Yeast Recommendations for IPA

Grains
5 lbs 8 oz of Extra Light DME.
8 oz Caramel 40
8 oz Caramel 80

Hops
1 oz Cascade at 75
1 oz Cascade at 60
1 oz Cascade at 20

1 Dry Hop

I really want the cascade and the malt to feature in this brew. I've looked around at the usual suspects, but can anyone recommend a yeast that will work with this recipe AND ferment cleanly at temps above 70?

Thanks in advance

For above 70? Notty

Temps above 70 is tough for most strains - you'll likely get some fruity esthers...

You really can't go wrong with Safale 05 or WLP001 for Pale Ales/IPAs- they are both super clean so won't provide much yeast taste to your beers, letting the hops and malts really shine through. I've also used WLP051 for IPAs with some minor success - this might be a decent alternative for you if you have to be above 70 since it provides some fruity esthers on it's own. But watch out for the sulfuric onslaught from your airlock! :cross:

That being said, they are all mostly recommended at ferm temps in the mid-60s.

I have used WLP002 in several IPA's with great results. It tends to leave a bit of sweatness but finishes nice and clear. My only concern would be the temps. It might leave a bit of fruity esters if your above 70, which is fine if you like that. I usually ferment at 65 with this yeast. WLP001 is another good one which will leave you with a more dry beer than the 002. I might give the 001 a try since you have a good amount of caramel in there for sweetness already.

I would not use Notty, S-04, or S-05 if you can't maintain a ferment below 70, especially with the first two.

Aside, I recently used 1332 Northwest in an IPA and really liked it. It seemed to give much more malt emphasis than some strains like 1272 or 1056. I fermented it right at 68F.

-1 to WLP002. I used it recently in an ESB, and the temperature got away from me (72-73). It developed some really fruity esters (halfway to a German hefeweizen). It is a great yeast, but it will have some (English-appropriate) fruitiness even if you can keep it under 70.

bierhaus15 said:

I would not use Notty, S-04, or S-05 if you can't maintain a ferment below 70, especially with the first two.

Aside, I recently used 1332 Northwest in an IPA and really liked it. It seemed to give much more malt emphasis than some strains like 1272 or 1056. I fermented it right at 68F.

Click to expand...

I agree. If you go above 70 degrees or so, notty gets funky. At 72 degrees, it can get rather foul. S04 will get very estery above 72 degrees.

If you must ferment too warm, Northwest ale yeast (I forgot the number) is fine up to about 74 degrees.

I don't like the hopping in this IPA recipe, but that wasn't the question. I'd definitely NOT hop at 75 and 60 minutes, but instead choose one of those additions and move it to flame out or 5 minutes. That's too many bittering hops, while too few flavor hops and no aroma hops. I'd go with:

60 minutes (bittering)
15 minutes
5 minutes
0 minutes
Dryhop

Maybe that new San Diego yeast from white labs?

Yooper said:

I agree. If you go above 70 degrees or so, notty gets funky. At 72 degrees, it can get rather foul. S04 will get very estery above 72 degrees.

If you must ferment too warm, Northwest ale yeast (I forgot the number) is fine up to about 74 degrees.

I don't like the hopping in this IPA recipe, but that wasn't the question. I'd definitely NOT hop at 75 and 60 minutes, but instead choose one of those additions and move it to flame out or 5 minutes. That's too many bittering hops, while too few flavor hops and no aroma hops. I'd go with:

60 minutes (bittering)
15 minutes
5 minutes
0 minutes
Dryhop

Click to expand...

+1 on the hop schedule! You want that aroma/flavor. Go with something higher in AA for your first addition and hit it with all the rest within 15min from the end + dry hop.

I used 1056 for my recent IPA and it fermented around 69-70. No issues.

Cooler fermentation will reward you. Find a way to get the temp down, wet tshirt, ice water bath, etc, AND follow Yoopers advice on the hop schedule! I'd go 1/2 ounce magnum for 60 minutes bittering followed by the other additions of Cascade as outlined for your flavor and aroma if you want to centre around Cascade.

Yooper has a good point. Your hop schedule would be fine for an Extra Special Bitter, though.