WLP037 Yorkshire Square -- medicinal flavor

I brewed my winter ale with WLP037 this year.  I was pretty excited about having that elusive Sam Smith’s yeast quality in this beer.  So far, I’m kind of pissed.  First, let me say that my winter ale is one of my favorite recipes I make.  It’s something I designed myself and it’s one of my favorite drinkers around the colder months.  I expected this yeast to deliver that “tangy” ester that I get in Sam Smith’s beers.  I don’t taste anything like that.  In fact, I’m wondering if this vial was possibly mislabeled, because all I’m getting is a bad, Belgian-like medicinal flavor.  Almost like a young big beer fermented with Wyeast 1214 Belgian Abbey.  Has anyone else used this yeast with any success?  I’m about ready to brew another batch of winter ale with my regular strain (Wyeast 1968).  FYI, I fermented the WLP037 batch at 60-62 – maybe that was too low?  Also, this is supposed to be a highly flocculant strain.  This beer is STILL cloudy even after adding gelatin.  Again, is it possible that the vial was mislabeled???

Read this: http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp037.html

I wonder about the yeast in those vials, if they ever get mixed up.

Hey Bob… I think I did an oopsie… oh well. Don’t tell Fred, he’ll make us do it all over again.

I took a look at those review last night.  The first one seems to identify the medicinal flavor, but it also describes the yeast as highly flocculant (which was definitely not the case for me).  Also, in my experience, this yeast was an über high attenuator – over 80% (1.065 to 1.008)!!!  Because of this, there’s also an undesirable alcohol hotness.

I swear I had a similar issue about a year ago… with a German Lager yeast vial.  Fermenting at 55F, I wound up with Clove character… which I do not think is really physically possible with German Lager yeast.

I held onto the bottles for a year at 65F, just to see if it was an infection, and the beer is still good… Not a Vienna Lager, but but still good.  (Good enough to serve at Christmas to my guests this year) No over carbination, no rings in the bottle, no sourness…  so I am chalking it up to a mis-labled vial.

what was the date on the vial of yeast?

If I remember correctly, it was some date in November 2010.  Not that old when I bought it in early December.

Wow, this thread is old and white labs still doesn’t mention anything about this yeast throwing phenols.

you may very well have gotten some other yeast, but i will tell you this yeast is finicky . when PH of mash is less than 5.3, i have had the same medicinal problem you report. 5.35-5.5, no issues. very active and also highly floculant as described. your temps should not be a problem- i pitch at 60F with no issues. also, IMO this is a yeast that needs nutrient, adequate pitch rates, and good oxegenation.

edit: only used with darker beers…like oatmeal stout, so consider that.

I didn’t get band aid, but I did notice a funky phenolic that seems to age out after a couple of weeks. It is insanely flocculant, and is a beast if you pitch enough. It ripped through a huge all-malt barleywine fermented at 58F, and didn’t require any coddling other than a big, healthy starting pitch. Speaking of which, I should check in on that brew as it’s approaching its birthday.