WLP005 British Ale Yeast
This yeast is a little more attenuative than WLP002. Like most English strains, this yeast produces malty beers. Excellent for all English style ales including bitter, pale ale, porter, and brown ale.
Attenuation: 67-74%
Flocculation: High
Optimum fermentation temperature: 65-70°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium   

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Reviews:

"This yeast did not disappoint "
By: Brian O
Date: January 22, 2008
Beers brewed: Ale
Comments: This yeast has been very good. As a new brewer I started with a fairly basic ale recipe. This yeast did not disappoint. I've made two batches with it and it's begun fermenting within 15 hours each time without a starter. This is a fine yeast.

"The outcome was amazing, lovely ... "
By: markmorris30
Date: November 30, 2007
Beers brewed: English bitter
Comments: Fantastic yeast, I have just brewed a copy of a well-known English ale from Suffolk U.K., and the outcome was amazing, lovely malty flavour coming from the yeast; will use this strain again without any doubt.

"Produces a very nice malt character ... "
By: Kris Olson
Date: October 23, 2007
Beers brewed: Extra Special Bitter
Comments: Used exclusively with our ESB recipe. Produces a very nice malt character, but doesn't mask hop bitterness or over-sweeten. Generally we've had attenuation around 68% every batch after 1 week at 65-68˚F. Settles out very well on the bottom of the bottle, too.

" ... the only yeast I have used for it since."
By: giddyup06
Date: April 12, 2007
Beers brewed: Milk Stout
Comments: Brewed a traditional low gravity milk stout with this and it has become the only yeast I have used for it since. Quick ferment and clears quickly at 42 degrees. Has withstood the major temp swings that sometimes occur here in TX and has continued to ferment well into the mid 50s and developed no off taste as high as 75. If you're looking to have good malt flavor I would rank this high.

"Worked great for the pale ale. "
By: jhast
Date: Jan. 13, 2007
Beers brewed: Pale ale
Comments: Fine taste. Worked great for the pale ale. Fermented at 69 degrees F. Turned out well.

" ... excellent for malt-flavored styles. "
By: Gary Foster
Date: Jan. 12, 2007
Beers brewed: Oatmeal stout
Comments: I generally use WLP002 for most of my beers, but I switched to WLP005 exclusively for my oatmeal stout. This yeast is a bit cranky, and sometimes requires rousing, but it really punches up the maltiness and is excellent for malt-forward styles. Be aware that this yeast is VERY flocculent and if you're used to using WLP001 or other American strains, you'll probably think this yeast acts and looks weird or is messed up. It's not, just be patient. Aerate well, use a starter, and rouse it if you think you aren't quite at your desired FG yet. It's worth it, this yeast has a very distinct and rich flavor profile.

FAQ for this yeast
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I am a homebrewer and currently I am fermenting a Mild Brown Ale. The yeast that I'm using is White Labs British Ale yeast. This is the second time that I have brewed this recipe. I had problems with the first 5 gallon batch because the fermentation was never vigorous. With this current brew, I appear to have the same problems.

This is normal behavior for the British yeast. You don't see that much activity because it doesn't rise to the top at all. It ferments from the bottom, unusual for ale yeast but becoming more common as many UK ale brewers have switched to conical fermentors. You should still be getting good CO2 generation, however, and that should be strong. Sometimes people rack off after a day or so, which in the case of this yeast, it would leave it all behind. It's best to leave it and not rack the beer until approximately 24 hours post terminal gravity, at the earliest. If you didn't rack, it would be very unusual for fermentation to not be complete with 70 F constant temp and good aeration.

I have just tasted some of my 005 yeast out of the vial, and it tastes sour. I just wanted to know if this is normal.

People are often surprised by the way the yeast smells or tastes out of the vial; it is hard to judge since it is a concentrated yeast slurry. It is not going to taste like beer.  The pH is also lower, so the higher acidic flavor can taste sour. You really cannot tell purity by smell or taste, although it is not a bad practice to try and become familiar with what is normal. The only way to know purity is to plate the yeast on to special media, which is what we do on all of the lots at White Labs.

I have recently purchased your WLP005 British Ale yeast, which I used in a recipe for Gales Best, which is an ale that has an OG of 1042 and a final of 1009 and a 4.5% by volume alcohol content. I followed the instruction and made a starter with the wort before pitching the yeast. The first fermentation stage I left until the gravity had dropped to about 1030 then dropped into the second fermentation stage. This stage took well over 1 month for the ale to reach its final gravity in order to barrel.

The British Ale yeast is very Flocculent, most of it probably started to settle out when you transferred the beer. So after transfer, it took a long time to bring the gravity down. English Ale Yeast WLP002 is also very flocculent. We advise to keep it in the primary fermentor until fermentation is complete. You might have to shake it once in a while to rouse it back up from the bottom and make sure it finishes. That is one possibility; others are oxygen content and temperature of formation. If the fermentation temperature gets below 65, even at night, that can cause a long and sluggish fermentation. Low temperatures will also promote more flocculation. Let me know if you have any more questions.