Hot weather yeasts

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LarryF

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Not having a brew fridge means that over the summer months I'm at the mercy of the Great British Summer. For the last 3 years I've been using Mauribrew 514 Ale yeast and Mangrove Jacks M10 Workhorse, both tolerant up to 32c and had great results with both. My searches so far keep pointing me to various Saison yeasts but I'm not sold on them. I'm thinking of using something different this year and just wondered if anyone has any suggestions. Sorry I should say that I do have a pack of MGJ M20 which is good up to 30c according to the bumf.
 
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How warm does it get where you're fermenting? In terms of saison yeasts I've used Belle Saison which I've got good results from.

I've found S-23 and W-34/70 really robust and works well in a range of temperatures (from 12°c to ~24°c, not pushed it higher). These are lager yeasts and really clear; I've actually made some really good hop forward beers with these yeasts.

I think some Belgian yeasts do well in the warm as well, I can imagine T-58 giving a very peppery characteristic in warmer fermenting conditions.

I should make clear though I haven't used these yeasts past 25°C or so.
 
I used Mangrove Jack's M29 French Saison last year and it munches up every scrap of sugar so your beer is going to be dry.
 
What is making you not sold on saison yeasts? I've only used Wyeast 3726 Farmhouse Ale but it made a very tasty beer. Wyeast say it's temp range is 21 - 29c. I started fermentation at 19c for 2 - 3 days then raised to 24c, 1c/day. It's fruity and mildly spicy, going to have to try a higher temp and see what it does.
 
Based on previous experience, I will use US 05 or MJ 31 Tripel if I am brewing July / August this year.
 
Based on previous experience, I will use US 05 or MJ 31 Tripel if I am brewing July / August this year.

What temperatures do you ferment at with US-05? I had to stop using it in hot weather as a warm fermentation would result in bad flavours developing.
 
You may want to qualify your question as to whether you ONLY want dried yeasts, or are happy to use either liquid or dry, might help avoid answers you don't really want.

That said, I'm another fan of dried Saison yeasts. I've used both MJ M29 French Saison (fruity, barely a hint of spice) and Belle Saison (drier, more spice, less fruit) and found they both make a delicious beer at around 26 degrees C, especially if you ignore the usual style restrictions and go for a hoppier beer using new world and US hops. A hoppy, fruity, dry Saison is absolutely delicious.

Mangrove Jacks M36 Liberty Bell does ok up to about 24 degrees C, but in this current weather I wouldn't even try using it to be honest. Annoyingly, my next brew was going to be a stout fermented with MJ M42, I put it off to do a Braggot with Belle Saison, then a Saison with M29... Now I'm stuck having to make another Saison... Oh the inhumanity! lmao

What is making you not sold on saison yeasts? I've only used Wyeast 3726 Farmhouse Ale but it made a very tasty beer. Wyeast say it's temp range is 21 - 29c. I started fermentation at 19c for 2 - 3 days then raised to 24c, 1c/day. It's fruity and mildly spicy, going to have to try a higher temp and see what it does.

Sounds delicious! I'll have to maybe make that one of my first forays into liquid yeasts. Just to be sure though, when you say fruity you don't mean banana do you? As I've mentioned before, my wife won't drink anything with even a hint of banana sadly. lol
 
Planning ahead and watching the weather forecast is probably the best option. Most flavour is produced within the first 72 hours after that high temps will aid attenuation.

High temperatures aren't necessarily the problem, temperature swings are. Picking the most stable place for the fv will help. In theory something like US05 should be a good choice as it produces lower levels of esters (good upto 25c in Safale literature). Off flavours are generally the result of stress, so ensuring a stable temperature, healthy pitch of hydrated dry yeast or sufficient liquid yeast is more critical in elevated temperatures.

Saison yeasts are great, but only if you like and want to brew a Saison.

Kveik or similar yeast could be the way to go, as many reportedly ferment well at elevated or fluctuating temperatures and ferment quite neutrally.

http://www.omegayeast.com/portfolio/14158-2/



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Sounds delicious! I'll have to maybe make that one of my first forays into liquid yeasts. Just to be sure though, when you say fruity you don't mean banana do you? As I've mentioned before, my wife won't drink anything with even a hint of banana sadly. lol
Nope, no banana. It smelled and tasted of pineapple when young, that faded over the first month or so.
 
Quite a few years ago I read that WLP008 was being used by a brewery in the far east at pretty high temperatures (upper 80s f) with good results.
 
I made a Hefeweizen this morning, and noticed that the temperature range for MJ Bavarian Wheat is 18-30C.
 
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