Champagne yeast use in brewing beer?

[Oneflewover]

Hi. I've inadvertently been sent several 5g packs of champagne yeast (only ordered / paid for one). Does it have any use in brewing beer? Couldn't find much on t'interweb

 

[Zephyr259]

Not really, there's a bunch of conflicting info out there. People use it if their beer finishes at too high a gravity because it's alcohol tolerant and attenuates highly. Issue is that it's used to simple sugars like glucose and fructose and doesn't overly like maltose and probably (my opinion) can't ferment anything more complex at all so it rarely does anything to improve a high FG from what I've read.

One use is in bottle conditioning a strong beer which has been bulk aged for a long time because it should only eat the priming sugar.

 

[jceg316]

I'm gonna make elderflower champagne and will buy some champagne yeast for it, but it's only as a backup in case the wild yeast doesn't ferment. If I don't need it I was thinking of using it in a TC.

 

[Oneflewover]

Not really, there's a bunch of conflicting info out there. People use it if their beer finishes at too high a gravity because it's alcohol tolerant and attenuates highly. Issue is that it's used to simple sugars like glucose and fructose and doesn't overly like maltose and probably (my opinion) can't ferment anything more complex at all so it rarely does anything to improve a high FG from what I've read.

One use is in bottle conditioning a strong beer which has been bulk aged for a long time because it should only eat the priming sugar.

Thanks for that, backs up the limited info I found.....

 

[Oneflewover]

I'm gonna make elderflower champagne and will buy some champagne yeast for it, but it's only as a backup in case the wild yeast doesn't ferment. If I don't need it I was thinking of using it in a TC.

Good shout :hat:

 

[Oneflewover]

Thanks for that, backs up the limited info I found.....

In fact pm me if you want me to send a pack FOC

 

[peebee]

Quite unrelated, but while working on another thread today I came across something that is very related to this ...

Not really, there's a bunch of conflicting info out there. People use it if their beer finishes at too high a gravity because it's alcohol tolerant and attenuates highly. Issue is that it's used to simple sugars like glucose and fructose and doesn't overly like maltose and probably (my opinion) can't ferment anything more complex at all so it rarely does anything to improve a high FG from what I've read.

One use is in bottle conditioning a strong beer which has been bulk aged for a long time because it should only eat the priming sugar.

https://whitelabs.com/sites/default/files/Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus Information Sheet.pdf

Fascinating stuff. But wont help getting rid of champagne yeast.

 

[foxbat]

It can be used as a bottle carbonation yeast for very high gravity beers. Belgian, RIS, etc.

 

[-Bezza-]

I know squat about yeast but wondered whether you could use it for a secondary ferment to crudely raise alcohol level by adding additional simple sugar?

 

[Oneflewover]

Thanks all. Think I'll make TC with it and praps keep one pack back (BBE may 2020) in case I need to prime a high gravity beer :thumb:

 

[GerritT]

Kill it in boiling water and use it as yeast nutrition.
Or buy apple juice

 

[peebee]

Kill it in boiling water and use it as yeast nutrition.
Or buy apple juice

Isn't this a forum on beer? I'm sure advocating cannibalism (with vegetarian option?) is well off subject?

 

[peebee]

I know squat about yeast but wondered whether you could use it for a secondary ferment to crudely raise alcohol level by adding additional simple sugar?

And is this a crude cover for euthanasia suggestions? What is this site coming to?

 

[Zephyr259]

Quite unrelated, but while working on another thread today I came across something that is very related to this ...



https://whitelabs.com/sites/default/files/Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus Information Sheet.pdf

Fascinating stuff. But wont help getting rid of champagne yeast.

Wyeast released a similar statement with a list of their strains which are of this variant, it mostly contained all their saison strains which wasn't too surprising, and some others I forget. Part of me wonders if this is why my saison suddenly became over carbonated after a few months in the bottle.

 

[Hoppy]

The most important thing about champagne yeast is that it does ferment complex sugars, but takes time, a long time. I have drunk many beers, some as high as 28% that have been finished by this yeast, tastes like tawny port and brandy, and has the same level of effervescence, flat. Sadly I drank it from my collection when we had a party!
The most important thing is to have complex sugars present and remove the yeast before it dries it out completely, the beer would be truly out of balance.
You need to ferment with an ale yeast for flavour, when the fermentation stops (depending on alcohol tolerance/strain 6-10%), use wine yeast (stops at around 15%) then onto to champagne yeast, you will need a final PG of at least around 16 to keep the beer in balance and a grain bill to get you to you to 1150 for a 23% beer! oh and a lot of time.