MiniFerment data:
What is MiniFerment? White Labs yeast strains were tested using the same wort in its proprietary MiniFerment process. The process simulates large-scale brewing. To learn more about MiniFerment click here. To learn more about understanding the data, click here.

Fermentation temperature: 68 °F
Attenuation: 80%
Hours to get to 50 percent attenuation: 25

Reviews:
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"Makes a great ... "
By: Adrian Avgerinos
Date: Feb. 28, 2011
Beers brewed: Porter and Ale
Comments: A fantastic yeast that's great for top cropping and open fermentation. Attenuation varies between 70-90% depending on mash and adjunct usage. The temperature schedule that works for me is to pitch at 60 and allow it to warm up to about 68-72 over the course of 4-5 days. Crop ever 12 hours after 36-48 hours and the beer will drop bright in about 4-5 days. Stop cropping when the subsequently formed head barely covers the surface. I rack from under the head and condition in a keg before transferring to a serving keg. I also aerate 18-24 hours AFTER pitching by racking using a bottling bucket and gravity. Timing is based on the yeast head. Wait until it's full of WHITE meringue looking foam and drop. Makes a great Porter, Pale Ale, Golden Ale, or Mild Ale.

"I have kegged the ipa ... "
By: Douglas Remington
Date: Nov. 21, 2010
Beers brewed: IPA and West Coast stout
Comments: This strain can be explosive. Two weeks ago I made a starter and and pitched it in a 1.060 IPA in which I oxygenated the wort. This was a 5 gallon batch in an 8 gallon fermenter. In 48 hours it puked out the fermenter at 70 degrees! I reharvested and rinsed the yeast and pitched it in a 1.70 west coast stout. I oxygenated the wort and fermented at 65 degrees. Same thing, it puked out an 8 gallon fermenter! I have kegged the ipa and I did not get the feared "over fruitiness." The ipa is pretty clean but with some tasty citrus and mineral yeast character. Can't wait to try the stout with this top cropper!

"I was very happy with the results ... "
By: cookiepuss
Date: April 12, 2010
Beers brewed: Ordinary Bitter
Comments: Bitter turned out better than I expected. This was the first time I used this yeast. I was a bit worried after day 2 in the fermenter because there was an over powering sulfur/rotten egg smell emitting from the brew. I did a little research and discovered that sulfur can be present when using this strain. After racking to a secondary on day 6 and allowing to finish in the secondary the sulfur had disappeared. I was very happy with the results as I usually am with White Labs Yeast and will be using this yeast again. I fermented this beer @ 68degF for 6days and then raised the temp to 70 for the remainder.

"Started within hours"
By: Brian, Florida
Date: Nov. 11, 2009
Beers brewed: Spice
Comments: I just love this yeast. Especially for beers that have somewhat of a "red" type base malt bill. Thought I'd try it for my pumpkin ale. Just love those plummy notes. Made a 1 liter starter. Came out the airlock. :) Pitched into 1.064 wort. Started within hours. Gotta love it.

" ... fantastically flexible ... "
By: Doug Kraus
Date: March 1, 2009
Beers brewed: IPA 
Comments: This is the first time I've used this yeast and what a great surprise! My IPA didn't turn out to be the big hoppy Lagunitas style like I usually brew. The yeast added a great flavor and actually added some flower and spice to the flavor profile that did not get completely over-powered by the hops. I will use this again for my IPA for sure!

" ... best beer I have made ... "
By: Anonymous
Date: July 17, 2008
Beers brewed: Stout, American Wheat/IPA hybrid
Comments: This yeast is fantastically flexible in my homebrewing. Not only does it make a terrific sweet stout, but the American wheat I have been making all summer could not be any better with another strain of yeast. Re-using this yeast has been an added advantage, as I have brewed 6 batches from the original vial of Burton Ale yeast with stellar results. The best beer I have made has been made with this yeast.

"Gives a wonderful and complex character ... "
By: Tom A, US
Date: November 13, 2007
Beers brewed: ESB, IPA
Comments: Is fast becoming my house yeast. Gives a wonderful and complex character the ales it ferments. Ester notes compliment the aroma/flavor hops of an IPA wonderfully and it certainly adds a little complexity to the bitters. A sure fire winner for English ales, and I'll be certain to experiment with it for American styles and a stout.

" ... Each batch has been excellent"
By: Steve UK
Date: Feb. 21, 2007
Beers brewed: Bitters, around 1050 SG
Comments: I have brewed 10 5 gallon batches of ale with this yeast over the past 10 months and each batch has been excellent. After initial vigorous fermentation is over I store the beer in a 5 gallon poly cube container under airlock until a barrel becomes available sometimes up to 4 weeks. On mash day I make the wort and whilst the fermentor is in the cooling pool I siphon the beer from the poly cube into the barrel, swill what is left in there around to pick up the flocculated yeast, pour about 100ml into a sterilized jar with lid and leave it until the wort is cooled which takes about 3 hours and then re-pitch the collected yeast. In about 6 hours I have a rapid fermentation started. As I say I have been doing this for 10 months and could carry on I'm sure. The only reason I am buying a new strain is to try something different. The yeast itself produces a thick creamy lasting head on the beer. It has a slight pear aroma which when mixed with the hop aroma produces a lovely ale.

FAQ for this yeast
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I have used Burton Ale yeast in the past with excellent results. I currently have a 1.078 OG beer in the primary now on the 9th day using this yeast. The first 7 days with a blow off tube. There is still some krausen and minimal airlock activity. My 5 gal recipe is 16.5 lbs of grain mostly highly modified with less than 3% adjuncts and about 10% dextrin malts single infusion mashed at 154 Deg. Aeration was good, 3 pint starter and about 2 hrs lag time. Based on past experience it should be finished but attenuation is at only 63%. Assuming there are fermentables present how can I get fermentation to resume or should I just wait it out, or call it good? I’d like to finish less than 1.020, beer's a little sweet yet. Any advice?

Did beer/yeast come out of the blow off tube? Burton Ale yeast is so top cropping that a good portion of the yeast could have been lost that way. Even so, the best way to speed it up now would be to transfer it into another container. That helps mix it around and break out CO2 that could be repressing the yeast. But make sure you transfer over the yeast cake as well, it is easy to leave behind and this transfer is to spurn the yeast forward, not to separate it out. If you can’t transfer, at least shake the carboy for 2 minutes to rouse the yeast and break out gas.