does it really matter?

[thomasray_uk]

does it really matter what yeast you use? Do different ones produce different flavours or characteristics? Essentialy they all change sugar to alcohol and not much else. I always use champagne yeast. Am i wrong or naive?

 

[craigite]

I use what I have and if I like it I do it again.
To me yeast makes as big a difference as grains or hops. If you want to replicate a bought beer then the correct yeast will help.
I harvested my yeast from a bottled conditioned beer and liked the result. So have been using this yeast for a year and a half.

I'd suggest you try good bought yeast and judge for your self.

Summary, if you like what you brew, that's the most important thing. But if you don't try something new how can you know if it's better

 

[Tony]

You're not using champers yeast in beer are you? :shock:

 

[thomasray_uk]

no. Only in tc and ginger beer. Like i say, what difference does it make anyway?

 

[BarnsleyBrewer]

I always thought yeast was yeast but believe me it isn't........
I can do 10 gallon and ferment in two 5 gallon batches with different yeast, believe it or not the two beers taste totally different. :thumb:

BB

 

[Alestar]

They all convert sugar to alcohol, but different yeasties will have different foibles as to what they like eating, and the specific sugars they don't eat a) won't be alcohol and b) will flavour your finished beer. If you think of the beer as the leftover scraps on the yeasties' plates, it matters if they're a supermodel or a fattie, and a veggie or an Atkins dieter as to what you get left!

 

[Moley]

I can do 10 gallon and ferment in two 5 gallon batches with different yeast, believe it or not the two beers taste totally different.

I believe it, and I've proved it for myself by doing a 40 litre boil and fermenting two 20s with different yeasties. Mine haven't been totally different as I've only split S-04 and a Gervin “English Ale” yeast which may be Nottingham according to some posts, but there have been subtle differences. Final gravities have been different too, S-04 a couple of points sweeter.

 

[Aleman]

For ciders you get subtle flavour changes depending on the local yeast flora on the apples . . . with Turbo cider . . . you again get different flavour profiles . . .champagne yeast ferments drier . . I've used s-23 which finished a couple of points higher (1.002) lending a slight sweetness. . . . The whitelabs/wyeast liquid cider yeast is streets apart from any of the dry yeasts, giving a dry cider with lots of apple taste. . . . If champagne yeast works for you and gives you a cider that you like . . . then why change . . .apart from another yeast giving a better flavour . . . . and it's easy to try different yeasts in 1 gallon demijohn batches.

As for ginger beer with such strong flavours it's unlikely that the yeast contribution will be noticeable.

For beers . . . Massive effect

 

[thomasray_uk]

thanks guys. Consider myself well and truly educated! I now see the light and will try experimenting with different yeasts. :thumb: