Multiple yeast types per batch

Scorching Sugar · 08-15-2007, 06:30 PM

I brewed a beer with an Wyeast English Ale yeast and a Wyeast Wheat Yeast. It had a distinct flavor, not bad, kinda liked it. Anybody else here tried mixing yeast types in single batches and what were the results? What were the best combinations?

**Bobby_M** · 08-15-2007, 07:36 PM

This totally goes against the idea of repeatability. You have no idea which became the dominant strain. You'd be better off splitting the batch, letting them each ferment out and age, then combine the beer.

**Orfy** · 08-15-2007, 07:38 PM

Interested to know why you did it or why you thought it would be a good idea.
I don't know of any other brewer who thought it would be a good idea.

Scorching Sugar · 08-15-2007, 08:08 PM

My neighbor and I were going to brew a Paulaner Heffy (extract w/ grains) clone from a recipe, but he accidently purchased regular light pale malt instead of wheat malt. The brew store was closed and we had already started the process.

This was one of our first beers and didn't know if the wheat yeast would ferment in a non wheat malted beer. So, we threw in both the ale and the wheat yeast.

Since, we have discovered that the malt type doesn't matter to the yeast.

It tasted more like a sweet wheat beer than an ale though.

Since, I have also brewed with White labs blended yeasts.

So you're telling me that Blended yeast are engineered in some way as to design a yeast mixture where one strain doesn't out compete the other? Does/Will only one strain convert the sugars?

caskconditioned · 08-15-2007, 08:26 PM

Checkout the latest pod cast on thebrewingnetwork.com (click on archives) -- Chris White discusses blending multiple yeasts.

**Bobby_M** · 08-15-2007, 08:31 PM

Ok, so maybe there's a real point to it all but most of us find dealing with a single strain enough varience from batch to batch. As a beginner, there are a million other basic methods to get right before experimenting. Then there's the cost of two viles, packs, whichever.

Willie3 · 08-15-2007, 08:40 PM

But that is creativity. Think outside the yeast cell Man!

Wonder what 3 different strains would do... or more...

Hey don't Belgian brews use more than one strain of yeast for Lambic?....

- WW

Scorching Sugar · 08-15-2007, 09:01 PM

I've pretty much resigned myself to never brewing the exact same beer twice. Just too many variables for me to control. I haven't even really given it that much effort either. Besides, who was it that sang: "If memories were all I brewed, I'd rather drive a truck...but it's all right now..."

**BierMuncher** · 08-15-2007, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scorching Sugar

I've pretty much resigned myself to never brewing the exact same beer twice. Just too many variables for me to control. I haven't even really given it that much effort either. Besides, who was it that sang: "If memories were all I brewed, I'd rather drive a truck...but it's all right now..."

Okay "Rickie".

As long as you enjoyed the beer, who cares?

At the very least though, you ought to take good notes cuz one of these times, you're gonna tap into the best beer you ever made (by accident) and you'll never remember what concoction you used.

**david_42** · 08-15-2007, 11:38 PM

There are several yeast mixes available. Wyeast Octoberfest 2633, WLP060 and 080 are blends.

Some times I'll put champaign yeast in with an ale yeast for a higher gravity batch. Champaign yeast is a slow starter, so all it does is dry the batch out. Did one other experiment and seemed to hit a combination that clumped and dropped out without fermenting at all! Can't remember which two though. One of the techs from Wyeast told me some yeasts have negative surface charges and some have positive charges. Combining them makes for rapid clumping. He added that you can use this property to stop a ferment, but the timing is tricky.