Favorite Yeast for brewing Real Ale

[Lowrider]

I’m a big fan of the Mangrove Jack M44. I’ve been using it for the last year or so exclusively for any pale ale that I’ve made. It took a few days for there to be any airlock activity first time round but it flocculates like a dream so I harvested some. Every batch of beer since has taken off within a few hours of pitching and the beers have reached terminal gravity in 3 or 4 days. I also like the peach/apricot esters that it throws out. It complements the hops that I’ve mainly been using (Hallertau Blanc, Cashmere, Mandarina Bavaria and Endeavour). It’s also hop forward without muting the flavour of the grain bill.

I’ve brewed over a dozen beers now from this one £3 packet and still got a few jars of harvested yeast for future batches. I can’t praise the M44 enough.

Maxonian

Please can you elaborate on the process of collecting the yeast to use again?

Thanks

 

[scomet]

or Nottingham you are going for a much blander option, which is fine if that is what you like

In your opinion!
In mine its the best allrounder yeast and brilliant in English Bitters.............

 

[Covrich]

In your opinion!
In mine its the best allrounder yeast and brilliant in English Bitters.............

Never suggesting it is a bad yeast I have used it a lot, But often Id rather not use one which mutes hop flavour so much as it can do. DOn not get me wrong it does it's job but For mer personally I like a yeast in this style to add a bit of depth and character and I find it very one dimentional.

 

[Clint]

According to this chart S-04 and Liberty Bell are the same strain. And on the few occasions I've used either of them I had the same problems of low attenuation and high acetaldehyde that had to age out. Might just be a coincidence though.

Never had those problems in my bitters using London Ale III (current favourite) or Lallemand Windsor (a pain to clear). I like Notty in crisp golden ales in the summer, but probably wouldn't use it in a bitter. Unfortunately there aren't that many English strains available here in Austria, I'll have to order some.

I can't see that on the chart...I hope they're not...

 

[MickDundee]

According to this chart S-04 and Liberty Bell are the same strain.

I find that hard to believe given every beer I’ve done with S-04 has turned out rubbish (it has a taste I don’t like that I can’t quite put my finger on and doesn’t really push out any “proper” fruitiness) and I’ve used LB many times without the same issues (never felt that odd taste with it, and it always gives me nice fruity esters).

 

[Wiener Blut]

I can't see that on the chart...I hope they're not...

Maybe I'm reading it wrong but line 79 suggests they are.

 

[An Ankoù]

I find that hard to believe given every beer I’ve done with S-04 has turned out rubbish (it has a taste I don’t like that I can’t quite put my finger on and doesn’t really push out any “proper” fruitiness) and I’ve used LB many times without the same issues (never felt that odd taste with it, and it always gives me nice fruity esters).

I understand that as soon as a yeast strain starts being used and reused, it adapts and changes to the local conditions and effectively becomes a "house" strain. I suppose that if S-04 and M-36 originated from the same source they could quite possibly have adapted to different lab conditions at Fermentis and at Mangrove Jack. It's for this reason, as well of risk of contamination, that I don't use a yeast longer than its third generation.

 

[Clint]

Maybe I'm reading it wrong but line 79 suggests they are.

Perhaps I'm not seeing/understand ing it...can't see any ref. to s04 or MJLB.

 

[An Ankoù]

According to this chart S-04 and Liberty Bell are the same strain. And on the few occasions I've used either of them I had the same problems of low attenuation and high acetaldehyde that had to age out. Might just be a coincidence though.

Never had those problems in my bitters using London Ale III (current favourite) or Lallemand Windsor (a pain to clear). I like Notty in crisp golden ales in the summer, but probably wouldn't use it in a bitter. Unfortunately there aren't that many English strains available here in Austria, I'll have to order some.

Great chart, but how accurate is it? How reliable are the sources he cites (but at least he gives sources). I have another chart which claims Ringwood and WLP005 come from the same source. The chart above specifically contradicts this. There's hours of fun to be had unpicking this lot. Thanks.

 

[Clint]

Ah...strain doesn't necessarily mean same...like my jackrussel is descended from wolves....

 

[An Ankoù]

Perhaps I'm not seeing/understand ing it...can't see any ref. to s04 or MJLB.

It's there on line 79, Clint. Have another look.
Woops. Crossed in the post.

 

[Clint]

All I see on line 79...
suregork,DMT fast,fruity,pear 77% attenuation...

 

[Wiener Blut]

All I see on line 79...
suregork,DMT fast,fruity,pear 77% attenuation...

Are you on mobile? It cuts some of it off, because of the fixed columns.

Ah...strain doesn't necessarily mean same...like my jackrussel is descended from wolves....

Haha something like that.

 

[Clint]

Yes...on mobile...that'll be it.
Thanks..

 

[An Ankoù]

Those are columns F and G. You need to look at columns A to E as well. Don't lknow what kind of screen you're using or the magnification, but you're not seeing all of it.

 

[Clint]

All I get is A straight to F...

 

[An Ankoù]

All I get is A straight to F...

Is that any help?

 

[Clint]

Yes,that's got it.
I wonder if it's repackaged or derived...I definitely wasn't overwhelmed with s04 so we'll see...

 

[marshbrewer]

I've said this before, but I fond the 'liberty bell is S04' argument really hard to believe. They smell different when fermenting, and taste different when done.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Do MJ manufacture their own yeasts or repackage other manufacturers products?