Changing yeast/maybe use a lager yeast

[Welshwizard]

Evening folks. My next homebrew project is going to be a Sheepdog's Pride Suffolk Bitter kit, but just to make things interesting I'm thinking of using a different yeast to see what happens (pondering using Young's ale yeast rather than the kit yeast).

However, as I live in an absolutely freezing cold house that isn't centrally heated and it's pretty cold weather-wise for the foreseeable, I'm also thinking of going for using a lager yeast (something like a Saf S-23) as a) that could be interesting and b) at the moment the temperature range for that yeast is more easily attainable.

Just out of interest though, what are these options likely to do to the resulting flavour? Thanks and all the best!

 

[An Ankoù]

I think the youngs ale yeast is one of those that doesn't ferment maltotriose, a bit like Windsor. The lager yeast should attenuate more fully and leave a clean tasting beer. I'd go for the latter under the circumstances.

 

[MrRook]

I had good results in a bitter fermented with S-189.

 

[Welshwizard]

Cheers folks. I suspect it'll take a few weeks to ferment and then a month or so to condition given my home temperatures, should be ready by about the end of February I reckon.

 

[MrRook]

What actual temperatures are you dealing with.

 

[Griff097]

What actual temperatures are you dealing with.

Depending where in Wales I guess in the South its hovering around freezing but in the valkeys/North it could be minus 25!

 

[Welshwizard]

Pretty much! . Last week it was down to -7 ambient outdoors as I live about 1,000 ft up in rural Ceredigion (mid Wales).

This week it's warmer, so about 7 degrees outside but I have no central heating and just a multifuel stove, so aside from the living room it's about ten degrees indoors on a 'warm' day at the moment and six degrees indoors otherwise (I wear a lot of layers in winter!).

It's due to drop cold again next week so my plan is to brew in an upstairs room where the ambient temperature should be between 6-10 degrees, using a heatpad or heatbelt and sleeping bag to try and maintain a steady 12-15 degrees. It *should* be doable. If it gets too 'warm' indoors I can put the whole thing in a lean-to to keep it cool.

That's the plan anyway. But you know what they say about best laid plans...

 

[fury_tea]

Pretty much! . Last week it was down to -7 ambient outdoors as I live about 1,000 ft up in rural Ceredigion (mid Wales).

This week it's warmer, so about 7 degrees outside but I have no central heating and just a multifuel stove, so aside from the living room it's about ten degrees indoors on a 'warm' day at the moment and six degrees indoors otherwise (I wear a lot of layers in winter!).

It's due to drop cold again next week so my plan is to brew in an upstairs room where the ambient temperature should be between 6-10 degrees, using a heatpad or heatbelt and sleeping bag to try and maintain a steady 12-15 degrees. It *should* be doable. If it gets too 'warm' indoors I can put the whole thing in a lean-to to keep it cool.

That's the plan anyway. But you know what they say about best laid plans...

Garvin ale yeast at 12-15c is pretty clean and enjoyable, I use it all the time at those temps for faux lagers.

Just remember you have to pitch more at lower temperatures, I'd suggest 2 packs!

 

[Welshwizard]

Well, got this brew on yesterday and pitched two 11.5 g packets of S-23. I've got the fermenter steady at 12.4 degrees and we're 18 hours in.

No signs of much activity yet but I've heard that S-23 can have quite a lag time to get going (up to 72 hours in some cases) so I'm not overly worried yet. If all goes according to plan, I'm working on a three week fermentation period followed by at least three weeks in secondary out in my lean to, where ambient temperature is usually between 7-10 degrees at this time of year.

I'll keep you posted.

 

[Welshwizard]

Well, just checking in as promised. I racked to secondary today which I've primed. Now, just thinking, do I need to warm this baby up to get carbonation going or can I just leave it at its current temp (currently about 7-8 degrees for a few weeks to condition)? I'm not in any desperate rush to drink it yet so don't mind taking more time over it, just trying to find the best approach. "Room temperature" in the upstairs room I'm keeping this is currently 6.6 degrees btw .

Took a quick taste and bearing in mind thst it hasn't had its conditioning phase yet and is flat, it tastes pretty good and should improve over the next few weeks.

 

[crescent city Mike]

I think the youngs ale yeast is one of those that doesn't ferment maltotriose, a bit like Windsor. The lager yeast should attenuate more fully and leave a clean tasting beer. I'd go for the latter under the circumstances.

That's the basic difference between ale yeast and lager yeast - the available enzyme to break maltotriose into smaller, fermentable sugars. I've written a few articles about this subject on my website. crescentcitybrewtalk.com Take a look and see what you think.

 

[crescent city Mike]

I screwed up! Instead of maltotriose, I meant to say raffinose. Maltotriose consists of three glucose molecules while Raffinose is composed of galactose, fructose, and glucose. The enzyme available in lager yeast is Alpha-galactosidase. Sorry for the brain fart.