Hazy IPA Strain Comparison: The Fog Family
The Fog Family: Technical Comparison of Hazy Brewing Yeast Strains
Featuring Foggy London Ale, Superfog, Brume Londonienne, and Juteuse
Which strain should I pick for my Hazy IPA?
The Fog Family encompasses four distinct but related yeast strains designed for juicy, hazy, and hop-saturated beers. These strains (Foggy London Ale, Superfog, Brume Londonienne, and Juteuse) offer varied performance in terms of ester production, haze stability, hop biotransformation, and mouthfeel. We have compared their technical profiles to help brewers select the optimal strain based on desired beer style and sensory outcome.
Strain Comparison Summary - Fog Family Strains
| Trait | Foggy London Ale | Superfog (IRC7+) | Brume Londonienne | Juteuse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attenuation | High | High | High | Medium |
| Fermentation Rate | High | High | High | Medium |
| Flocculation | Medium–High | Medium–High | Medium–High | Medium–Low |
| Haze Retention | High | High | High | High |
| Esters: Butyrate (Bubblegum) | Medium | Medium | Low | Low |
| Esters: Acetate (Banana/Floral) | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
| Esters: Fatty Acid (Tropical Fruit) | Medium | Medium | Medium | Low |
| Terpene Biotransformation | Medium | Medium | Low | Medium (↑ Citronellol) |
| Thiol Biotransformation | Medium | High | Medium | Medium |
| Lactone Biotransformation | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| VDK (Diacetyl) Production | Very Low | Medium | Low | Medium |
| Glycerol Production | Medium | High | Medium | Medium |
Fog Family Strain Comparison Data
Strain Profiles and Use Cases
Foggy London Ale
Our original Fog strain, Foggy London Ale is a reliable choice for brewers looking for consistent haze, balanced ester expression, and clean fermentation with low diacetyl. It is robust and easy to crop and repitch this strain, with many customers reaching more than 10 generations. Despite high flocculation, it leaves a very stable haze. It enhances tropical hop character while producing a smooth, approachable finish. Ideal for both NEIPAs and English-style ales.
Superfog
Superfog is a modernized variant of Foggy London Ale, distinguished by a functional IRC7 gene that enables enhanced thiol biotransformation. This strain excels at unlocking juicy tropical aromas like passionfruit and guava from hop precursors. It also produces more glycerol, resulting in a full-bodied, smooth mouthfeel. A top pick for highly expressive, silky NEIPAs.
Brume Londonienne
Offered through our partnership with Le Labo Solutions Brassicoles, Brume Londonienne is a great choice for brewers who want similar specs to Foggy London Ale but with a lower butyl ester profile (less “bubblegum” aroma), making it suitable when brewers want a neutral yeast canvas to showcase nuanced hop character. It maintains solid haze stability, moderate attenuation, and minimal diacetyl. This strain is also the most robust against stress. For breweries that propagate their yeast, this is a recommended option as it achieves a higher cell density during propagation than the others.
Juteuse
Offered through our partnership with Le Labo Solutions Brassicoles, Juteuse shows lower ester production overall and boosts terpene-derived aroma through elevated citronellol biotransformation. With medium-low flocculation, it remains suspended for a longer period. It has a slightly slower and lower attenuation profile, giving brewers more control over residual sweetness.
Key Takeaways
| Application Priority | Best Strain |
|---|---|
| Minimal diacetyl | Foggy London Ale |
| Maximum haze + mouthfeel | Superfog |
| Easy propagation | Brume Londonienne |
| Terpene expression (citrus) | Juteuse |
| Maximum thiol biotransformation | Superfog |
| Low flocculation/suspension | Juteuse |
Repitching Fog Family Strains
All strains can be repitched successfully with proper cropping before dry hopping. Actual performance may vary with beer style and process; some traits such as flocculation and ester expression are style-sensitive and may benefit from process adjustments over time.
What about other options for Hazy/New England IPA?
This document is intended to compare strains that are specifically in the “Fog Family” (Foggy London Ale, Superfog, Brume Londonienne, and Juteuse). Brewers have many more options for hazy IPA production from the Escarpment Labs lineup. This includes:
| Application Priority | Best Strain |
|---|---|
| Overall flavour output, ease of use, dry format | LalBrew Pomona |
| Pineapple ester | Elysium |
| Low attenuation/limit impact of hop creep | Hydra |
| Thiol ester (guava) | Thiol Libre |
| Terpene biotransformation, West Coast IPA | TERPS |