We did our basic topic a few weeks ago to just cover the different styles, etc. Now we wanted to look at how different yeasts can add certain flavors to your beer. So we are going to go through the styles of yeast that we sell on the website and I’ll let Zach explain the type of flavor you can get out of the yeast so you can start to experiment with different yeasts if you want to.

So we will start with the go to yeast which seems to be US-05, tell us a little about that one.

US-05 is a staple because of how “clean” it is. By that, I mean the lack of flavor it contributes, the high flocculation, its high attenuation, and all-around solid performer. It’s especially good for IPAs because it allows the hop flavors to really come through.

What about US-04? That seems to be similar to the US-05.

US-04 is actually better suited for malty, UK-style beers. This yeast leaves behind some of the complex sugars that are created during the mash, making beers with more malt -forward qualities. A great choice for English Pales & Bitters, Porters & Stouts, Irish Reds, or anything else where the malt is the major player.

WB-06 seems to be an awesome yeast to use with wheat beers, tell us a little about that one.

This yeast is great for wheat beers because it adds slight fruitiness, but more importantly, a clove-like spiciness. The hotter you ferment it, within reason, the more of that citrus and clove you’ll get out of it. You’ll even get banana if you get close to 78-degrees, for those of you who enjoy that sort of thing.

I don’t know much about this one, what about S-33 yeast?

S-33 is supposed to be a Belgian-style yeast, great for wheat and Trappist ales. It’s marketed as a low attenuating yeast that leaves behind big malt flavors, but it doesn’t have a big following. It ferments well but takes a long time to clear and won’t bring big ABV to the table. Great for historic style beers that were low in alcohol and big on malt.

Let’s get into some funky yeasts T-58 seems to have unique characteristics to it.

T-58 is a more traditional Belgian-style yeast, it brings a lot of peppery, spicy flavors. Great for Wit beers and other things you want more spicy notes in.

Lets get into Lager Yeast, S-23 seems to be a popular one for lager styles, tells us a little about that.

This lager yeast is actually used by a lot of Western European breweries. It will provide you with a clean, dry lager taste when used at 48F-59F. This yeast will perform alright at ale temps, but will produce more fruity esters.

Okay and the last yeast we will talk about W-34/70, how is that different from the S-23?

The W-34/70 is derived from the Weihenstephan strain, it ferments cleanly (meaning lower esters) and noticeably malt forward. A great yeast for Bohemian lagers that value bready, biscuit like malt flavors and spicy hop aromas.