British yeast with high attenuation and flocculation, and a good deal of fruit character - whether it suits you or not is another matter, but it may be worth a try.

S-33 is just the Fermentis version of Windsor. T-58 is a lightly phenolic cousin of them both, and again may be a more interesting option for some trad British styles.
Have you tried the whc British strains?
 

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