Yeast for "dry" finish

[Stevesmirk]

When I brew, I try to replicate commercial beers that I like. Using recipes published online and in magazines, I tend to get very close, but with pale ales and IPAs, I have had the same problem for the past 7 years of brewing. The best I can describe it is that the commercial beers have a drier finish to it. Typically, I am using WLP001 or Wyeast 1056. I have attempted to lower the mash temp to get the drier finish, but that has not been working for me. Someone suggested using WLP090 Sand Diego Super, which I will try next. I ferment at 68 for at least 30 days, then cold crash before transferring to secondary for dry hopping, the cold crash again before legging and force carbing.

Anyone have any other bright ideas I can try? I have searched the forum, but did not find much else to try.

 

[PosterGuy]

As long as your starting gravity isn't extremely high most any ale yeast should be able to ferment to dryness.

You might look at unfermentable sugars in your recipes.
Using a lot of crystal or caramel malts will leave you with more residual sweetness and fuller body that won't ferment out using normal brewing yeasts.

 

[brew_ny]

if it is all grain mashing at a lower temperature will help to dry it out

 

[Yooper]

Some yeast strains do make a "dry" finish compared to others. One I love is Wyeast 1335. Here's the description from Wyeast:

YEAST STRAIN: 1335 | British Ale II™

A classic British ale profile with good flocculation and malty flavor characteristics. It will finish crisp, clean and fairly dry.

Origin:
Flocculation: high
Attenuation: 73-76%
Temperature Range: 63-75° F (17-24° C)
Alcohol Tolerance: approximately 10% ABV

 

[paperairplane]

Add some dextrose or honey - I add about a pound to PA / IPA for this specific reason.

 

[uncleleon]

Like jamil always says you may need to add some simple sugar to get the dryness you want if you are not all grain

 

[dlester]

It's difficult to get below 1.01. However, that's pretty dry. Try mashing at 145° for 90 to 120 minutes. Then, make sure you have a lot of yeast. If you use 1 tube, use two plus 2000ML of starter. That will dry the heck out of it. Your grain bill should be very simple with base grains only. The previous poster stated that you should consider removing crystal malts, which is correct. Crystal malts don't have fermentable sugars, so you get a bunch of malt syrup that makes it super sugary, which is the opposite of dry. Add some simple sugars near the end of fermentation as part of the grain bill. And, make your starting gravity around 1.055-1.060 at most. I promise you will get a dry beer.

Cheers,

 

[skw]

For what it's worth, Danstar Nottingham yeast made some dry beers for me.

 

[afr0byte]

I think you're likely missing the high sulfate levels that many breweries use for their pale ales / IPAs. That definitely lends a dryer perception to a beer. However, you haven't given details on typical fgs on these beers either.

 

[Stevesmirk]

I think you might be onto something with the sulfate levels. More info from my latest batch:
OG: 1.078
FG: 1.008

5 gallon batch with 11.5 lbs 2 row, .86 lb dextrine, .28 crystal 40L

Can you point me in the right direction for controlling sulfate levels?
Thanks!!

 

[afr0byte]

I think you might be onto something with the sulfate levels. More info from my latest batch:
OG: 1.078
FG: 1.008

5 gallon batch with 11.5 lbs 2 row, .86 lb dextrine, .28 crystal 40L

Can you point me in the right direction for controlling sulfate levels?
Thanks!!

That dextrine malt is going to fight the feeling of dryness a bit. You might consider replacing it with vienna or munich or something similar. But, anyways, ideally you'd know your starting water profile before adding sulfate (so that the beer doesn't get too mineral tasting), but basically the idea is that you add gypsum to get up 150-300 ppm sulfate (and usually about 75-125 ppm calcium). A spreadsheet like Bru'n Water will tell you, given a starting water profile, what x grams/gal of gypsum (calcium sulfate) will add to your water.

 

[chickypad]

I think you might be onto something with the sulfate levels. More info from my latest batch:
OG: 1.078
FG: 1.008

Yeah I don't think attenuation is your problem. Doesn't seem to be the recipe either with just 2% crystal so I think water is a good bet if it's that sharp bitterness you are lacking. Check out the brewing science forum for more water info. You'll want to start with a water report.

Edit: after reading simultaneous post I realized that is dextrine malt, I read as dextrose. I agree you don't need that. Still with that FG it should be plenty dry.

 

[F_R_O_G]

I mostly make high gravity beers and used to have problems with the beer being to sweet. to fix this i raise the temp near the end of fermentation, about 4-6 days in, to get a few points lower, ie dryer. you can raise the temp to 78deg after the first 3 days without having any significant flavor profile change. (per "Yeast" book)

1.008 is dry. I'm wondering if you have more of a hop flavor problem than a dryness problem though. hopefully someone else can tell if this is the case. (i don't know much about hops)

 

[kingwood-kid]

If you're judging how dry a beer should taste just by looking at the FG, you're on the wrong path. A ber that goes from 1.045 to 1.008 is dry; a beer that goes from 1.078 to 1.008 much less so, even if its attenuation level is much higher. A lot of small beers will taste watery, because there are very few residual sugars left, whereas big beers with the same final gravity will seem thicker.

 

[afr0byte]

If you're judging how dry a beer should taste just by looking at the FG, you're on the wrong path. A ber that goes from 1.045 to 1.008 is dry; a beer that goes from 1.078 to 1.008 much less so, even if its attenuation level is much higher. A lot of small beers will taste watery, because there are very few residual sugars left, whereas big beers with the same final gravity will seem thicker.

Presumbly he is comparing them to similar commercial beers, though...presumably similar in OG, FG, etc

 

[riderkb]

You might try measuring the SG of some comercial beers you like. I have figured out that there is a lot more to the equation than just FG when it comes to "dryness." As others have said, your beer at 1.008 is bone dry, especially considering the OG.

 

[grathan]

controlling sulfate levels? you have to know how much sulfate is in your water to begin with...


What are some dry beers you've had? You mean like Bud Dry, or Mich Lite?

I'd also suggest trying new yeast strains. wyeast 1098, 1099, 2565, 2124, nottingham

 

[afr0byte]

controlling sulfate levels? you have to know how much sulfate is in your water to begin with...


What are some dry beers you've had? You mean like Bud Dry, or Mich Lite?

I'd also suggest trying new yeast strains. wyeast 1098, 1099, 2565, 2124, nottingham

I imagine at least one of the dry commercial examples used wlp001, so I doubt that's the issue, but I suppose it can't hurt. And, as far as sulfate, well ideally they'd have a water report, but they could easily add some some gypsum without much worry.

 

[philosofool]

I would look to your fermentation control and pitch rates before switching yeasts. WLP001 is dry. Others are also right about crystal and dextrine malts. Dextrin malts are designed to add dextrins, which will taste just a little sweet when they hit your tongue, because there are enzymes in saliva that break them down into sugars.

For what it's worth, I think sucrose mostly dries the beer when you replace some malt with sugar to get your gravity, not when you just add some sucrose to an already sweet(ish) recipe.