This yeast is characterized by a malty finish and balanced aroma. It is a strong fermentor, produces slight sulfur, and low diacetyl.
Attenuation: 68-76%
Flocculation: Medium to High
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 50-55°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium
A yeast starter must be used when using White Labs yeast
Reviews provided by White Labs:
"Home run beers"
By: Droidiphile
Date: Nov. 5, 2010
Beers brewed: Munich Dunkel
Comments: I am a home brewer using the methods of a devout pauper. This yeast is amazing at accommodating poor environmental conditions. Used this yeast in a dunkel recipe during the 2010 SF Bay Area summer (when the Giants won the World Series) in an uncontrolled garage environment, to be served at Oktoberfest season. Temperatures were well into the 80's F for most of the fermentation and primary aging. Preliminary results (racked from primary) showed harshness. All harsh edges were resolved by "cold aging" the secondary for 4 weeks in a standard fridge, with notable improvement within only 1 week. Tastings at 1 week "cold aging", and again at 4 and 6 weeks, showed fantastic improvements at the 4 week mark, with stabilization at 6 weeks (no change from 4 weeks). No other yeast I have tried, including the WLP SF Lager intended for our environment, performed so well. Takes off fast, completes and clarifies quickly, tolerant of uncontrolled environments. Results are very clean, very smooth, with emphasis on malts, but hops are uninhibited in the flavor profile. The stats say 'low diacetyl', but my results revealed excellent buttery mouth feel not explained by this laboratory defined chemical deficiency. I have tried dunkels made by Kernig Ludwig and Andechs in Bavaria. The beer I produced using this yeast is (arguably) close to those in character, and yet, was made is very poor environmental conditions. This yeast simply rocks !!!
"No esters, very clean "
By: Anonymous
Date: Jan. 6, 2010
Beers brewed: Helles
Comments: 1.050 to 1.010 in 8 days! Beautiful, clean, flavor profile. Grainy, malt character. I pitched at 70F and slowly dropped temp to 59F, then 48F. No esters, very clean. All from a one liter, rushed starter. Highly recommended++
"This yeast emphasizes the malt flavors ... "
By: Jim Givens
Date: Dec. 28, 2009
Beers brewed: Light Pilsner, Dunkel, Oktoberfest, Doppelbock
Comments: WLP838 Southern German Lager yeast is great for speed of ferment – gets beers out the door faster than any other lager yeast I know of. Be prepared for gushing kraeusen even in the first generation. The yeast clears on its own better than most lagers so it is much easier and faster to get a visually pleasing beer. It tends to subdue the hop flavors – not dramatically like some English ale types but noticeable. WLP838 is great for beers where the malt profile needs to shine; it excels at darker beers like Doppelbock or Oktoberfest. This yeast emphasizes the malt flavors although they are not exactly true to form – it seems to smear or mix them together with its own unique flavor profile. This can be a good thing because making a convincing lager is much easier to accomplish; there is more error room for the brewer to hide behind which means the recipe doesn’t need to be nailed down to perfection to get a very believable rendition. If WLP005 British Ale yeast is a sweaty working man in dirty clothes than WLP838 Southern German Lager yeast could be his cold-loving cleaner brother in a well-pressed suit.
"Highly recommend as 'house' lager"
By: Christopher Leonard
Brewery Name: General Lafayette Inn & Brewery
Date: July 25, 2007
Beers brewed: Pilsner, Oktoberfest, Bock, Doublebock, Dunkel, Specialty Lagers
Comments: Clean, fast (for a lager), highly attenuative. Ferments well with good flavor results at a wide range of temps. I highly recommend this yeast as a "house" lager strain. It will let you produce traditional beers while also being versatile enough for unusual, experimental brews. I've used this yeast each fall for the past 4 years. The beers fly out of here (and we are mostly an "ale house").
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