Yeast for IPA

[MacKiwi]

I'm planning on doing a big hoppy IPA, and will buy in a liquid yeast for the job. But which kind?

I read lots of suggestions for US yeast (WLP001 Californian Ale Yeast for example), and perhaps I'm being a bit silly, but I'd like to use a British yeast for an IPA (US yeast for APAs by all means!). Some of the British yeasts, like the WLP002 English Ale yeast I have in the fridge, tend to attenuate hop flavors, which I want to avoid. So the best I've found so far is WLP007 (Dry English Ale yeast). Any better suggestions?

 

[RobWalker]

I'm confused...you're making an IPA but you want to avoid hop flavour? are you trying to brew a malty and hoppy all rounder then? I thought it was standard to lather the hops on...

sorry, don't mean to be rude :lol:

 

[MacKiwi]

No, of course not, I want lots of hoppy flavor

I did say attenuate, not exagerate!

I found yeasts like S04 really mute hop flavors, and I read that WLP002 (which I had planned to use as I have it to hand) is the same. So I was interested to know what British yeasts folk find are best for their IPAs.

 

[Dave1970]

Fullers yeast from Bengal Lancer is pretty good in well hopped English beers. Reading around, Wyeast 1968 and Whitelabs WLP002 are supposed to be the same yeast.

 

[Darcey]

I hear good things about Wyeast 1332 Northwest Ale. Originally Gales but I know its been taken on by afew Micros (in the north-west) that do really good IPA style beers. It likes to ferment quite high 20-23c, has a fairly low cell count but works a treat problem is that it is prone to diacetyl so be careful with oxygen pick up and its worth a rest for the last day of fermentation at 12c. (if you can!).

I had good experiances with Thwaites yeast as well. Thats a beauty I cant seem to find them online however.

D

 

[RobWalker]

Darcey, I think its active in their nutty black :thumb:

 

[Good Ed]

WLP007 is good for IPA's :thumb:

 

[MacKiwi]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. I did go with WLP007 in the end, so thanks for the vote of confidence in it GoodEd.

Wyeast 1332 wasn't in stock, and I didn't have time to track down a bottle of Bengal Lance, drink the contents and step up the yeast from it. :)

WLP007 starter is bubbling away, brew day tomorrow...