My impressions of some popular dry yeasts

[Jon]

This is a quick summary of a few dry yeasts from memory/a post on the old MBF site, so it may not be 100% accurate. Oh, and I got tired of mentioning this down below, but if you're fermenting below 60°, it's a generally a good idea to pitch about twice as much yeast as you normally would.

Danstar
Nottingham: A very clean ale yeast that can handle fermentation temps from 54° up to about 70°. For fermentations much below 60°, you should pitch about twice as much yeast as you normally would.

Windsor: A fruity english ale yeast. Lots of interesting esters...ferments well from 64° to 68°, much warmer than that and the fruity esters tend to get a bit much for my tastes (though some may like it, and it doesn't tend to produce fusels at a noticable level at 72°). I like this in some IPAs, even American IPAs, because the fruitiness can add some added complexity.

Munich: A dry hefeweizen yeast...or so they say. Can handle really cool temps (I suspect it might go as low as Notty, but I've definitely had success fermenting at 58° with it). It's got some great phenolics (though it can produce some sulfur at low temps, it'll go away with a bit of time). At higher temps (and espeically on the 2nd or 3rd generation) it wil produce some nice banana esters. Not my first choice for a hefeweizen, but not my last either.

Fermentis
Safale
US-05: The Chico strain, aka Wyeast 1056, WLP001, and Sierra Nevada's yeast. The epitome of an APA yeast, it makes a *great* choice for American Ales of all types. A hint fruity at higher temps (nothing like Windsor, though) in a way that plays really well with citrusy American hops. At lower temps, it's very clean, though not quite as clean as Notty. It can handle temps down to the low 60s with no problem, and maybe even a bit lower, but it does REALLY slow down at those temps. I'd suggest double pitching below 63° and slowly warming up at the tail end of fermentation.

S-04: A highly flocculant and attenuative English Ale yeast. More flocculant and attenuative than Windosr for sure, and can handle lower temperatures without crapping out. I've used it in the low 60s, though it's rated down to 59°, I suspect it'll work a bit lower, but a *lot* slower. A good choice for english ales, including milds, bitters, brown ales, old ales, etc. If you're doing a low gravity beer with it, I'd mash a few degrees higher than you normally would, or this may take your FG lower than you want (at least that's what my experience has shown).

Saflager
S-23: Can handle temps down to 50° and up to the low to mid 60s while still maintaining lager characteristics. That said, it tends to throw off some fruitiness, though it's distinctly different than the kind of esters you get from an ale. Some people really like it, others find it really distracting in what's supposed to be a clean lager. Try it for yourself and see what you think about it is the best I can offer on this one. Personally, I've been happier with Notty at 54° than this, even though this is a true lager yeast...the Notty is cleaner. That said, I think it's a great yeast for Steam B--uh, excuse me, Cali Commons. The combination of the fruitiness (which, oddly, doesn't increase much with temp) plus still maintaining some lager characteristics there are perfect for the style.

W-34/70: This is one of my all-time favorite lager yeasts. It's highly versatile, handling temps from 45-68° well (just be prepared for it to be REALLY SLOOOOW at low temps...that doesn't mean it won't get the job done, eventually). It can produce some fruitiness, even at low temps, but it's different than the S-23 fruitiness, and produces phenols or something that IMMEDIATELY scream "lager!" to my taste buds. It also does very well in meads or hard rootbeer! The only downside is that it's friggin expensive for dry yeast. Sometimes, it's more expensive than the same strain of liquid yeast!!! To be fair, you do get about twice as many viable cells if you rehydrate as you do with liquid. And if you don't rehydrate, well all those dying cells at least will act as some nutrient.

Safbrew
S-33: This is actually a really robust yeast. It can handle a huge temp range (something like 59-75° is reported, but like many other yeasts, it can go lower, but it does slow down, a LOT). Even at high temps it doesn't throw TOO many esters, and it does produce some nice phenolics that can generate that novocaine-like taste you find in Belgian ales. Not really right for a witbier, and if you try to make a Belgian IPA, it's subtle enough that it'll get lost in the hops and malt...turning your Belgian IPA into more of just a regular ol' IPA.

T-58: I love this yeast! Strong black-peppery phenolics with hints of clove, lots of fruity esters at warmer temps (definitely get some good naner esters, especially on the 2nd or 3rd generation). It's called Belgian, and it does well as a Belgian, be it a wit or a Belgian strong, but it's also one of the dry yeasts better suited to making a decent hefeweizen. In fact, I would say this is the best dry hefe yeast that I've used.

WB-06: Ostensibly a wheat yeast, it's a TERRIBLE Gereman Hefe yeast. But, it is actually a great American Wheat yeast. I haven't done enough brewing with it to let you know how it turns out in subsequent generations, but it throws some hints of naner and clove...not really enough for a hefe, but certainly enough for an American Wheat. I'd be interested to try out 2nd or 3rd generation and see how it turns out.

Brewferm
Lager: This is *not* a lager yeast! Honestly, I think you'd be better off fermenting with a double pitch of Notty at 54°. This stuff does not do well at cooler temps. I did get it to finish out, but only in the high range of lager temps (55-60°), and it made an oddly fruity beer. Not a bad beer, but by no means a lager, even after an extended lagering period. It might be worth trying at typical ale temps to see if it gives characteristics that you're looking foor, but I certainly don't reccomend it as a lager yeast.

I've tried a lot of other dry yeasts (Coopers, Muntons, K-97, others), but most of those I've only used once and I don't really remember how they performed/tasted.

[bpgreen]

I'm surprised you didn't include any from Mangrove Jack.

[dbrowning]

Love Nottingham, belle saison, Windsor for English type ales
Safeale 04 and 05 are good
I HATE T58 and will never use it again
don't care for s33
34/70 was decent for a few lagers

[BlackDuck]

Great notes. And a good reference to keep around. Thanks.

[mashani]

WB-06: Ferment at 78 and you will get some Banana. Still not as much as a real hefe yeast. But more then American Wheat.

T-58: I consider it a pseudo-saison yeast, and if I have it will make a beer where say I would use French Saison or Bella Saison without any sugar, except when using T58 would use 20% sugar. But I would rather use Bella Saison any day. Or if making a Belgian, then Abbaye dry strain (which makes *awesome* beer).

S-23: I find LESS fruity when fermented 57-62 then when fermented in the mid-low 50s. I actually hate it fermented lower then 56 degrees. I like it in some styles of beer when fermented warmer. But yes, Notty at 57-62 is actually cleaner still.

[Gymrat]

Windsor does not attenuate very far. I like it for beers that I want to really accentuate the malt and have a lot of body because the FG is so high.

[Jon]

I'm surprised you didn't include any from Mangrove Jack.

I haven't used them enough...I do like their yeasts, but I need more experience with them/need to brew a recipe I've done many times to really make a good judgement on them.

[Jon]

Something else worth mentioning is that dry yeasts can change significantly when you use them in subsequent generations.

I find the biggest difference comes between the first and second, but it's not always significant. To me, it seems like the yeasts' characteristics (especially esters) get magnified somewhat.

[MadBrewer]

I have used two of the Mangrove Jack strains so far. I really like the MJ Bohemian Lager strain. It is probably the same as Fermentis 34/70 but I have never used that. The MJ Bohemian Lager made some really nice beers. I used it both at lager temps and then at ale temps for a Cream Ale.

I have also used the MJ Brittish Ale I think it was M07. It reminded me of WLP007 or Wyeast 1998. It was a quite attentuative, very flocculant but I thought it if I had mashed higher for the beers I used it on it would have been better.

I want to try the Burnton Union from MJ and also the Newcastle Dark Ale strain. It's very nice to have more and more dry yeast choices.

One new yeast I just tried out was Muntons Premium Gold. Used it on a Bitter. So far it's not even a week in the keg so it needs more carbonation to bring it to life. I think it's similar as other highly flocculating yeasts in that it seems it may also strip some hop character. Other than that I used it around 64-66* and it seems super clean. I may want to try it at a bit warmer temps next time say 66-68* for a bit more character.

[monsteroyd]

Nice list.

I LOVE Lallemand Belle Saison, I do a ton of them. Easiest beer yeast ever, if you like Saisons. I have made 10% beer with it. I've done that yeast from 67 to 80 and the higher the temp the more Saison you get. By far, my favorite yeast.

I like Nottingham, US-05, s-04, safale k-97, and the new Abbaye too, lallemand or safale.

Monty

[BigPapaG]

I like Nottingham, US-05, s-04, safale k-97, and the new Abbaye too, lallemand or safale.

Monty

Got any insight on K-97?

[monsteroyd]

Just did a batch that I need to bottle next week so probably another month to go on the K-97. I've made it before, but I have nothing to compare it to. Maybe it was a Kolsch or kolsch-ish, I don't know. It was a good blonde ale. I depend on Mashani for the taste comparisons. I do not have a very discerning tongue. Heck, I think BMC's are Ok beer, so don't go by me.

Monty

[MadBrewer]

I just made a Kolsch with the K-97. Looking forward tontrying it. I have another packet ready to try on an Altbier which is what its claimed to be more suited for.

[BigPapaG]

@ monsteroyd

@ MadBrewer

Cool, thanks guys!

I've got on packet that I suspect I'll use on some Kölsch-like substance of sorts...

[monsteroyd]

I hope you like it. You turned me on to Saisons. I am pretty sure that the first Saison I did was your recipe, so I owe you

Monty