Wyeast 1968 (London ESB): Very-High Flocculation, Fuller's-Adjacent Character

Wyeast 1968 shares WLP002's very-high flocculation rating and the same genuine risk that comes with it: a strain this eager to settle can stop working before fully attenuating a wort, leaving a beer finishing sweeter and less alcoholic than its published 67-74% range implies unless a brewer rouses it gently partway through fermentation.

Flavour-wise, 1968 is closely associated with Fuller's-style English brewing character — full-bodied, fruity, distinctly English in a way that reads more traditional than S-04's more all-purpose profile. English ESB and bitter are its clearest homes, chosen specifically by brewers wanting that particular fuller, richer English character. As with WLP002, checking gravity readings rather than relying on visual cues (a cleared, quiet fermenter) is the more reliable way to confirm 1968 has actually finished before packaging a batch. A gentle rousing of the yeast partway through fermentation, or fermenting in a vessel shape that discourages premature settling, are the same standard mitigations that help any very-high-flocculation strain finish reliably rather than dropping out early and leaving the beer underattenuated. Its 64-72°F range sits at fairly typical English ale territory, and brewers chasing maximum fullness and fruitiness tend to ferment it toward the warmer half of that span rather than the cooler end.

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