You experience is unusual, and even with champagne yeast the beer shouldn't have fermented that low. If you didn't have that experience, I'd say it's not possible. Unless you used simple sugars, which will easily go to .990.
I used no simple sugars like glucose or sucrose. All malt extract with specialty grains for flavors. Back then all grain brewing in the home was in it's infancy. People did it, but the techniques were mysterious.
The champagne yeast ate ALL the carbs turning them to alcohol leaving very little flavor and a very very dry product. The "ale" yeast did not do this. There is a difference. If different yeasts yield a different flavor in beers, they will do the same for the vinegars. The flavors will carry thru.
In any case, ANY wine/ale yeast, even bread yeast, will easily go to 9+%. So your idea of finding an less attenuative (not aggresssive) yeast strain will not work. Starting with a lower OG WILL work.
For example, if you start at 1.040, no matter what happens and how "aggressive" the yeast is, it's not possible to go below .990. Then, it's finished and you can add your aceterobacteri. If you start at 1.100, it'll still probably go to .990. So, if you start lower at the beginning, you issue isn't an issue at all.
Simple sugars will completely ferment, that's just the way it is. So, if you add less simple sugars in the beginning, there is less alcohol to be converted to vinegar meaning a less acidic vinegar.
@Yooper I think you misunderstand my question. While I have less actual brewing experience than 99% of the members of this board, I am completely aware all simple sugars will be consumed. I understand the process of making the alcohol quite well.
Further, I do not know the genesis of the idea I needed help on making a low acid vinegar. Of course my product will be made with controlled gravities/alcohol contents and therefore acid levels that provide the best flavor profile for that product. I am not trying to necessarily attenuate the acid content, I am trying to MAXIMIZE the flavor aside from the acid.
To this end, what I am trying to locate is a yeast that will ONLY utilize simple sugars and leave the complex sugars and other carbohydrates alone. These will persist into my vinegars and provide flavors not present in production vinegars.
Just as Stouts taste different than Weissbiers, than Coors, than..... , so will the vinegars made from these products taste different. But they'd all be 'malt vinegars'.
Thus my question was and still remains, which yeasts are least aggressive? Which ones will not eat the more complex sugars and carbs!?!!?!!
shoutouts to ShakerD and harrydrez!
you guys have given me a place to start.
@Yooper, clearly once I have found my favorite yeast for a given fermentable, then I will have to work with various gravities until I get a final product that pleases me. Thanks for taking the time to try to help out. I do sincerely appreciate it.
