First Brew, using Muntons brewing yeast

I have used and continue to use muntons and have had good luck with it, so, we need to know what beer you are brewing, then more answer/opinions will follow.

no idea if it is 05 or not.

 

I've always prejudged this product because it is not a yeast company and avoided it. However I have heard that others have used it successfully so maybe will try some time. I'd like to hear if others think it could be Chico.

 

I'd prefer Nottingham but it will ferment your beer. Can you give us the ingredient list?

 

For the cost a package of quality dry yeast I would just pick up some authentic Safale US-05. Muntons is not a yeast company so they are repackaging whatever it is you have. Unless they have gotten into the yeast business recently. I am not claiming it is not US-05 or even that it is substandard. Only that it is not verified, possibly old and just because the guy at Midwest heard from a vendor who talked to a wholesaler who knows a guy in marketing, that doesn't make it US-05. Though Midwest is more than the LHBS still not convinced. That and dry yeast is cheap.

US-05 is a fantastic dry yeast and an overall great yeast. It has a well deserved reputation. If you plan to brew for any length of time you could easily stay with this one yeast and not get bored. And because it is dry it stores very well in the fridge it is ready to go anytime you get the urge to brew.

I guess I should add that if it is fresh, and even if it's old really, your Muntons yeast it will make beer.

Cheers.

 

Muntons yeast is an English yeast strain, not Chico...so it will NOT ferment and have the same profile as 05. I have always found that Muntons under attenuates and leaves a sweeter beer, as well as throwing more traditional English yeast esters compared to the clean/neutral Chico strain of yeast.

 

From the Muntons website:

“Muntons Brewer’s Yeast

Muntons brewer’s yeast has been a popular favourite for many years amongst the homebrew community worldwide, gaining an enviable reputation for its consistent healthy performance, its hardy nature and its clean finish.

Muntons brewer’s yeast is a dried brewer’s yeast that produces a powdery flocculation with an apparent attenuation of 70%. Ideal fermentation temperature is between 64° – 70°F to produce an alcohol tolerance of 8% ABV. It provides low ester formation but with relatively high residual sugar giving good body and mouth feel.”

http://www.muntonshomebrew.com/category/yeasts-and-other-products/

The above description does not read like US-05 to me and the aspect of “relatively high residual sugar giving good body and mouth feel” is not a characteristic that I would want in my homebrewed IPAs.

@Taming_The_Brew I would recommend that you buy some US-05 to brew your batch of IPA.

Cheers!

 

@JackHorzempa , hell, just add extra bittering hops to cover up the sugar, hahahahahah. You can make IPAs with munitions, me and many others have and continue to. And we use other yeasts as well. One of the great things one can do in home brewing.
All the best.

 

Fair enough. I personally prefer for my IPAs to be more attenuated (i.e., have a lower final gravity).

Cheers!

 

I have used Muntons for my stouts with good results.

 

Muntons own Gervin don't they? So they do own a yeast company. Or at least a yeast brand that has a decent history of repackaging other yeasts

That standard muntons yeast doesn't ferment maltotriose (like Windsor or that new ESB yeast that has just come out) so it will finish a bit high for most peoples taste in IPAs as mentioned. It could well be windsor, considering the Gervin ale yeast is the same yeast as Nottingham

Muntons Gold is more neutral than the standard one and ferments lower, more like nottingham/gervin . Again could just be nottingham and rebranded

 

Decades ago when I brewed BSG True Brew kits, they would usually come with Muntons yeast, no matter what style of beer it was. I brewed many of the IPA kits and fermented with Muntons yeast...I didnt think they were too bad, considering they were a kit and who knows how old the ingredients were, but looking back I would have preferred to of had a cleaner yeast personally. I used Muntons yeast for dozens of dark beers and English beer styles around the same time and was very satisfied back then.

It has its downfalls, but its still a good yeast for the right kind of brew.