Yeast Characteristics

Have you ever wanted to know more about the yeasts we sell thorough Mr. Beer? Well, look no further because that’s what we are tackling today!

As you may know, besides being the catalyst for alcoholic fermentation, yeast plays a huge role in the flavor, AND style classification of your beer.

Have you ever cracked open a delicious Hefeweizen, closed your eyes, and taken in the distinctive aromas of banana, clove, and coriander? Even though some beers contain added spices, these are the fine flavors associated with a proper wheat yeast! Perhaps you prefer a nice, cold American IPA, and yeast may not seem like much of a concern since it’s the hops that take center stage, right? You might be surprised to know that the yeast selected for IPA beers, also changes how those hops and grains express in the finished product.

Yeast choice also affects factors in your beer such as fermentation time, body, aroma, etc. I guess you could say… It’s pretty important!

Obviously, all yeast labs offer information on the nature and flavor of your strain of brewing yeast; wouldn’t it be nice if you could access a version of those descriptions that don’t require you to break out the brewing dictionary? Well, you have arrived at the right place!

Below are descriptions of the yeasts we offer through Mr. Beer, so you can really get to know them without having to learn a different language.

Fermentis Saflager W-34/70 (Famous strain from the Weihenstephan Brewery in Germany)

Type: Lager yeast (Ferments cold)

Best temperature range to ferment: 53.6-59 F

The best temperature to add it to your wort: 53.6-59

Flavors/Aroma: Slight floral, fruit on the sniff. With a clean and well-balanced flavor that produces a VERY easy to drink Bohemian lager style. The beers produced with this lager yeast come out, clean and crisp with a refreshing dry character.

Fermentis Saflager S-23

Type: Lager yeast (ferments cold)

Best temperature range to ferment: 53.6-59 F

The best temperature to add it to your wort: 53.6-59 F

Flavors/Aroma: This yeast brings a lot of fruity flavors and aromas. This yeast is best suited toward lagers that require that bright and fruity finish. Wonderful for producing summer lagers, Kolsch beers, and when brewed at higher temps, California common! (up to 75 degrees for California common)

Since this lager yeast is not as aggressive when it comes to fermenting more complex starches in your wort, it leaves behind a lingering presence in the mouth, and beers brewed with it keep a good level of head retention in the glass and a soft and silky character on the tongue.

Fermentis Safale WB-06

Type: Wheat/Ale yeast (ferments at typical Ale temperatures)

Best temperature range to ferment: 64-75 F

The best temperature to add it to your wort: 68-80 F (the higher end of this range with giving you more banana and “bubblegum” flavors)

Flavors/Aroma: This wheat strain is fairly moderate comparatively, to other wheat yeasts and being fruity. This yeast can produce very pleasant banana, clove, and even some “bubblegum” flavors! The fruity, spicy character of this yeast can be increased by brewing and pitching your yeast on the warmer end of the ideal temperature spectrums. If you enjoy beer styles like hefeweizen, this is the yeast that will take you there! Beers made with this yeast leave a slight lingering on the tongue, but that is quickly washed away do the yeasts ability to ferment more complex starches. WB-06 also tends to stay in suspension longer, increasing the likelihood of trub production (sediment) in the bottle which is acceptable in wheat beer styles.

Fermentis Safale T-58

Type: Belgian Ale yeast (Great for Trappist style beers)

Best temperature range to ferment: 59-68 F (Can be brewed at 70-72 to increase clove flavors)

The best temperature to add it to your wort: 59-72 F

Flavors/Aroma: This is a “spicy” yeast. Bringing traditional trappiest flavors such as pepper and clove, this yeast can maintain a slightly hazy character in finished beer as well.  This is not a “fruity” yeast but rather places a strong focus on well-formed notes of spice. Because this yeast does not aggressively consume more complex starches, it leaves the finished beer with a lingering character on the tongue and a noticeable softness in the mouth. T-58 has a high tolerance to alcohol, making it a great choice for brewing beers with ABV’s up to 11.5%.

Fermentis Safale S-33

Type: Ale yeast (well suited for a wide range of ales, including Belgians and Wits.)

Best temperature range to ferment: 59-68 F (Can be brewed at 70-72 F but can produce more fruit flavors)

The best temperature to add it to your wort: 68-72 F

Flavors/Aroma: This yeast is considered to have a balanced flavor profile. It does carry some mild fruit flavors, especially when brewed on the higher end of the temperature spectrum. S-33 can be used in a multitude of styles, especially in brews that desire a fuller body, and lingering presence on the tongue and can leave a haze in the finished beer. This yeast is ideal for beers that have a lower to moderate alcohol range.

Fermentis Safale Us-05

Type: Ale yeast (Great for a wide range of American beers, especially very hoppy ales)

Best temperature range to ferment: 64-82 F (produces very clean flavors at 70-72 F)

The best temperature to add it to your wort: 64-80 F

Flavors/Aromas: This is a very “clean” yeast. This means it does not produce a noticeable amount of fruity or spicy character in the finished beer. This yeast is ideal to use in beers where you wish to highlight flavors of hops and grain by letting them shine through unbridled by excessive yeast flavors. Us-05 is VERY good at fermenting more complex starches so it produces a crisp, dry beer that drinks very easily! It’s a favorite for producing IPA and Pale ale styles.

Fermentis Safale S-04

Type: Ale yeast (English style ale yeast, suitable for a wide range of beer styles)

Best temperature range to ferment: 59-68 F (Can be brewed at 70-72 with great results)

The best temperature to add it to your wort: 60-72 F

Flavors/Aromas: This yeast is not known for producing a high incidence of fruity flavors and tends to be neutral, and well suited for brewing beers that are on the maltier side. S-04 is ideal for cask or bottle conditioned beers as well. S-04 ferments fast and leaves you with a clear product due to the tightly compacted sediment that it produces. Though you find it most often in browns, porters, and stouts, S-04 can also be a great yeast to use for heavily hopped beers due to its potential for clarity. This yeast leaves a mild lingering presence in the mouth. S-04 also tends to ferment quite quickly!

Lallemand Nottingham High-performance ale yeast

Type: Ale yeast (English ale yeast, suitable for a wide range of styles and especially useful for making high alcohol beers)

Best temperature range to ferment: 50-72 F

Best temperature range to add it to your wort: 65-72 F

Flavors/Aromas: Nottingham is considered to be neutral in flavor, but some brewers detect a very mild fruitiness, and like many English ale strains, it does not create spice flavors. Nottingham can be used in just about anything but is commonly found in Pale ale, Amber, Porter, Stout and Barleywine style beers. Nottingham is a great option for high alcohol beers as well. When kept in the 70-72 F temperature range, it can fully ferment is as little as 4 days and can finish at lower temperatures in as few as 9 days. Nottingham is very efficient at breaking down more complex starches and produce a dry brew when that is the desired effect.

Lallemand Belle Saison

Type: Ale yeast (Belgian/Saison ale yeast, suitable for farmhouse ales and traditional Saison beers)

Best temperature range to ferment: 59-95 F (Produces more spice and fruit flavors at higher temperatures)

Best temperature range to add it to your wort: 65-95 F (Do not use this yeast right out of the fridge, it must come to room temperature before use)

Flavors/Aromas: With strong flavors and aromas of pepper, clove, and citrus; this yeast creates complex and multilayered beers. These strong flavor components can be further expressed when the beer is brewed on the higher end of the temperature spectrum. When brewed within optimal temperature ranges, Belle Saison yeast will fully ferment most wort, in as little as 4 days. Because Belle Saison has an easy time fermenting the more complex starches found in the wort, it creates a refreshing and dry finished beer but still takes nicely to fruit additions.

Hopefully, this helps you to become a little more familiar with the yeast options we offer, outside of our Cooper’s proprietary yeast.

If you ever find yourself needing additional guidance, give us a call or send us an email to our customer service team, we are always more than happy to get “geeky” about yeast with you!

Cheers!

Ashley