Recent similar experience. Pitched s23 around 58 fermented around 60-62 for 7 days then up to 67 for 5 days. When sampling at keging it was a fruit basket. It anticipated dumping it but decided to give a little time. 5 weeks later it wasn’t bad still had a very slight fruit taste I could sometimes detect & sometimes not. Lesson learned I guess but I didn’t have to dump it I could tolerate it ok. It actually isn’t bad just not what I was after.Just adding a data point here since I tasted my new Pilsner today: Pitched 0.6g/L of S-23 at 60F, and raised to 63F after 5 days. Both aroma and flavor is pear cider. I have fermented S-23 cleanly before, but that beer did age for quite some time. I will probably need to let this one sit another month or two. I realize my pitching rate is low and that likely contributed. I just didn't realize how estery S-23 could be until now.
S-23 Time and Temp
- Thread starter bracconiere
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This is good to hear. I brewed a Marzen and pitched it onto the S-23 yeast cake from the Pilsner. Fermented at 54F and raised to 60F after 5 days. It will be interesting to see if it comes out significantly cleaner.
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Well, be aware it won't be as clean as, f. ex., M76 or Diamond, even if fermented cool.
That's why I use S-23 only in those styles where a slight ester whiff is expected to be present (in Austrian, Polish and Bohemian Lagers, never in German or Scandinavian).
At those temperatures that you refer I was getting beers very pleasant and spot on the style (actually, the Wiener Lager I made last year with S-23 turned out the best one of circa 270 batches I've ever brewed). A bit of fruity esters was obviously present but not excessive, intrusive or overwhelming.
For Märzen, me personally would choose a Bavarian, not a Bohemian strain, as historicaly Märzen is, so to speak, a "Bavarian beer with an Austro-Hungarian grist", unlike the rest of Bavarian beers, that were either dark (Dunkel) or pale (Helles). Anyway, S-23 is a great choise for the style as well.
That's why I use S-23 only in those styles where a slight ester whiff is expected to be present (in Austrian, Polish and Bohemian Lagers, never in German or Scandinavian).
At those temperatures that you refer I was getting beers very pleasant and spot on the style (actually, the Wiener Lager I made last year with S-23 turned out the best one of circa 270 batches I've ever brewed). A bit of fruity esters was obviously present but not excessive, intrusive or overwhelming.
For Märzen, me personally would choose a Bavarian, not a Bohemian strain, as historicaly Märzen is, so to speak, a "Bavarian beer with an Austro-Hungarian grist", unlike the rest of Bavarian beers, that were either dark (Dunkel) or pale (Helles). Anyway, S-23 is a great choise for the style as well.
Recap on my data points now that the Marzen is drinkable:
* Pilsner pitched with 0.6g/L of S-23 at 60F. Raised to 63F after 5 days = Pear cider in both aroma and flavor.
* Marzen pitched onto the Pilsner's yeast cake at 54F. Raised to 60F after 5 days = Mostly clean. Very subtle strawberry/cherry flavor that I can only really detect when the carbonation is allowed to go flat, but its possible this was a factor from the Munich malt (100% of the grist). No fruitiness in aroma.
In summary: Pitch a lot of healthy yeast and ferment in the low to mid 50s unless you want lots of fruitiness with S-23.
* Pilsner pitched with 0.6g/L of S-23 at 60F. Raised to 63F after 5 days = Pear cider in both aroma and flavor.
* Marzen pitched onto the Pilsner's yeast cake at 54F. Raised to 60F after 5 days = Mostly clean. Very subtle strawberry/cherry flavor that I can only really detect when the carbonation is allowed to go flat, but its possible this was a factor from the Munich malt (100% of the grist). No fruitiness in aroma.
In summary: Pitch a lot of healthy yeast and ferment in the low to mid 50s unless you want lots of fruitiness with S-23.
I enjoyed my S-23 Czech Dark this evening on its own. Turns out that last month when I did a side by side tasting vs. WLP833, I much preferred the S-23. I'll do another side by side one of these days in the next few weeks now that the WLP833 has had more time to mellow out (I think it was a little sulfury last time).
