Mangrove Jack Newcastle Yeast

[paul3944]

Hi,

Has anyone any experience of using MJ Newcastle Yeast?

I brewed a AG Brown Ale and used this yeast. It's been in the Corny for almost 3 months now and will not clear. I've used copious amounts of finings and the thing still wont clear!

A quick Google reveals some bad reviews regarding flocculation and I have noticed that this yeast is not even listed anymore on the UK MJ website?

Kind Regards
Paul

 

[strange-steve]

I used it once and really wasn't impressed. I can't comment on clearing cos I used it in a stout, but it was a weak fermentation with a very long lag time and I'm not too pleased with the flavours either. Won't be using it again.

 

[paul3944]

Hmm, that seems to be the general consensus regarding this yeast. I won't be using this yeast again either.

Thanks Steve :)

 

[Bodleigh Head]

Got one on the go at the moment
Lag time 10 hours.
High Krausen done after just 4 days.
still in primary at the moment, will get back to you in a week or so. :hat:

 

[MyQul]

They rebranded a lot of the MJ yeasts so the newcastle one is called (iirc) empire yeast. I used it in the newcastle form and didn't have any problems with it. Cant remember about how clear the beer was (I put it in a brown ale and maybe a bitter too) but I remember it was quite flocctuant and I needed to rouse it

 

[paul3944]

I had to fit a blow off valve to my fermenter due to the krausen on this. Just poured another sample and it's still murky

 

[Bodleigh Head]

Just racked off and these are nothing but initial impressions, DON'T take this for the gospel truth.
OG 1062 / FG 1014 => absolutely bang on predicted, what I expected from a dried yeast in an all malt brew. This corresponds to what I have seen in the past. So the yeast has performed well, primary done in seven days.
Transfer into secondary for clearing has revealed several things. Firstly, there is a very strong yeasty nose to the brew, it is woody, leathery. The fermentation appears "dirty" there is a lot of crud floating around in it, a lot of crud floating round in the bottom of the bucket, the yeast cake is not compact. I have read elsewhere that Mangrove Jack does not produce its own yeast but repackages yeast bought in bulk (malicious rumour ?) From my initial impressions, I am ready to go along with those malicious rumours, the performance of the yeast so far reminds me suspiciously of S04 ... which itself is rumoured to be the Whitbread B strain, designed for use in industrial plant. This is not what I am looking for. I gave up using S04 a long time ago, I really don't like it.
Jury's out for the moment though ... I'll give Empire Ale yeast and the beer a chance and see what happens

 

[Bodleigh Head]

$Just bottled 23 litres.
No problems of clarity or attenuation for this brew. BUT I am not too impressed for the moment. It's a strong yeast in terms of flavour, there is a distinct woody note to the brew that I used to find when I used GV 12 or to a lesser degree S04 ... I stopped using both of those yeasts, I don't think I'll be using MJ 15 again for the same reason. Watch this space though, the beer has to condition up, I reckon it will take about three months to mellow and sort itself out.

 

[Sandimas]

Lag time 10 hours.
High Krausen done after just 4 days.

Just done my 2nd brew with this yeast and my experience has been the opposite, incredibly slow to start (3 days) and only a small Krausen: temp-controlled ferment, 1048 OG brew. Never had a yeast take so long to get going, and I re-hydrated it.

I picked this yeast because of it's description "ferments with full, rich dark fruit flavors", as I wanted a fruity brew. My first brew was fairly bland, current one is just finishing off in the FV so we'll see how it turns out.

 

[Sandimas]

Just bottled my brew made with this yeast

A quick Google reveals some bad reviews regarding flocculation

My experience too. No sign of a solid trub at the bottom of the FV just liquid, I poured it out as I couldn't lift it with a spoon as I usuallt do with S04 as there were no solids.

it was a weak fermentation

My experience too, took ages to get going then finished high despite temp control, FG 1016. So unless it produces an amazing beer, I won't be using this one again. :-(

 

[paul3944]

Had a another look yesterday and has the consistency of a lumpy looking gravy.

Grains completely wasted as this will be going down the sink

 

[chthon]

Hm, I made an AK beer with it and a porter, everything went well. Do you know the mineral content of your brewing water? More Ca is better for flocculation.

 

[geetee]

They rebranded a lot of the MJ yeasts so the newcastle one is called (iirc) empire yeast. I used it in the newcastle form and didn't have any problems with it. Cant remember about how clear the beer was (I put it in a brown ale and maybe a bitter too) but I remember it was quite flocctuant and I needed to rouse it

Same here. I made a brown ale and although it took a couple of days longer to ferment it cleared no bother. I have a lovely deep reddish brown ale.

 

[Bodleigh Head]

Final post on this one. Brew has been in the bottle for over two weeks, okay it's still very young but I can see what is going on. The yeast has done its job, the brew is clear. Everything is acceptable. Empire Ale Yeast seems a decent name for the thing, it's an old style ale yeast that gives a woody cum leathery taste to the beer, at least in my set up. It reminds me enormously, as I said above, of S04 or GV12. I am not a fan of either S04 or GV12 so I won't be rushing out to buy MJ's Empire Ale Yeast again.