Mangrove Jack Newcastle Yeast

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paul3944

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Hi,

Has anyone any experience of using MJ Newcastle Yeast?

I brewed a AG Brown Ale and used this yeast. It's been in the Corny for almost 3 months now and will not clear. I've used copious amounts of finings and the thing still wont clear!

A quick Google reveals some bad reviews regarding flocculation and I have noticed that this yeast is not even listed anymore on the UK MJ website?

Kind Regards
Paul
 
I used it once and really wasn't impressed. I can't comment on clearing cos I used it in a stout, but it was a weak fermentation with a very long lag time and I'm not too pleased with the flavours either. Won't be using it again.
 
Hmm, that seems to be the general consensus regarding this yeast. I won't be using this yeast again either.

Thanks Steve :)
 
Got one on the go at the moment
Lag time 10 hours.
High Krausen done after just 4 days.
still in primary at the moment, will get back to you in a week or so. :hat:
 
They rebranded a lot of the MJ yeasts so the newcastle one is called (iirc) empire yeast. I used it in the newcastle form and didn't have any problems with it. Cant remember about how clear the beer was (I put it in a brown ale and maybe a bitter too) but I remember it was quite flocctuant and I needed to rouse it
 
I had to fit a blow off valve to my fermenter due to the krausen on this. Just poured another sample and it's still murky :(
 
Just racked off and these are nothing but initial impressions, DON'T take this for the gospel truth.
OG 1062 / FG 1014 => absolutely bang on predicted, what I expected from a dried yeast in an all malt brew. This corresponds to what I have seen in the past. So the yeast has performed well, primary done in seven days.
Transfer into secondary for clearing has revealed several things. Firstly, there is a very strong yeasty nose to the brew, it is woody, leathery. The fermentation appears "dirty" there is a lot of crud floating around in it, a lot of crud floating round in the bottom of the bucket, the yeast cake is not compact. I have read elsewhere that Mangrove Jack does not produce its own yeast but repackages yeast bought in bulk (malicious rumour ?) From my initial impressions, I am ready to go along with those malicious rumours, the performance of the yeast so far reminds me suspiciously of S04 ... which itself is rumoured to be the Whitbread B strain, designed for use in industrial plant. This is not what I am looking for. I gave up using S04 a long time ago, I really don't like it.
Jury's out for the moment though ... I'll give Empire Ale yeast and the beer a chance and see what happens
 
$Just bottled 23 litres.
No problems of clarity or attenuation for this brew. BUT I am not too impressed for the moment. It's a strong yeast in terms of flavour, there is a distinct woody note to the brew that I used to find when I used GV 12 or to a lesser degree S04 ... I stopped using both of those yeasts, I don't think I'll be using MJ 15 again for the same reason. Watch this space though, the beer has to condition up, I reckon it will take about three months to mellow and sort itself out.
 
Lag time 10 hours.
High Krausen done after just 4 days.

Just done my 2nd brew with this yeast and my experience has been the opposite, incredibly slow to start (3 days) and only a small Krausen: temp-controlled ferment, 1048 OG brew. Never had a yeast take so long to get going, and I re-hydrated it.

I picked this yeast because of it's description "ferments with full, rich dark fruit flavors", as I wanted a fruity brew. My first brew was fairly bland, current one is just finishing off in the FV so we'll see how it turns out.
 
Just bottled my brew made with this yeast

A quick Google reveals some bad reviews regarding flocculation

My experience too. No sign of a solid trub at the bottom of the FV just liquid, I poured it out as I couldn't lift it with a spoon as I usuallt do with S04 as there were no solids.

it was a weak fermentation

My experience too, took ages to get going then finished high despite temp control, FG 1016. So unless it produces an amazing beer, I won't be using this one again. :-(
 
Had a another look yesterday and has the consistency of a lumpy looking gravy.

Grains completely wasted as this will be going down the sink :(
 
Hm, I made an AK beer with it and a porter, everything went well. Do you know the mineral content of your brewing water? More Ca is better for flocculation.
 
They rebranded a lot of the MJ yeasts so the newcastle one is called (iirc) empire yeast. I used it in the newcastle form and didn't have any problems with it. Cant remember about how clear the beer was (I put it in a brown ale and maybe a bitter too) but I remember it was quite flocctuant and I needed to rouse it

Same here. I made a brown ale and although it took a couple of days longer to ferment it cleared no bother. I have a lovely deep reddish brown ale.
 
Final post on this one. Brew has been in the bottle for over two weeks, okay it's still very young but I can see what is going on. The yeast has done its job, the brew is clear. Everything is acceptable. Empire Ale Yeast seems a decent name for the thing, it's an old style ale yeast that gives a woody cum leathery taste to the beer, at least in my set up. It reminds me enormously, as I said above, of S04 or GV12. I am not a fan of either S04 or GV12 so I won't be rushing out to buy MJ's Empire Ale Yeast again.
 
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