Beer Forum

i was interested in these 2 seasonal yeasts, interestingly they are available at the same time of year. WLP 037 from White labs and Wyeast 1469. The White Labs is supposedly from Samuel Smiths and the Wyeast is supposedly from Timothy Taylors. I brewed a 1.055 pale ale using 95% Crisp Pale Ale malt and 5% Crisp Crystal 60. Hops were 30 IBU's Fuggle and 1 oz (10 gallons) Fuggle the last 20 mins. I wanted to let the yeast present itself without competing with hops. Fermented at 67 F.

results:
i'll be honest...i don't love either of these yeasts. They remind me of the dried yeast packs we would get in kits back in the late 1980's. Very bready, fruity and estery...The White labs reminds me of the old Edme dry yeast, fairly neutral in aroma but very fruity. The Wyeast is much more bready in the flavor. Perhaps i am just used to the usual British/English yeasts (002/1968...etc..) or cleaner American strains but i busted these out for some commercial brewers and no one cared for yeast profile. Maybe it is that these bready/fruity strains just remind me of the crappy yeasts we had back in the late 1980's.

anyone else want to chime in on their experiences?...

I brewed a strong-ish stout using the wyeast yorkshire yeast, lots of golden promise, brown malt, and invert sugars were used. I liked the yeast because it still came off as very "English" tasting without the usual pear/red apple type ester's I associate with young English beers. Fermentation flavors struck me more as minerally, very slate like with a vague un focused dried fruit flavor.
I really liked the flavor of this yeast but I'm not sure I would want to use it in something hoppy, It's best for maltier English beer's in my opinion.

Also remember that the Sammy Smiths that we get in the states has to come across a big ocean and through our wonderful distribution system. Maybe some of that comes out with mistreatment.

Just brewed a standard bitter with the wyeast and love the aroma and preliminary tests from the carboy. I'll use it for my next batch.