WLP026 - sourcing equivalent

Divenglide · 2025-02-12T07:44:29+0000

Having recently realised through the work of Suregork and others that WLP026 is a POF- saison yeast used in the UK, I have a sudden urge to brew with it a Ross a number of different styles. It does not look like it has been released as a vault strain for some time and so I was hoping to source it somehow. I was hoping that one of the standard Brewlab slopes might be an equivalent but that does not seem to be the case. Does anybody know if and how I might be able to source please? Perhaps through a bottle conditioned beer? Thanks in advance for any help.

JockyBrewer · 2025-02-12T17:04:24+0000

Isn’t Brewlab Burton 1 not similar?

https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/brewlab-yeast-slope/

“Light phenolic flavours may be produced”

Northern_Brewer · 2025-02-12T18:05:48+0000

Heh - as it happens, I think it was released via White Labs' wholesale site, yeastman.com, not that long ago, but it's not there any more. They do seem to be releasing vault strains more regularly than they used to, but it's very hit and miss - I assume they make things to order for a commercial brewery and then package some for homebrewers whilst they have it - so they may be on there for only a week or two. But if they're in green on Yeastman then you can ask the likes of the Malt Miller to order them for you so it's worth keeping an eye on it.

And yeah, allegedly WLP026 came from Marstons, as did Brewlab Burton. Whether they're the same or not who knows, but it's your best bet until it comes up on Yeastman. Marston don't condition with the production yeast, so you're not going to get it that way, from bottle or cask. Maybe Thornbridge and Epochal are using Marston yeast in their union sets?

Divenglide · 2025-02-12T19:01:20+0000

Thanks both. I think I had ruled out Brewlab’s Burton yeast slope on the basis that it mentioned light phenolic flavours. I am now reminded of posts I think I have seen from you Northern_Brewer about the non-phenolic pathway in WLP026 resulting in vanilla flavours. Perhaps that is the ‘light phenolic’ flavours that the Brewlab description is referring to?

Northern_Brewer · 2025-02-12T19:48:15+0000

Well you have to remember that being POF- just means that the yeast can't turn ferulic acid into 4VG. Yes 4VG has a powerful clove smell/flavour - but it's not the only phenolic to do the clovey thing. There's other clovey phenolics like 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol for instance, and all that ferulic acid has to end up somewhere.

So I wouldn't assume that being POF- means zero phenolic character, "light phenolics" seems plausible.

Divenglide · 2025-02-12T21:05:12+0000

Northern_Brewer said:
Well you have to remember that being POF- just means that the yeast can't turn ferulic acid into 4VG. Yes 4VG has a powerful clove smell/flavour - but it's not the only phenolic to do the clovey thing. There's other clovey phenolics like 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol for instance, and all that ferulic acid has to end up somewhere.

So I wouldn't assume that being POF- means zero phenolic character, "light phenolics" seems plausible.

Thank you. Really useful.