White Labs Yeast Information

WLP001: This strain was the first yeast strain produced by White Labs in 1995. It’s our best-selling yeast, famous for its clean flavors and hardy fermentations. Known for its use in hoppy beers, it accentuates hop flavors and aromas and attenuates well, even for high gravity beers. This strain has the ability to be used in almost any style of ale ranging from IPA to porter and even kölsch, which makes it a great all-around house strain.

WLP002: 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

WLP004: This yeast is from one of the oldest stout-producing breweries in the world. It’s great for many beer styles but really shines in malty British styles such as stouts, porters and brown ales. Medium attenuation helps with a dry finish that promotes roasty notes. Esters help round out the overall flavor making a soft drinkable stout.

WLP005: Known for its use in malty English beers, this strain is a great choice for any beers using traditional English malts like Marris Otter, Golden Promise or floor malted barley. This strain will push bready, grainy malt flavors while being a mild ester producer.

WLP007: This yeast is known for its high attenuation, achieving 80% even with 10% ABV beers. The high attenuation eliminates residual sweetness, making the yeast well-suited for high gravity ales and clean, well-attenuated beer styles. This strain has become a go-to house strain for American breweries due to its clean profile and high attenuation. It’s an ideal strain for American and English hoppy beers as well as malty ambers, porters and brown ales. This strain can be a substitute for WLP001 California Ale Yeast

WLP008: This strain can be used to reproduce many American versions of classic beer styles but has been gaining popularity for its use in East Coast IPAs. It is cleaner and crisper than other haze producing strains. It possesses a similar neutral character of WLP001 California Ale Yeast® with slightly higher ester production. This strain’s attenuation leaves some mouthfeel and residual sweetness which balances hop bitterness. It’s a great all-around strain for balanced, accessible beer styles such as blondes, pale ales, and amber ales.

WLP013: Oak ester character makes this yeast well-suited for classic British beer styles such as pales and bitters, or dark malty beers like brown ales and porters. Medium flocculation characteristics allow attenuation up to 75% leaving beer dry while adding malt complexity and pushing hop bitterness. If you love WLP001 California Ale Yeast®, give this strain a try as it has more character.

WLP023: This strain is sourced from Burton upon Trent, England which is known for pushing IPAs into the spotlight. It produces a subtle fruity ester profile which can be described as notes of apple, clover honey and pear. A background sulfur note is common with this strain. Great for use in hoppy American and English styles such as pale ales, bitters and ambers. Can also be an alternative to WLP001 California Ale Yeast.

WLP028: This strain produces underlying esters of pear and melon which work well with hop and malt derived notes. It’s medium to high alcohol tolerance is well-suited for strong Scotch-style ales or barleywine beers. This is a versatile strain that can be neutral at the low end of the recommended fermentation temperature range or provide more esters at the higher range.

WLP029: Sourced from a small brewpub in Cologne, Germany, this strain is fitting for German ales such as kölsch and altbier. Known for accentuating hop flavor and bitterness while creating crisp, clean lager like characters. It performs exceptionally well at temperatures ranging from 65 to 69°F (18-20°C) and does not ferment well below 62°F (17°C) after peak fermentation. Typically has low flocculation characteristics after the first generation.

WLP036: A traditional altbier-style yeast from Düsseldorf, Germany. It produces clean, malty German brown and amber ales. This strain keeps the contribution of hop bitterness in the background while promoting sweet malt notes.

WLP041: Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, this strain is a mild ester producer while promoting malt character. It can be used for a range of styles from an English mild to an American IPA or Irish stout. A great flocculator, it leaves a clear beer and saves on conditioning time.

WLP051: This strain has more similarities to an English strain than WLP001 California Ale Yeast®. It is a big ester producer, showcasing notes of cherry and apple which compliment pale ales, blonde and brown ales. Typically leaves some residual, lager-like sulfur compounds in finished beer. Recent sequencing studies show that this strain belongs to Saccharomyces pastorianus species, the same hybrid species as most lager strains. However, this strain has been used to make ales for decades and was previously categorized as belonging to Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

WLP060: This blend of three strains creates a clean and neutral fermentation character, making it ideal for use in many different American beer styles. The blend lends complexity to finished beer by exhibiting a crisp, clean lager-like character with accentuated hop flavors and bitterness. A slight amount of sulfur can be produced during peak fermentation.

WLP066: This is the go-to strain for New England-style IPAs. It produces a medium ester profile similar to WLP008 East Coast Ale Yeast. It leaves some residual sweetness, helping accentuate both malt and hop flavors and aromas, while retaining a velvety mouthfeel.

WLP067: This blend of our favorite New England-style IPA strains is great for producing beers with a hazy appearance and tropical, fruit-forward esters. Producing dry, yet juicy beers, the mango and pineapple characteristics will lend to added drinkability.

WLP080: A blend of ale and lager yeast, this strain produces a classic cream ale. The blend produces a pleasing light fruity note from the ale yeast, while the lager strain produces clean pilsner-like flavors and a slightly subdued hop bitterness. This blend is known for producing subtle sulfur during primary fermentation.

WLP090: A low ester producing strain, it’s known for quick fermentations and producing a neutral flavor and aroma profile similar to WLP001 California Ale Yeast®. Due to high attenuation, this strain produces very dry beers with increased perceived bitterness. It also has a high alcohol tolerance which is suitable for a variety of styles and beverages from double IPAs to barleywines, ciders and mead. This is a great all around house strain and ideal for breweries who produce hop-forward beers.

WLP095: This yeast is the signature strain for a brewery in the Northeast United States, making it ideal for New England-style IPAs. Adding personality to your beer by contributing esters and body, this strain will blend with hop flavors and aromas while balancing bitterness. Esters are higher than WLP001 California Ale Yeast® and this strain has been known to result in more diacetyl increasing the temperature at the end of fermentation is suggested.

WLP099: From England, this yeast can ferment up to 25% alcohol when used correctly. It produces ester characters that increase with increasing gravity. Malt character dominates at lower gravities. To achieve >25% ABV, sugar needs to be fed over the course of the fermentation.

WLP300: This popular German strain is used in the production of traditional, authentic hefeweizen. It produces a high level of isoamyl acetate, giving the resulting beer notes of banana. With balanced phenol production, this strain produces notes of clove but remains banana forward. Low flocculation leaves the desired cloudy look, appropriate for the German wheat beer style. Pitching rate and temperature will dramatically affect the flavor and aroma of this strain. Traditional brewing techniques suggest underpitching to produce more classic characteristics of the style.

WLP320: This strain ferments much cleaner than it’s hefeweizen strain counterparts. It produces very slight banana and clove notes and has low flocculation, leaving resulting beers with characteristic cloudiness.

WLP351: This is former Yeast Lab W51, the description originally used by Yeast Lab still fits: “This strain produces a classic German-style wheat beer, with medium to high spicy phenolic overtones reminiscent of cloves.” Pitching rate and temperature will dramatically affect the flavor and aroma of this strain. Traditional brewing techniques suggest underpitching to produce more classic characteristics of the style.

WLP380: This strain produces a balance of phenolics and esters. Nutmeg, clove, and spice are more dominant than the banana and bubble gum aroma. Pitching rate and temperature will dramatically affect the flavor and aroma of this strain. Traditional brewing techniques suggest underpitching to produce more classic characteristics of the style. This strain has low flocculation and minor sulfur production.

WLP400: This strain is the pinnacle yeast for Belgian witbiers or white ales. High phenol production contributes an herbal aroma and flavor notes which blends well with herb and fruit adjuncts. Expect nearly 80% attenuation and a slightly lower resulting pH than English or American ale strains creating a dry beer.

WLP410: A fairly clean strain with medium intensity and spice-like phenol production. With up to 75% attenuation, this strain produces a residual malt character. It helps balance any adjuncts resulting in increased drinkability. Slightly lower resulting pH than English or American ale strains, it creates a slightly tart refreshing beer. This strain is ideal for witbiers or Belgian table beers.

WLP500: Sourced from a Belgian monastery, this strain is ideal for Belgian quads, tripels and dubbels due to its high alcohol tolerance. It produces characteristic notes of plum and cherry with a hint of bubble gum. Lower fermentation temperatures (65-67°F/18-19°C) result in less fruity and more earthy beers.

WLP510: A high-gravity ale yeast that produces a dry beer with a slightly acidic finish. While fruit forward, this strain is mild on spice-like phenols. With a high alcohol tolerance upwards of 15% ABV, this strain is great for any Belgian styles ranging from a table beer to a dark strong ale.

WLP518: Sourced from our friend Lars Marius Garshol, this Kveik strain was isolated from a mixed culture which belonged to Harald Opshaug, a farmhouse brewer in Stranda, Norway. This strain was originally used in the 1990s to produce several kornøl-style beers. It is a clean fermenting yeast and has tolerated temperatures up to 95°F (35°C) while finishing fermentation within three to four days. The hop-forward, clean characteristics of this strain make it ideal for IPAs and pale ales.

WLP530: This is a traditional Belgian abbey strain perfect for use in dubbels, tripels and Belgian strong ales due to its very high alcohol tolerance of up to 15% ABV. Produces cherry, plum and pear esters. Medium flocculation results in clear, drinkable beer.

WLP540: This strain produces balanced fruit aroma and flavor characters. It is ideal for abbey-style beers including dubbels, tripels and Belgian strong ales.

WLP545: From the Ardennes region of Belgium, this classic yeast strain produces moderate levels of ester and phenolic characters, often described as dried sage and black cracked pepper. High attenuation results in a dry finish ideal for high gravity beers. This strain is recommended for dark strong ales, abbey ales and seasonal specialties like Belgian holiday ales.

WLP550: This very expressive strain produces phenol-forward flavors and aromas reminiscent of clove, allspice and peppercorns. It has medium to high alcohol tolerance and is ideal for many classic Belgian styles including saisons, witbiers, blondes and browns.

WLP565: A classic saison strain sourced from the Wallonia region of Belgium. This strain makes a classic saison by producing flavors and aromas noted as earthy, peppery and spicy. With attenuation averaging around 70 to 75%, some malt flavor will remain present. For best fermentation results, let this strain free-rise to allow for complete attenuation and production of the subtle, traditional aroma characteristics. With high gravity saisons, it’s suggested to dry the beer with an alternate yeast (such as WLP001 California Ale Yeast®) added after 50 to 60% fermentation.

WLP566: This strain is a moderate phenol producer with clove-like flavor and aromatic notes present in finished beer. Some fruit-forward ester production provides a balance between fruit and spice aroma and flavors. This strain ferments and flocculates well, making it an easy-to-use option for saison and farmhouse ales.

WLP568: This blend incorporates multiple Belgian and saison strains to produce pear-like esters backed by spicy, earthy and clove-like flavors and aromas. The cultures encourage complete fermentation in a timely manner and create harmony and complexity throughout its ester and phenol production.

WLP570: From East Flanders, this yeast is versatile in that it can produce low to high gravity Belgian beers up to 12% ABV. A combination of fruitiness and phenolic characteristics dominate the flavor profile. Some sulfur is produced during fermentation, which will dissipate following the end of fermentation.

WLP590: One of our most popular saison strains, it is great for farmhouse style beers because it produces flavors and aromas of pear, apple and cracked pepper. This strain is a high attenuator producing a very dry and drinkable finishing beer.

WLP644: This Belgian strain, traditionally used for wild yeast fermentations, produces a slightly tart beer with delicate mango and pineapple characteristics. This wild yeast has grown in popularity for styles like American IPA, American pale and blonde ales due to its tropical and stone fruit flavors and aromas. This Saccharomyces strain can be used like other house strains and can be easily cleaned with proper CIP procedures.

WLP645: Originally isolated from strong English stock beer in the early 20th century, this yeast has low-intensity Brettanomyces character and is closely related to Brettanomyces anomalus. This strain produces fruity, pineapple-like aroma with an earthy hay-like background aroma and aroma note.

WLP648: The vrai (“true” in French) Brettanomyces bruxellensis Trois. This infamous strain should be used for primary fermentations due to its ability to highly attenuate. It has a robust, complex sour character with aromas of pear.

WLP650: A classic strain used for secondary fermentation in Belgian-style beers such as lambics. It creates a medium-intensity, earth-forward character in finished beer. A historic brewery in Belgium uses this yeast in secondary fermentation and bottling to produce the signature flavor of its beer.

WLP653: This yeast produces a high intensity of the traditional Brettanomyces characters in beer, such as horsey, smoky and spicy flavors. As the name suggests, this strain is found most often in lambic style beers but is also commonly found in Flanders and sour brown ales.

WLP655: A unique blend of Brettanomyces and Saccharomyces yeasts as well as bacterial strains Lactobacillus and Pediococcus. Perfect for duplicating traditional spontaneous fermentations similar to those found in Belgian-style ales.

WLP670: Inspired by American brewers crafting semi-traditional Belgian-style ales, this blend creates a complex flavor profile with a moderate level of sourness. It consists of a traditional farmhouse yeast strain and Brettanomyces.

WLP672: This is a rod-shaped Lactobacillus bacteria used for souring beers through either traditional or kettle souring techniques. This strain typically produces more lactic acid than strains like WLP677 Lactobacillus delbrueckii, making it an ideal addition to any sour program.

WLP677: This lactic acid bacteria produces moderate levels of acidity and sour flavors found in lambics, Berliner Weisse, sour brown ales and gueuze.

WLP715: Classic yeast that is neutral in character, and a strong fermenter. Great for use in wine, cider and mead allowing the character of the fermentables to become the prominent flavors.

WLP720: Produces a slightly fruity flavor and aroma while leaving more residual sweetness than WLP715 Champagne Yeast. This strain will tolerate alcohol concentrations up to 15%.

WLP775: Classic cider yeast that ferments dry, but retains the flavor from apples

WLP790: Malolactic Fermentation is the conversion of malic acid to lactic acid by bacteria from the lactic acid bacteria family. Lactic acid is less acidic than malic acid, which in turn decreases acidity and helps to soften and/or round out some of the flavors in wine. These liquid cultures are available in vials to inoculate 6 gallons or 1 liter sizes to inoculate 60 gallons.

WLP800: A classic pilsner strain from the Czech Republic, this strain produces a clean, crisp beer that’s somewhat dry with a malty finish. A to-style pilsner strain, this yeast is also well suited for thirst quenching lagers such as Munich Helles, dunkels and American lagers.

WLP802: A pilsner lager yeast from southern Czech Republic, this strain produces dry and crisp lagers with low diacetyl production. With up to 80% attenuation, this strain will make a dry beer and showcase rounded hop bitterness. Low diacetyl production makes conditioning of this beer an ease.

WLP810: A unique lager strain because it can ferment at a wide range of temperatures, 58 to 65°F (14–18°C), while retaining lager-like characteristics. This strain is traditionally used to brew the California common or steam beer styles. At lower temperatures can also produce märzens, pilsners and Helles style lagers.

WLP820: This strain is ideal for producing malty lagers. Residual sweetness further helps promote malt nuances while contributing to a balanced finish. The first generation of this strain can be slow, so we encourage using a larger initial culture or scheduling longer fermentation and conditioning times. Great for lagers with a wide gravity range including bocks, doppelbocks, märzens, Oktoberfests and American amber lagers.

WLP830: Our most popular lager yeast, this strain is one of the most widely used lager strains in the world. It can be used in almost any lager style and tends to produce clean and crisp beers with some accentuation of hop characteristics.

WLP833: From the Alps of southern Bavaria, this yeast produces a beer that is well balanced between malt and hop character. The excellent malt profile makes it well suited for bocks, doppelbocks, and Oktoberfest-style beers. A very versatile lager yeast, it has gained tremendous popularity for use in classic American-style lagers.

WLP838: This yeast is characterized by a malty finish, balanced aroma and great flocculation. It is a strong fermenter which produces slight sulfur and low diacetyl during fermentation. This strain benefits from a diacetyl rest and conditioning.

WLP840: This strain makes dry and clean lagers with a light note of apple fruitiness. Sulfur and diacetyl production is minimal making this strain easy to work with and fitting for American-style lagers.