WLP002 English Ale Yeast

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This is a classic ESB strain from one of England’s largest independent breweries. While it is traditionally used for English-style ales including milds, bitters, porters, and stouts, it is also ideal for American-style pale ales and IPAs. Residual sweetness accentuates malt character along with mild fruity esters, adding complexity to the flavor and aroma of finished beers. Slight diacetyl production is common. Due to this strain’s high flocculation, the beer will finish clear and the yeast can easily be harvested from the fermenter for future use. It is common for this yeast to look coagulated.

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Characteristics

Attenuation:

63.00-70.00

Flocculation:

Very High

Alcohol Tolerance:

Medium (5 - 10%)

Optimum Fermentation Temperature:

65.00-68.00

Style Performance

Style performance is a listing of styles made with WLP002 English Ale Yeast.

FAQs

Using one vial in 5 gallons of wort, the wort showed no signs of fermentation after 2-3 days. Why did it not ferment faster.

Sometimes they just need some agitation. Both WLP002 and WLP004 are flocculent, and they can settle to the bottom after pitching. With flocculent strains it is even more important to stir the fermenter in the beginning. Either leaving a fish-pump type device with an air filter on for 1 hour post-pitching or stirring the fermenter a few times a day will keep the yeast in suspension and drive out CO2 .

Is WLP002 English Ale yeast supposed to be grainy? It appears to be coagulated.

Yes, the yeast often looks coagulated - that is the high flocculation characteristic of this yeast. You will see a similar look with our other English strains as well. You have to give it a lot of aeration at the beginning. You should shake the carboy every 15-30 minutes for the first few hours after pitching. Because the yeast is so flocculent it gets easily caught in the trub and hops.

About 2 months ago, I made an ESB using your WLP002 English Ale yeast. I stored the yeast in a storage jar in a refrigerator

About 2 months ago, I made an ESB using your WLP002 English Ale yeast. I stored the yeast in a storage jar in a refrigerator at 34-40°F for about two months. When I opened the jar I noticed a sour smell.

The sour smell can be a problem, or it can just be the smell of concentrated yeast stored for a while. The biggest problem would be a bacterial contamination - which would smell sour. If you’re going to store yeast, it is best to sterilize your glassware in a pressure cooker. The other problem would be yeast cell death, autolysis, which could also give a sour like aroma. Two months is a long time to store yeast in the refrigerator. Generally, when reusing yeast from a fermentation, half of the yeast dies in the first month. So by 2 months you only have 10-30% living cells. For White Labs Yeast, the yeast is lab grown with a special media and process, extending the shelf life. If you want to store yeast after fermentation, we would recommend a maximum of two weeks and releasing the pressure in your container every other day. Some people do go longer than that, but the results are mixed. It is also difficult without a lab to check the quality of the yeast before reusing. So, to answer your question, there is really no way to know if you can use the yeast at this point without a microscope and plates. It would be best not to risk it.

How can you tell if a WLP yeast product in the vial is viable? It looks coagulated.

WLP002 is a highly flocculent yeast and "coagulates” together; it is totally normal. You can’t tell by looking at a vial of yeast whether it is viable or not. We know from studying our yeast that the yeast has a shelf life of four months from packaging. Even after that, there is still viable yeast, but the percentage of viable cells is not considered pitchable anymore. Most brewers will make a starter when close to or after the best before date.

Reviews

Feedback and experiences from previous customers. Want to leave a review of your own?

"Proper British superflocc'ing monster"

By: George | Date: Oct 10, 2016 | Beer(s) Brewed: ESB

I made a two-step stir-plate starter out of one vial of this. On the first step, I came back after about 24 hours and was dismayed to find no activity. I subsequently discovered that the lack of activity in the flask wasn't because there was anything wrong with the yeast — it was because the yeast ate everything in solution within 24 hours flat (!).

Pitched onto a batch of 1.065 ESB ale and hit FG of 1.02 within several days, so about 70% attenuation.

DIACETYL REST IS MANDATORY FOR THIS STRAIN (unless you want to make a butterscotch bitter). Cleaned up nicely after several days at 73º F (started off at 65º and slowly ramped up).

Although this does flocc like crazy without finings, I would still fine or cold condition for a long time to get clear beer. I bottle conditioned without fining/filtration/lagering and there's a ton of sediment in my bottles.

"Hard Working English Ale Yeast"

By: Jez the Mez | Date: Sep 1, 2016 | Beer(s) Brewed: Milk Stout, ESB, English Amber

I used this yeast to make a milk stout initially. I don't make a lot of stouts, but I understand that they usually finish with a higher FG than a non-stout ale due to all the non-fermentables (especially since this had a pound of lactic sugar in it). Made a 2-L starter and pitched onto a 1.070 wort that finished at 1.029. 5.4% ale that was very delicious. I washed the yeast and used it in two other beers: an ESB and an English Amber that was inspired by Boont Amber, but bigger. Again, 2-L starters for both. This was during the month of July and even with a chiller, I could only get the wort down to 73*F. I went with it. ESB went from 1.053 to 1.006! Amber went from 1.062 to 1.007 (even with 2.5 lbs of various crystal malts!). Kegged 3 gallons of each and bottled 2 gallons to share with friends. Both turned out quite well. This will likely be my go-to British ale yeast unless I'm going for some other kind of profile. Definitely recommend upping the fermenting temperature for maximum choogling.

"Good Most Of The Time"

By: THale86 | Date: Jan 17, 2016 | Beer(s) Brewed: Sweet Stout, Northern English Brown, Ordinary Bitter

I like this yeast on the whole. It is great for most English styles where you want a bit of body leftover however I have had it leave a bit too much residual sugar when it hits the lower end of it's % attenuation, ending up with a very sweet beer. I particularly like this strain for lower starting gravity beers and sweet stouts where a lower % attenuation is ideal to leave more body in the beer. The esters are very pleasant when kept in check with fermentation temperature and it flocculates very well leaving a crystal clear beer straight out of primary.

"awesome strain"

By: jared | Date: Nov 4, 2015 | Beer(s) Brewed: blond

Used this yeast for a few batches, its great. Golden ales always come out crisp and clear, awesome aroma when fermenting. got to say at least in my experiences with this yeast that its a definate go to.

"Power Horse Yeast"

By: Jim | Date: Nov 1, 2015 | Beer(s) Brewed: English Brown Ale

My wife and I have used this yeast twice in variations of a Northern Brown Ale. The mash and fermentation profiles were nearly identical for these beers. We mashed at ~150-153 degrees for 60 minutes. We made a 0.75L starter on a stir plate for both. Both ales had a O.G. of 1.054 and reached a F.G. of 1.009 after 7 days. BeerSmith estimated a F.G. of 1.017 based on a 66.5% apparent attenuation but we got ~82% attenuation. At first we thought our mash tun profile was off in BeerSmith and our mash was more efficient, but even after adjusting parameters for a new mash tun we got, it repeated itself.

We're not complaining as this yeast makes an AMAZING English Brown Ale but I wonder if anyone might be able to pinpoint what would cause this yeast to attenuate so much higher then reported.

"The best IPA Yeast period WLP002"

By: Jobin | Date: Sep 7, 2015 | Beer(s) Brewed: IIPA

Brewed an imperial IPA with 1.085 OG. Pitched a 1.5L 12hr starter. 4 days later, 1.014FG. The blowoff valve barely held on 7 hrs after pitching. Finished with an outstanding beer and get about 80% attenuation with amalayze extract added.

"WLP002 English Ale"

By: Josh | Date: Jun 20, 2014 | Beer(s) Brewed: Ordinary Bitter

Brewed my first ordinary bitter using WLP002 and Jamil Zainasheff's recipe. Not being intimately familiar with this style, I was expecting something similar to a Scottish 60/- (which I brew using WLP001), but perhaps with a bit more fruity esters. This beer, however, has turned out to be extremely "malt forward" to the point of being unbalanced (at least to my taste). I'm wondering if anyone else has experience or recommendations for using this yeast, or would recommend a commercial example to compare to? I'd like to repitch this yeast in an ESB and/or and English IPA, but not if this batch is sub-par.

"Over attenuated"

By: Seth | Date: Jan 18, 2014 | Beer(s) Brewed: Nut Brown / Xmas Ale

Brewed an english maple nut brown on washed 002 left over from a Pumking Clone, and then a holiday beer on that washed yeast. Both beers should have finished around 1.02-1.024 and instead I got nearly 80% apparent attenuation with the nut brown finishing at 1.012 and the xmas ale at 1.006!!! Is this because of having too much yeasties in there to begin with? I'm not going to complain about going from a 9.6% ABV to 11.4 or 9.4% to 10.4% , but now both beers are very dry. Much more so than planned... After 3 months in secondary they both still taste like jet fuel, and I will be bottle conditioning likely until next holiday season and beyond.

"English ale yeast "

By: Almando Otero | Date: Oct 10, 2013 | Beer(s) Brewed: ipa porters pales ales

Best strain i've used so far aside form California ale yeast.

"Somewhat difficult to work with, but nice flavor"

By: Roger | Date: Aug 31, 2013 | Beer(s) Brewed: Ordinary BItter, Dark Mild

I gave this a shot in a mild and a bitter. The first pitch was a 1.036 dark mild. The yeast gave me about 69% ADF with a 153F mash. It has a nice flavor that took about two weeks to really come together after bottle conditioning. I liked the flavor combined with darker malts.

The second beer was an ordinary bitter with a light amber. Not as good of a flavor. It didn't really work well with the lighter flavor, and I had issues with the yeast flocing out at 1.014. However, after bottle conditioning, it ended up fermenting down to 1.012 which resulted in overcarbed bottles.

It's a yeast with decent flavor, but I am somewhat irritated at its tendency to floc out like a brick. If I kegged, this wouldnt be as much of an issue since I could vent. Or pasteurized or somewhat.

So basically do a forced ferment test to see the limit of attenuation with your wort, keep temps stable or rising slightly, and pitch enough yeast.

"QA Manager"

By: Ron Fortin | Date: May 22, 2013 | Beer(s) Brewed: n/a

Can anybody tell me if there is a piece of equipment on the market that would do Bakers Cream Yeast Analysis? I need to know parameters for guidance for acceptable and non-acceptable levels. Thank you in advance.

"Everything is tasting great ....."

By: Brian | Date: Nov 23, 2012 | Beer(s) Brewed: ESB

I brewed my ESB with WL002, no starter. Pitched at 68F. Active fermentation started in under 24 hrs, and brought it up to 70F. Ambient room temp was kept at 66F. It went from OG: 1.053 to FG: 1.010 in 8 days. That's 81% apparent attenuation! Much higher than I expected. I'll be cold crashing and kegging it tomorrow. Everything is tasting great so far. I'll certainly be harvesting this yeast for future batches. Time to win some medals.

"... there were distinct differences"

By: Rick Kocher | Date: Aug 26, 2011 | Beer(s) Brewed: Smoked Cherry Porter

I made this smoked cherry porter and I used this in one 5 gallon carboy and the WLP013 London ale in the other carboy. They both turned out great, but there were distinct differences. The 002 left a fruiter, more cherry tasting porter. I put a 3lb can of cherry puree in each carboy. However, the 013 left almost no cherry flavors, but the smokey flavors in the 013 were very evident. There was very little if any smoke character in the 002. Very interesting experiment. (Note: This review also appears under WLP013).

"Leaves an English hint of ... "

By: Brewer Dave | Date: Sep 18, 2009 | Beer(s) Brewed: Moose Drool Clone, Pumpkin Ale

Superb yeast! Let your beer remain in the primary fermenter for 2 weeks and you will have crystal clear beer. Leaves an English hint of flavor/sweetness. English ales demand this yeast!

"... this is the yeast you want ..."

By: Les Nadon | Date: Feb 16, 2009 | Beer(s) Brewed: English Bitter

My absolute favorite yeast -- always gets going in about 4-6 hours (with a starter) and ferments completely in 3 days. Sometimes, the ferment gets going so active, it looks like it is (almost) boiling! I usually let it rest for another day or two, keg it, drink it! If you've ever had the real thing from a hand pump in a British Pub, this is the yeast you want to use to reproduce it.

"Any advice?"

By: DB | Date: May 28, 2008 | Beer(s) Brewed: Smoked Ale

My tip: After reading the reviews I used a full 2 oz. of NB yeast nutrient to make a 1 pint starter 6 hrs. before pitching at 75F. After pitching I put a cork on the carboy and vigorously rolled it back and forth for a minute (I learned this technique from watching Papazian in 'American Brew'). Fermentation began almost immediately. It was a late boil, and after 24 hrs I simply left a window open to cool it over night. To my surprise the flocculation actually caused the temperature to rise back to 76F after initially cooling to 70F. Question: Does anyone have any advice or opinion on the use of this yeast for a smoked ale? I use alder chips and the flavor is kind of mellow, so I am a little worried it won't be apparent in the finished product.

"... adds a nice fruitiness ..."

By: Xak | Date: Jan 1, 2008 | Beer(s) Brewed: ESB, bitter

I brew ESB and bitters often and I love this yeast. Leaves the beer very clear and adds a nice fruitiness and leaves some sweetness. When using a 16oz starter, the yeast shows active fermentation in about 3hrs and is usually complete in about 2 days.

"My clearest beer to date"

By: T.J. Vitolo | Date: Nov 29, 2007 | Beer(s) Brewed: Imperial Porter

Brewed a High Gravity Porter 8.8% ABV. Looking for residual sweetness to balance the high IBU's. At first I was skeptical that the strain could handle almost 9% ABV. Not only did it handle it, but it fermented down to the FG in 7 days. Racked to secondary, flocculation was awesome. My clearest beer to date. It took 6 weeks to carbonate in the bottle. Another 8 weeks to blend and mellow. This beer is a winner. The quality, characteristics and hardiness of this strain created a perfect winter brew. OG 1.090, FG 1.024, AA 72%. Unrefined sucrose in 15% of the Grain Bill.

"This yeast was great for a malty brown ale"

By: Doug C. | Date: Nov 2, 2007 | Beer(s) Brewed: Brown Ale

This yeast was great for a malty brown ale. The lower attenuation really allowed the beer to keep a sweet flavor profile. The fermentation was right around 70F and the esters complimented the malt bill extremely well.

"... the yeast is worth the wait"

By: Rob | Date: Oct 16, 2007 | Beer(s) Brewed: 2 Pale ales and a brown ale

The yeast gives a great flavor but always makes me a little tense at first. For me it has taken a day for it to really get going and on all 3 batches I regularly have to agitate it. I do not have a wort aerator so I would think that would help quite a bit. However, the yeast is worth the wait and I have obviously come back to it. Contamination has never been an issue.

"Great malty flavor"

By: Anonymous | Date: Jun 4, 2007 | Beer(s) Brewed: English Brown

Excellent flocculation; fermented first week between 63 and 69 degrees F, and second week between 72 and 75 degrees. Great malty flavor with light nut and earthy flavors. Great success with Kent Goldings for bitter and Fuggles for flavor/aroma.

"Wait before separating yeast from beer"

By: Dr. Evil | Date: Jun 4, 2007 | Beer(s) Brewed: English Ales

This yeast can produce diacetyl (butter scotch flavor) if you do not leave the yeast in contact with the beer long enough. Wait 3 days after your air lock stops bubbling before separating the yeast from the beer.

"... a nice 'bready' taste."

By: Anonymous | Date: May 21, 2007 | Beer(s) Brewed: Mild

I am very pleased with this yeast strain when brewing a mild. I've gone beyond the recommended temp, and kicked it up to 72 degrees and had wonderful results. Very pleasant esters (plum notes...), and a nice "bready" taste. The average score I've been getting in competitions since brewing with this yeast strain at these temps is 39, with a high of 43.

"Works great for the style."

By: DVW | Date: Apr 7, 2007 | Beer(s) Brewed: mild, ESB, brown mild

My favorite yeast! Works great for the styles listed. Very clean. Is slow to start, but if you agitate it a bit within the first 10-12 hours, it kicks into high gear. Maltiness really comes through. Beer is very clear when finished. If producing authentic English ales, and the water has been treated with added minerals, the mineral tastes are more enhanced.

"... pretty clean."

By: 925 | Date: Mar 5, 2007 | Beer(s) Brewed: Bastard

Basically hopped with Amarillo and Goldings. Yeast is pretty clean, but really masks hop aroma and flavor. So flocculent that friends will think your beer is filtered.

"It made a nice tasting beer."

By: Patrick Kahle | Date: Nov 30, 2006 | Beer(s) Brewed: ESB

"This left more residual sweetness than I thought it would. Here are the specifics...
O. G. – 1.056 = 7.4% F.G. – 1.018 = 2.3%
It sure made a nice tasting beer... I think I'll try a brown ale with it next time."

Fermentation Data

Isoamyl Alcohol:

122.7ppm

Ethyl Acetate:

21.41ppm

1-Propanol:

29.14ppm

Acetaldehyde:

12.55ppm

As-is 2,3-Pentanedione:

33.91ppb

Total 2,3-Pentanedione:

40.56ppb

Ethanol:

4.575%ABV

Extra Batch Info:

Final Gravity: 68 °F Hours to get to 50 percent attenuation: N/A

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