Special London ESB is a yeast with a wide range of applications in the beer making world. Several breweries and brewpubs use this yeast as their house strain, and it's easy to see why. This is one of the most flocculent strains offered by Wyeast, and produced some of the most clear beers without filtration. Less attenuative than other British yeasts, Special London ESB can leave a slight residual sweetness that plays well with the fruity English character inherent in beers produced with it. This makes it ideal for almost any beer style from the British Isles, and is sometimes used in American beers as well, when fruitiness and clarity are desired. Levels of fruit character can be heightened or lessened by fermenting at cooler or warmer temperatures. It is recommended to treat this beer with a diacetyl rest, giving the yeast time to clean up diacetyl that may be produced by the yeast during fermentation. If treated right, this yeast will reward you with delicious, crystal clear beers with lots of rich character.
| Brand | Wyeast |
| Beer Styles | English Barleywine, English IPA, Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale), Fruit Beer, Spice/Herb or Vegetable Beer, Mild, Old Ale, Southern English Brown, Special/Best/Premium Bitter, Standard/Ordinary Bitter, Wood-Aged Beer |
| Alcohol Tolerance | 9% ABV |
| Attenuation | 67-71% |
| Flocculation | Very High |
| Cell Count | 100 Billion |
| Temperature Range | 64-72 F |