Does anyone know whether Anchor uses one-yeast strain for all of their beers...e.g., Anchor Steam vs. Anchor Porter or Liberty Ale? Is the Steam yeast "special"? Also, does Anchor ferment all of their beers in the open top fermentors, or do they use traditional tanks for other beers besides Steam? The market-speak on the website is not superly helpful, so thanks much... Mike
I haven’t been to Anchor Brewery but I can answer your question of: “Is the Steam yeast "special"?” The yeast strain that Anchor uses to brew Anchor Steam is considered a hybrid yeast strain: it is a lager yeast strain that they ferment at temperatures warmer than is typical for a lager yeast strain. Anchor Steam is fermented at around 60°F while a typical lager yeast strain if fermented in the 50’s (e.g., 50°F). I have read articles where Anchor cool conditions the Steam beer for a period of time after fermentation has been completed; they cool condition at 50°F for a period of three weeks. I am uncertain whether this cool conditioning is their current practice. I highly suspect that they use ale yeasts to ferment their ales of Liberty Ale, etc. Ales are typically fermented at warmer temperatures (e.g., 65-70°F). Cheers!
