A Workhorse of Beers

London Ale III is a workhorse that pulls its weight in beers, making it a favorite for brewing many styles of ales. Therefore, this strain, sold as A-18, is one of BSI’s most popular strains, all year round.

BSI London Ale III Strain – Origin

Our BSI London Ale III strain hails from a traditional London brewery. However its exact origins are difficult to trace. There is some speculation that the strain originated from the Boddingtons Brewery founded in 1853 in Manchester, England. It is possible that the original strain was used to brew their popular creamy pub ale. There are other theories that the strain was stored by the company Whitbread, which bought Boddingtons Brewery in 1989. It is possible that Whitbread had banked the strain and that it was never used by Boddingtons Brewery. Another possibility is that the original strain was lost and replaced with a different strain (1).

Also known as A-18, this is a true top cropping strain and has an ideal fermentation temperature range of 64°-75°F. A-18  has a lower attenuation rate,A graphic of BSI London Ale III beer yeast strain. finishing between 71% and 75%. This lower attenuation results in residual sugars left behind after fermentation, leading to a fuller mouthfeel and a fairly sweet finish. A-18 produces fruity esters and has a very light, soft, balanced palate in the finished beer. The strain also exhibits medium to high flocculation. Undeniably, these characteristics allow for the malt and hop profile to shine in the brew, no matter which style of ale the strain is being used for.

A Showcase of Malt and Hop Profiles

This strain does a fantastic job of showcasing the malt and hop profiles of a brew making it a popular choice in IPAs, and even more so for NEIPAs. The fruity esters and balanced characteristics of this strain help play along with the desired profiles for those beer styles, especially when dry hopping. In addition, the lower attenuation allows for the desired mouthfeel and sweeter fruity finish (2). Therefore, A-18 is a top choice in brewing many other ales too! Whether it be an English style pale ale, Scottish style light ale, or an American amber ale, any style of ale that is malt or hop focused can benefit from utilizing London Ale III.

By Chayanne Jimenez, BSI Microtech Lead

Works cited

(1)Cagle, C. (2021, May 2). The Complete Guide to the london ale III strain of yeast. Beer Maverick. https://beermaverick.com/the-complete-guide-to-the-boddington-strain-of-yeast/

(2)Cagle, C. (2021, May 8). Why London Ale III is the quintessential Neipa yeast. Beer Maverick. https://beermaverick.com/why-london-ale-iii-is-the-quintessential-neipa-yeast/