Beer Forum

I'm looking to start experimenting with different yeasts and what they add to the beers. I've done a few split batches of a cream ale using us-05 and us-04 and I really can't tell a huge difference. Some difference, yes but just not all that much.

Maybe I'm expecting too much but for this recipe they are pretty much one and the same.

7# 2 row
1# flaked corn
1/2# honey malt
1/2# biscuit malt
1oz cluster 60 min
1/2oz willamette 2min

Maybe some yeast suggestions or recipes. maybe I just needs some yeasts that are a little less the same.

Maybe a decent amber split with some 1272 and a something else? Or maybe a pale?

I dunno. I guess I'm asking for a little direction....I feel like I'm in a bit of a rut now that I can brew this one consistently.



Time to mix it up a bit.

Thanx

DO NOT DELAY...

Forward this queastion onto Jamil, Gordon Strong, and Palmer, and Doc.

Seriously. I have been brewing 5 years now and have mixed up yeast... ummmm... 3 times.
If no one here gives you a good answer really forward it on to the pro amatuers... Yea Yea Yea, I know Jamil, Heratic bla bla bla, just make sure you ask someone who thinks deeper than the suface level of cells that get burnt off after a few drinks.

Love
Chris

Here are some suggestions, some ideas from Mike Mraz's appearance on The Sunday Session 06-08-08 Non-Traditional Yeast and some are just my 2 cents.

1. Stick with a single hop variety with a rather neutral flavor and aroma. I'm thinking something along the lines of a noble hop. Use it only for bittering so you have an easier time picking up any ester aromas your yeast produces. Avoid dry hopping, cask conditioning, etc...

2. Avoid your caramel, dark, chocolate, black, etc... malts.

2. Mike Mraz compared a few Brett strains using a basic Belgian Golden Strong recipe, that started around 1.064 and finished at 1.007 (7.5% abv). He was able to do (2) 20 gallon batches and then split that into separate 5 gallon fermenters with different yeasts. He recommended brewing something with little residual sugar.

3. If you decide to use the same yeast strain, you can compare the outcome of the yeast by changing variables like, cold vs. warm fermentation temp, pitching at a higher temp/vs lower temp, high/low pitch rate, re-pitching yeast for bottle conditioning vs. using priming sugar, cold conditioning vs. bottling right after primary fermentation is done, open fermentation vs. closed, adding yeast nutrients vs. no nutrients. There are plenty of other things you can try, you get the idea.

4. Compare yeasts from different regions. English, Scottish, Irish, Belgian, French, German, American, Czech, Denmark, etc...

5. Compare different styles, Ales, Lagers, Lambics, Red Wine Yeasts, White Wine Yeasts, etc...

6. Ferment lager yeasts at ale temps and vice versa.

That's EXACTLY the kind of advise I was hoping to hear. Thanks and such!!!

I'm not sure why I had such a hard time figuring that out. After thinking about it I probably would have given similar advice to someone had they asked me.

"Where's the freaking FOREST?!!! I cant see it with all these TREES getting in the way!!!!"



I blame Snookie. Only because she should be blamed for everything.