Beer Forum

I've read and hear that champagne yeast will overly dry your beer and create off flavor. Any insights on use of champagne yeast with beer would be helpful.

Listen to the show with Shea Comfort for all you would ever want to know about using wine yeast in your beer and more. The short answer is that Champagne yeast typically has a higher alcohol tolerance than most ale yeast so if you are trying to make some huge beer, well over 10%ABV, you may get some additional attenuation. Other than that, there are sugars that are consumable by ale, and even more by lager, yeasts that wine yeast simply can't eat. This would leave more residual sugars in lower strength beers than going with the yeast selected for malt based worts. Truly, listen to that episode of the session and be prepared to get your head wrapped around some serious material.

Chris

The Sunday session with Shea Comfort is Nov. 23rd 2008 if you are looking for it. Great episode.

One of the most important things he says is that Champagne yeast will kill beer yeast. So ferment them in separate carboys or use the beer yeast and then use the Champagne yeast.