I know next to nothing about yeast except that under the right conditions and handled carefully it will reward us brewers with a decent product given that product is sound to begin with and even then I think yeast goes above and beyond our minor screw ups.
I recently used Pub in an Ordinary Bitter and was astonished at how fast it ripped through fermentation. Approximately 2-1/2 days to ferment from 1.041 to 1.008 (a little lower FG than I had hoped for, attenuation stated as 69-74%, this recipe had an apparent 80% attenuation) and I will assume the same will happen with a higher gravity wort given the same conditions.
Another aspect of this yeast was how quickly and near completely it flocculated out. When I collected the slurry today it was more like thick cake batter without any liquid instead of the opposite with other yeasts I use.
To say I am impressed with this yeast would be an understatement and I am going to use it on a Session WCIPA next week. It may not be the perfect choice for a WCIPA but I will see how it performs.
I wonder what the equivalent Wyeast strain is. I have used 1098, 1099, 1469, 1968, 1028 and some other English strains that sound similar… quick working, low-to-medium attenuation and high-flocculation. I transferred a beer out of the fermenter once with 1968 and the yeast was firm and compact on the bottom of the fermenter like a thick pancake. It looked like I could pick it up and frisbee it across the back yard. :D A quick search tells me that A09 is the same as WLP002 English Ale and Wyeast 1968 London ESB. I’ve used that strain many times and diacetyl has often been an issue with it.
WLP002 and 1968 are NOT the same yeast, and neither one is the same as A09. If you don’t like one, try the other.
A09 is likely more closely related to Wyeast 1026 British Cask Ale than others; however this is admittedly more of an educated guess based on process of elimination.
I have not used Pub A09 or WLP002 but I have used 1968 many times. The characteristics for attenuation, flocculation and the warning about needing a diacetyl rest all seem very much like 1968. There have been MANY times where someone or some online source says that one yeast is the same as another and they’re nothing alike so I’ve absolutely been there.
