Yeast for blonde / pale ale??

Mickeywheelspin · Jun 23, 2015

I'm finally planning for my first BIAB on Saturday. It'll be a blonde / light ale - around 30IBU, 4-5% hopped with First Gold and Goldings.

Can anyone recommend a liquid yeast or post a link to a guide as I'm having no luck finding anything on line. Ideally I want a clear beer with no diacytl.

Would White Labs WLP001 California Ale do it?

Covrich · Jun 23, 2015

I dont know much about that but a quick google suggests its the same strain as Safale US05 which to me sounds like a good match, I have made a blonde with a nice cascade hop with US05 and its clean and crisp and works really well..

Mickeywheelspin · Jun 23, 2015

Cool, thanks. I can guarantee you know more about yeast strains than me - most of my research has been around grains and hops. Not sure my LHBS stock the Safale US05.

I had assumed that the WhiteLabs was a liquid yeast but not sure it is now. Never used a liquid yeast before but as it's my first AG I thought I might splash out. I may opt for a Wyeast 1010 (or, more probably, I'll see what the LHBS recommend when I get there tomorrow...)

Covrich · Jun 23, 2015

Mickeywheelspin said:
Cool, thanks. I can guarantee you know more about yeast strains than me - most of my research has been around grains and hops. Not sure my LHBS stock the Safale US05.

I had assumed that the WhiteLabs was a liquid yeast but not sure it is now. Never used a liquid yeast before but as it's my first AG I thought I might splash out. I may opt for a Wyeast 1010 (or, more probably, I'll see what the LHBS recommend when I get there tomorrow...)

Whitelabs is liquid yeast Safale 05 is dried

McMullan · Jun 23, 2015

if in doubt, WLP007 works for me.

saccharomyces · Jun 23, 2015

In my humble opinion (and it's just that), the best dry yeast for blonde ale is Lallemand BRY 97 (a.k.a. Siebel Bry 97). This yeast strain is available in liquid form as Wyeast 1272 and White Labs WLP051. It's the old Ballantine "ale" strain. The Ballantine "beer" strain is Bry 96. We know Bry 96 as "Chico," Wyeast 1056, White Labs WLP001, and Fermentis US-05.

Bry 97 leaves more the malt character intact than Bry 96, which is welcome in a blonde ale. Bry 96 is also slightly fruity ("slightly" is the key word here), which is also welcome in a blonde ale. The low-level ester profile produced by this yeast strain enhances malt character instead of competing with it.

Bry 97 can be a scary experience for many brewers who are used to fast starting yeast strains. The strain takes its time getting started, but when it does, fermentation is over fairly quickly. Lag time is reduced when the culture is repitched.

I do not know if Anchor Liberty Ale is available in the UK, but Anchor was the first company to use Bry 97 after the Ballantine ale and beer breweries in New Jersey closed. I believe that Bear Republic also uses Bry 97.