S-23 Vs US-05

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jceg316

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Hi everyone.

I'm wondering if anyone else experiences this with their batches as I've noticed something about these yeasts.

I get far better results with S-23 than I do with US-05. If I make a hoppy lager compared to a similar pale ale recipe, the hop flavours are far more punchy, in your face and tasty with S-23, a lager yeast, than if I make a pale ale/IPA with US-05.

Not only hop character though, but I have made a couple of stouts with S-23 and the flavours come out far better than with something like S-04 or Empire Ale (MJs) yeast.

I recently tried out W-34/70 as well and had very similar results to S-23. A much more flavourful beer which conditioned Both lager yeasts are very clear as well.
 
How's it going @JCEG316 :) ?

Because I'm still very inexperienced in this beautiful hobby I resisted the temptation to comment on this (haven't even used US-05 yet) but I assumed you were fermenting the lager yeasts at ale/steam beer temps (>15C)?

As said in the other thread I've used three packets of s-23 pitched into approx 15c wort and chilled to 11c for ferment then reused the cake in two more batches (500 ml slurry in each) again pitched cold. The slurry batches were down to approx 1.018 within about 5 days and diaceytl rested for 4 days at 18C then onto lagering. My fridge will only go as low as 7c so
suspect its not technically lagering although one of the sources I read said lagering can take place at 7c but the time frame takes longer. The first batch of Euro lager is long gone and tasted pretty good to my untrained smokers palette.

I think I might try and use one of these yeast cakes at higher temperature with the draught variation to see what the difference is.

Good topic though thanks for bringing it up - S-23 does seem to get a lot of bad press compared to the 34/70 and s-189 but I wondered if that was the purists or maybe even I've read fermenting too cold.

All the best
 
How's it going @JCEG316 :) ?

Because I'm still very inexperienced in this beautiful hobby I resisted the temptation to comment on this (haven't even used US-05 yet) but I assumed you were fermenting the lager yeasts at ale/steam beer temps (>15C)?

As said in the other thread I've used three packets of s-23 pitched into approx 15c wort and chilled to 11c for ferment then reused the cake in two more batches (500 ml slurry in each) again pitched cold. The slurry batches were down to approx 1.018 within about 5 days and diaceytl rested for 4 days at 18C then onto lagering. My fridge will only go as low as 7c so
suspect its not technically lagering although one of the sources I read said lagering can take place at 7c but the time frame takes longer. The first batch of Euro lager is long gone and tasted pretty good to my untrained smokers palette.

I think I might try and use one of these yeast cakes at higher temperature with the draught variation to see what the difference is.

Good topic though thanks for bringing it up - S-23 does seem to get a lot of bad press compared to the 34/70 and s-189 but I wondered if that was the purists or maybe even I've read fermenting too cold.

All the best

Hey, thanks for the reply!

I have brewed at lager temps, but more often I will brew at ambient temperature of my garage (anywhere from 4°C-15°) or ale temps. If I'm honest I've not noticed any difference in flavour between the different temps - no noticeable yeast flavours.

I find S-23 is a very robust yeast, it can survive these large temp fluctuations with no off flavours, and conditions really nicely. I've not experimented that much with WB-34/70, but used it in several brews at around 15°C and they've come out really well too.

Annoyingly I'm inbetween houses right now, brewing at my parents' but I don't have room for a fermentation chamber, so I can't accurately control the temperature, I'll be using aquarium heaters in a bucket which are better for ale temps so I'll be making a lot of steam ales!
 
That's good to know re the S-23 - it was a LHBS purchase (the only fermentis lager yeast they stocked) and after I'd bought the packs I started dreading how it would come out but like you haven't noticed anything off - well maybe that the Euro lager was a bit too morish :) but that's all good.

All the best with your residential status and a return to your own brewery :) In a very similar situation myself and get the impression the folks are dreading me coming home with a 40 litre boiler as have been feeling the lure of the dark side all summer - worked my way to comfortable with kits and bits, made two of my own extract wheat beers so now BIAB doesn't seem half as daunting - although I keep drooling at the Grainfather.

Chin Chin
 

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