a question about yeast

[b3s]

i was reading john palmer's online book (http://www.howtobrew.com) and he mentioned something about using lager yeast in ales at ale fermentation temperatures...now i can't find the reference again, but i'm curious about why one would do this and what benefit it yields in one's beers.

i assume the idea is to reduce the esters since most lager yeasts aren't as estery?

as long as i'm on the topic of yeasts...is there any benefit to using wyeast? by using an rtp yeast i assume that i'm getting a higher quality yeast. my first two beers (the first is almost done with the primary fermentation) are using nottingham dry yeast. the first used 1 packet and i think in my second i'm going to use two packets. my third and fourth beers (an IPA and a dry stout) were going to use wyeast and i just wanted to make sure that the cost was warranted in quality. while on the subject of wyeast/smack packs...i was going to get a london ale and an irish ale respectively. should i get backup yeast packs with wyeast?

thanks.

[b3s]

well, i found the reference:

Using certain lager yeasts at ale temperatures 60-70°F (18-20°C) produces a style of beer that is now termed California Common Beer. Anchor Steam Beer revived this unique 19th century style.

however, the reference is to certain lager yeasts, but doesn't mention which ones. nor does he go into why and what it does.

can anyone enlighten me?

[Tweek]

warmer temperatures actually create more esters, not fewer. check the website for the type of yeast that you use to get explanations of the diferent tyupes. Personally I only use white labs, their yeast is top notch. you can check out there yeast info at www.whitelabs.com

[paul84043]

Using a Lager yeast at Ale temps simply results in a unique fruity tasting beer with a decent alcoholic content.

As for the liquid yeast, they say that it is the single largest improvement that you can make to the overall quality and taste of your beer.

The reason is that there are only a few types of yeasts that can be dehydrated and rehydrated successfully and even those sustain physical damage resulting in a lessened ability to reproduce quickly.
Liquid yeast comes in literally dozens of highly specialized varieties allowing you to tailor the beer to exact specifications.
I use white labs as well, but my last batch I used Wyeast, it activated very quickly, like in three hours and is really going to town now in my Belgian Dubbel.

The homebrew shop that I go to recommended that I try two batches of the same type with the different yeast just to actually see the difference for myself, apparently the liquid is well worth the small extra cost.

[b3s]

that url took me to a place called digital chicago.

[Tweek]

wierd let me try again'


http://www.whitelabs.com/

appears I had an . in the first one, I edited it so both should work now. sorry for the confusion

[paul84043]

Dude, that was really weird.....the first link goes to the wrong page..but it looks right!

[b3s]

i think the first one was whitelab.com and the second one was whitelabs.com...i did a google search and got the url at any rate. i think with batches 3 and 4 i'm gonna try the wyeast smack packs, batch 2 is gonna get 2 packets of dry...and the remaining packet will get dumped.

thanks for the info on using lager yeast at ale temps. perhaps batch 5 i'll try my IPA recipe with lager yeast, who knows.

[b3s]

what would be a good yeast for an IPA? any english bitter? i'm considering wyeast london ale because it the flavor description sounds right, but i'd like to hear what others use for IPA's.

[matt]

For an IPA I would say your yeast choice depends on what kind of hops you're using. If you're going english style and using earthier hops like fuggles, challenger, or goldings, use any English ale yeast really. I personally like the Burton Ale yeast from White Labs for English style IPAs. On the other hand if you're going for an aggressively hoppy American style IPA, you want to minimize the flavor characteristic that the yeast contributes. Look for any yeast that has a flavor description that uses words like clean. You might like either a European Ale yeast which does not attenuate well. That will provide a nicer malt background for your hop flavor than say California Ale yeast which will make a hoppy beer seem much drier on the palate. A nice compromise between the two is the East Coast Ale yeast.

[b3s]

well, i was gonna do 2 oz. of centennial and 3 oz. of fuggles, so that's kinda of a cross. i was considering the wyeast #1028 london ale, but the burtons ale from whitelabs also sounds good, maybe i'll try that instead. both make an irish ale, which should be fine for my stout that i'll be making.