I was messing about with a beer recipe calculator today and was surprised to see how much certain yeasts affected the projected ABV of a beer. You can add as much as 1% to the strength by switching from an English ale yeast to a Belgian strain. Does anyone know how this would affect the flavour? For example, would a stout brewed with Belgian yeast just taste weird or is this a handy shortcut to adding strength.
Yeast for extra ABV
- Thread starter thehorse
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Belgian yeasts do tend to be very flavourful. In most beers it would not go unnoticed and would taste very odd in some styles. Stouts have a lot of malt flavour going on so may mask some of it but it would probably taste quite different.
One other thing to bear in mind is that part of the reason Belgian yeasts attenuate so well is that they are often used at higher temperatures ~23-28ðC, or even higher in the case of saision yeasts. If you fermented them at a low temp to suppress ester formation you would likely not get such great attenuation.
Saying all of that, I remember an American professional brewer talking about his recipe for a chocolate orange stout and saying that after quite a bit of experimentation he settled on a Trappest yeast strain which he felt worked really well with the other ingredients.
Might be worth an experiment but don't expect it to taste like Guinness.
Alternatively, you could go for more attenuative English/American yeast strain like US05 or S04. Both of which will get 78-83% attenuation depending on the temp you mash your grains at.
One other thing to bear in mind is that part of the reason Belgian yeasts attenuate so well is that they are often used at higher temperatures ~23-28ðC, or even higher in the case of saision yeasts. If you fermented them at a low temp to suppress ester formation you would likely not get such great attenuation.
Saying all of that, I remember an American professional brewer talking about his recipe for a chocolate orange stout and saying that after quite a bit of experimentation he settled on a Trappest yeast strain which he felt worked really well with the other ingredients.
Might be worth an experiment but don't expect it to taste like Guinness.
Alternatively, you could go for more attenuative English/American yeast strain like US05 or S04. Both of which will get 78-83% attenuation depending on the temp you mash your grains at.
I did a Belgian Stout with a Mangrove Jack M31 yeast bottled 15 July. The final gravity was 1.005 and my Brew Mate predicted OG was 1.060, which equates to something like 90% attenuation. Needless to say it is not a session beer at 7% plus!
It is not obviously a Belgian tasting beer, probably as its flavour is dominated a bit by the malts. It has to be said that a pale ale with the same yeast would be quite different to one brewed with anything else US/UK in style.
I think that a more sensible strength stout might come out OK as you suggest.
WLP007 attenuates highly but is pretty neutral. Iââ¬â¢d have thought the easiest way to bump abv is just to increase the base malt.
Sadfield
Landlord.
Yep, agree with DoctorMick, there are better ways to increase Abv. Given that yeast has a massive impact on flavour, it should be selected on that basis alone.
On that point though, I love Belgian Stouts and think Belgian Trappiste yeasts make interesting, more complex stouts than using something like US05. They add a rich dried fruit character. I used the Rochefort strain (WLP540/WY1762) on an Imperial Stout fermented at 19C, which worked really well.
A point regarding Belgian Yeast attenuation. Belgian beers are usually mashed low or contain large sugar additions, which are easily fermented giving high attenuation, this may not necessarily happen in with higher mash temperatures and a more complex grist.
On that point though, I love Belgian Stouts and think Belgian Trappiste yeasts make interesting, more complex stouts than using something like US05. They add a rich dried fruit character. I used the Rochefort strain (WLP540/WY1762) on an Imperial Stout fermented at 19C, which worked really well.
A point regarding Belgian Yeast attenuation. Belgian beers are usually mashed low or contain large sugar additions, which are easily fermented giving high attenuation, this may not necessarily happen in with higher mash temperatures and a more complex grist.
Add sugar.
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simon12
Landlord.
You may get better answers if you explain what you want to achieve. If you just want an extra 1% ABV for little cost then Clints "add sugar" makes most sense. Roughly 18-20g per litre adds 1% ABV.
It was more curiosity than anything. I didn't realise that certain yeasts would affect ABV so much and wondered how they would alter the flavour. I'm aware that more sugar (and more fermentables, obviously) can increase the strength, but doesn't adding sugar also come with the risk of drying out the beer?
simon12
Landlord.
Yes sugar will leave a beer dry the same as a yeast that gives a higher ABV. ie a yeast that raises the ABV eats more sugar to produce the extra alcohol therefore leading to a dryer beer. Yeasts add different or very little flavour but not as a direct result of eating more or less sugar. Adding table sugar which will 100% (or very close to) ferment out regardless of the yeast will raise the ABV.
Godsdog
Landlord.
that's interesting,what did you use it on and the result was is saisonish if just a normal ale?:thumb:
I used a general purpose lager malt and some wheat malt. I have no previous experience of saison beers and just chose the yeast to give me a dry finish and a yeast which could survive summer temps. without a brew fridge. I have brewed similar 3 times in the summer and have enjoyed them. A bit of sweetness would probably improve them. I'lll try again next year.
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