Lallemand just sent an email announcing their new London ESB Premium Yeast:
[quote]“For that classic ESB flavor you need look no further than London ESB yeast from Lallemand - all the characteristics of a classic ESB strain in a convenient dry form”
John Keeling
Head Brewer
Fullers Brewery, London
Lallemand Brewing is excited to announce the release of our newest addition to our premium brewing yeast line-up.
Say hello to London ESB dry yeast, a true English ale strain selected for reliable fermentation performance and moderate ester production that lets the delicacies of the malt and hop aromas shine through. London ESB is a brilliant choice not only for brewing Extra Special Bitter but for other authentic heritage UK styles like Pale Ale, Bitter and Mild.
Like all our other brewing yeasts, Lallemand offers the unmatched purity, performance and ease-of-use that only dry yeast can deliver.
Lallemand London ESB is now available in 500 gram packages for commericial brewers. Contact your Lallemand brewing yeast distributor to buy London ESB. To locate a distributor in your area, visit our web site at http://www.lallemandyeast.com/commercial/all . For complete information on London ESB, visit our web site at www.lallemandyeast.com.
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Sounded great till the last paragraph speaking of 500g commercially sized pitches. Can’t tell if it is saying that is the only size available or not. I would like to try it on homebrew scale though
Sounds like it might be 1968/wlp 002? If so, it’s about time.
[/quoteyes, those are said to be the Fuller’s yeast, and the first post had a quote from John Keeling,the head Brewer at Fuller’s. Pretty good bet that this is the dry equivalent.
I just saw this at my local hardware/homebrew shop. I’ll be giving this a try tomorrow. If this tastes like 1968/002, then I will definitely be keeping a stash in my fridge to replace my S-04 supply.
Chepachet hardware is the closest I have to a LHBS. They have yeast, hops and premilled grain all stored at room temperature. I stopped in for some cider yeast and saw a pack of this. Lucky score, apparently.
Some users in the UK who use WLP002 as their house yeast have been testing this out already and from its behaviour it seems to be a different strain. Fermentations are underway so I guess more info will be forthcoming soon.
My experience with this strain has been good, overall:
-Present but not-overpowering ester production that are in-line with 1968 but more reserved
-Super-fast fermenter
-Malt character is preserved
-Hop character still shines through
-Great tasting finished beer
-British dry yeast!
-Much more likeable than S-04
Some (subjective) cons:
-Low attenuator (62-70% is typical)
-Not a great floccer
-Kind of powdery and slow to sediment
-SUPER-fast fermenter (36 hours and done)
-Manage fermentations closely and increase to 72F around hour 32-36F to help attenuation.
Overall, I like this strain a lot. Great British-like ales are produced and fermentation takes place quickly. Allow for extra time in keg for clearing. Primary conversion mash should be <150F for any kind of reasonable attenuation; keep unfermentables to a minimum. A stepped mash should help with attenuation. Does not ferment maltotriose at all, IIRC. Most “British” dry yeast are either way too clean (nottingham, MJ british ale yeast) or just not overly appealing (S-04), with the exception of MJ Burton Union which is highly unique and suitable for the right ale. This strain hits the mark in most regards; just need to mash very low (145-147F is ideal) and manage your fermentation very well (ramp up to 72 by hour 36 of active fermenatation).