British Ale Yeast (WY1098)

Description

Wyeast British Ale Yeast (WY1098) has a clean fermentation profile. It tends to produce minimal fermentation byproducts when fermented on the cool side and some mild fruity esters when fermented on the warmer side. WY1098 has moderate alcohol tolerance. It has moderately high attenuation resulting in beers with a perception of crispness and a dry finish with slight tartness. Some of the other British ale strains produce more flavorful fermentations such as interesting ester profiles and enhanced maltiness. Therefore, WY1098 is a good choice for showcasing the pure flavors from your malt and hops.

This strain is derived from yeast originally collected from the Whitbread Brewery in England. Hence, it is closely related to other Whitbread strains such as Wyeast’s Whitbread Ale (WY1099) and White Lab’s Whitbread Ale Yeast (WLP017). It is thought to produce less malty, nutty, or fruity character than WY1099. This may be attributable to differences in flocculation behavior; WY1099 tends to flocculate much more readily than WY1098. Thus WY1098 has more opportunity to remain in the wort and clean up fermentation byproducts.

Beer Styles

This is a good yeast strain for many traditional British-style ales. It can be used to make crisp tasting bitters and pale ales. The high attenuation and clean flavors make it a great choice for various styles of Scottish ale as well as Northern English brown ale. For the same reasons, it is also a good choice for making Irish red ales with a dry finish. It could also be used for subtle, British-tinged, variations on many American beer styles.

Yeast Characteristics

Yeast Form	Liquid
Attenuation	73 - 75 %
Flocculation	Medium
Optimum Temp.	64 - 72 °F
Alcohol Tolerance	Moderate

References

1. Wyeast Laboratories. http://www.wyeastlab.com. Retrieved 2013-07-14.
2. White Labs. http://www.whitelabs.com. Retrieved 2013-07-14.