Yeast use commercially

I have been homebrewing with the Wyeast version of Weihenstephan 34/70 for over 15 years and that strain has never been temperamental or fussy in any of the lagers I have brewed with that strain. Wyeast labels this yeast as 2124 Bohemian Lager.

Cheers!

 

Many of us know you have never had a bad or difficult batch ever. Cheers!

 

Johnno,

Just a point of clarification, I made mention of Wyeast 2124 which is the Bohemian Lager yeast strain. I am personally unfamiliar with the ale yeast blend of 1087-PC.

I have no specific recommendations for selecting specific yeast strains since I am not experienced with brewing in a commercial brewing setup.

I can make a few recommendations to you. Any analysis is dependent upon the assumption made. My suggestions for your presentation start with:

An assumption section where you explicitly detail the assumptions you made for your analysis/assessment. For example, you should detail the assumed brewhouse configuration.

The second section should explicitly detail your evaluation criteria such as:

· Ease of reuse

· The number of times the strain could be reused

· mod-high floc

· mod-attenuation

· mod- temperature range

· etc.

The remainder of your presentation should provide the ‘answers’ of why the yeast strain(s) you selected conform to the assumptions/evaluation criteria.

Best of luck in your assignment.

Cheers!

Jack

P.S. As a homebrewer I use the Chico yeast strain (Fermentis US-05 for me) a lot since it is a good yeast for a broad variety of beer styles and it has a wide recommended fermentation range (59 - 75 degrees F). This strain is also non-fussy which is a plus.

 

Only thing I can find on "Bohemian Ale" is the Bernard 16 degree beer, which is described as a "Belgian Strong Pale Ale."

Any particular reason for using such a seemingly obscure strain?

 

Wyeast 1087 used to be labeled “Ale blend”; no mention of Bohemian. I wonder what prompted them to change the marketing/labeling of this yeast blend?

I did a quick web search but I was unable to locate any information on how many and which ale yeast strains constitute this yeast blend.

Below is a description of this yeast blend; from the verbiage this yeast blend does seem to have a number of positive attributes:

· Quick starts

· ‘Good flavor’ (needless to say buy good flavor is subjective)

· Good flocculation

“1087 Wyeast Ale blend. A blend of the best ale strains to provide quick starts, good flavor and good flocculation. The profile of these strains provides a balanced finish for British and American style ales. Apparent attenuation 71-75%. (64-72º F)”

While I have no experience with this ale blend I do have experience with a lager yeast blend that Wyeast made; Wyeast 2633:

“STRAIN: 2633

Octoberfest Lager Blend™

This blend of lager strains is designed to produce a rich, malty, complex and full bodied Octoberfest style beer. It attenuates well while leaving plenty of malt character and mouthfeel. This blend is low in sulfur production.”

I made my best Oktoberfest beer using Wyeast 2633; that blend produced a complex malt flavor profile that I found to be enticing.

Cheers!

 

Brewing school was the best career move I could have possibly made. Keep up the enthusiasm, be a sponge, and realize that after school there is still a lot to learn and never stop learning and you will be a successful commercial brewer if that is what you desire.

In response to your comments about top cropping vs bottom cropping: Top cropping is only potentially worse for contamination because you have to open the fermentation vessel, or have an open top fermenter. However, with proper yeast handling practices, top cropping should not yield contaminations. Also, a yeast can be top cropping and still be highly flocculent. Wyeast 1318 is a yeast that behaves that way.

As far as equipment goes: My favorite example is open top vessels are typically shallow and so between less hydrostatic pressure and no built up head pressure, the yeast will produce more esters than the same yeast strain would in a CCV. This can be great for some beers, but detrimental to others. I would not try be a German lager brewery and utilize open top fermenters because the esters would be enhanced so much that most people would find the flavors to be inappropriate for those styles. That said, from a personal stand point, I love lagers that come from open fermenters. I also wouldn't try to brew a hefeweizen as a flagship with a CCV, or without a mash tun capable of a stepped infusion.

My biggest take away from brewing school is that fermentation is the most important part of the process and that every step leading up to pitching yeast effects fermentation. From the barley being grown, the malting process, the milling, mashing, lautering, boil, hop additions, pitching rate, temperature, pH, etc. It is all done in a manner consistent with maintaining high quality fermentation in a well run brewery. The whole process is continuous and no step in the process should be thought of as an individual process, but rather you should always keep in mind how each step will effect the next one.

 

CCV = ______ Conical Vessel?

 

Yes, cylindro-conical vessel

 

Thanks! I was thinking closed.

 

Keep repitching a yeast often enough and it will adapt to the brewery. Which is how house strains developed in the past.

 

I was surprised that a highly technical and award winning Brewery in Bavaria like Schönram open ferments. The Helles and Pilsner were very clean. On the tour they talked of removing the Braunhefe during fermentation to achieve a better taste.

 

Jeff, Weedy stated: “I would not try be a German lager brewery and utilize open top fermenters because the esters would be enhanced so much that most people would find the flavors to be inappropriate for those styles.”

Did you perceive elevated levels of esters in the Schönram beers you drank?

Cheers!

 

Not at all. Very clean beers.

 

A couple of points about the fermenters. These were conicals, but they had large opening gambit on the side at the top. The height of the beer would suppress some esters.

Yeast strain would have an influence. They had a room full of tubs with large amounts of harvested yeast, so high pitch rates.

I can't recall the temp, or if they said, but it was cold.

 

Ever had Trumer Pils? I find it very nice, no off flavors. Pictures of their open fermenters.
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