source: the-scientist.com
If you're interested in brewing your beer, choosing the right beer yeast is essential. This is why following a recipe is a great idea. Most recipes will specify the exact type of yeast you should use. So, if you're looking to buy brewers yeast powder, here are a few things to keep in mind.
What's Brewing Yeast
Domesticated yeast, also referred to as brewing yeast, is crucial for home brewers when making beer. The fermentation process is greatly influenced by temperature, as yeast strains have specific temperature preferences. It's interesting to note that the domestication of yeast is a relatively recent advancement in the history of brewing. Over time, brewers developed unique yeast strains by reusing yeast from previous batches, resulting in distinct "house character" in their beer. These "house" lines eventually evolved into their unique varieties, adapting to their specific brewing environment.
How to Choose the Best Yeast
Attenuation
source: homebrewanswers.com
The first thing to have in mind when you decide to buy brewers yeast powder is attenuation. The yeast's consumption of available sugars is what attenuation is all about. It determines how much of the wort will be fermented by the yeast. If the attenuation is higher, you'll end up with a drier finish, while lower attenuation means more body and sweetness in your brew.
You can use your hydrometer readings to measure the clarity of attenuation, but the perfect level of attenuation depends on the style of beer or personal preference. Different beer styles call for different levels of attenuation, which can be categorized as follows:
- High: 78% and above
- Medium: 73% to 77%
- Low: less than 72%
Flocculation
The clarity of beer can be influenced by flocculation, which is the yeast's ability to clump and settle after fermentation. Flocculation ability is typically categorized as low, medium, or high. English and American ale strains often exhibit medium to high flocculation. On the other hand, most lager strains are low to medium flocculators, while hefeweizen yeast and many Belgian strains are low flocculators. If you're brewing a hefeweizen, it's best to use a low-flocculating weizen yeast to ensure that some yeast remains in the beer.
Optimal Fermentation Temperature
source: homebrewersassociation.org
The perfect temperature for fermenting your beer, with the yeast you've chosen, is called the optimal fermentation temperature. It's a crucial factor to consider because if the temperature is too low, the fermentation process might be sluggish or not reach its full potential. On the other hand, if it's too warm, you run the risk of creating unpleasant flavours that would make your beer undrinkable.
Flavour and Aroma
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Consider the flavour profile when choosing your yeast strain. Are you making a wit, a German weizen, or an American wheat? Each yeast has its unique characteristics. For example, an American wheat wouldn't have the clove and banana notes you'd find in a German wheat. Most American ale yeast strains are suitable for American hefeweizens, but it's recommended to get a low flocculator. There are even specific American hefeweizen yeast strains available. German weizens are known for their clove and banana aroma, while Belgian wit yeast offers a crisper, tart character similar to German yeast. American ale strains are versatile and commonly used, with various options available for homebrewers. Remember to ask local brewers about their yeast strains' characteristics before making a decision.
Alcohol Tolerance
The yeast's alcohol tolerance is the amount of alcohol it can handle before it kicks the bucket. If you're brewing a beer that will push the limits of your yeast's alcohol tolerance, make sure to up your yeast dosage. If you're not sure how much yeast to use, you can rely on an online calculator.
Spontaneous Fermentation
If your beer comes into contact with the open air, it can pick up natural yeast and bacteria, leading to what's called spontaneous fermentation. A key yeast strain in this process is Brettanomyces Lambicus. Beers produced this way are sour, unfiltered, and pay homage to the traditional lambics from the Zenne area. This brewing technique was the norm for many years in West Flanders, Belgium.
Rate of Fermentation
Understanding the degree of attenuation is crucial in brewing as it directly impacts the flavour of the final product. Attenuation refers to the process where sugars in the wort are converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide during fermentation. By knowing the degree of attenuation of a particular yeast strain, a brewer can anticipate the final gravity of the beer. Different yeast strains have varying degrees of attenuation - some may stop fermentation at 1.010 while others at 1.014, even when using the same wort.
Attenuation levels can be indicated as a percentage range or categorized as low, medium, or high. For example, a California ale yeast may have an attenuation range of 73% to 80%, which is considered high. On the other hand, an English ale yeast from the same lab might have an attenuation range of 63% to 70%, indicating lower attenuation. This means that a beer brewed with the English yeast will be sweeter and maltier compared to one brewed with the California yeast. To achieve a similar malty character with the California yeast, the mash temperature would need to be adjusted slightly higher to compensate for its higher fermentation characteristics.
Style and Experience
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Two key factors to keep in mind are the suitability of a specific strain for the style and the brewer's familiarity with that strain. All these factors help the brewer decide if a strain is the right choice. If you're aiming to brew a German hefeweizen, make sure to select a strain that matches the style's characteristics. To ensure your brew is as authentic as possible, use the recommended yeast for that style, like a Czech yeast for a Czech pilsner or an English yeast for an ESB. If you can't get the authentic yeast, find a similar strain and adjust your brewing techniques accordingly.
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