Mangrove Jack's Belgian Yeast

[BennyDarko]

I'm brewing a saison with Mangrove Jack's M27 Belgian Ale Yeast right now and I'm hoping someone else has some experience with this yeast who can help me out.

1) According to the manufacturer, this yeast's ideal temp is 79-90F... Holy **** that's high. Should I really turn it up that hot?

2) On Mangrove Jack's website it says, "As a result of the drying process, Mangrove Jack’s dried yeasts are not suitable for harvesting and/or repitching. For best results, always use a fresh sachet of yeast with every brew"
This sets of my bull**** alarm. Is there any truth to this or are they just trying to get me to buy more yeast?

Thanks all

 

[USAFSooner]

If you want that characteristic Belgian Funk and dont want it to stall out then yes you want it in the 80's.

 

[crusader1612]

I'm brewing a saison with Mangrove Jack's M27 Belgian Ale Yeast right now and I'm hoping someone else has some experience with this yeast who can help me out.

1) According to the manufacturer, this yeast's ideal temp is 79-90F... Holy **** that's high. Should I really turn it up that hot?

2) On Mangrove Jack's website it says, "As a result of the drying process, Mangrove Jack’s dried yeasts are not suitable for harvesting and/or repitching. For best results, always use a fresh sachet of yeast with every brew"
This sets of my bull**** alarm. Is there any truth to this or are they just trying to get me to buy more yeast?

Thanks all

1- It is high , but belgian yeast tend to enjoy warmer weather.... I reckon it'd be ok at a couple of degrees lower.
2-Check this out in regards to the re-pitching answers from Mangrove themselves....
http://www.forum.realbeer.co.nz/for...-craft-yeast?commentId=1500433:Comment:177473

 

[sweetcell]

2-Check this out in regards to the re-pitching answers from Mangrove themselves....
http://www.forum.realbeer.co.nz/for...-craft-yeast?commentId=1500433:Comment:177473

that link didn't work for me, but a few pages later i came across this from the MJ rep:

"In terms of re-pitching the yeast. The reason it says not suitable for re-pitching is the changes in the flavour profile when you do so (over our 4 years of testing it was found the profiles change over generations of the yeast). It is not to say that you can not re-pitch, just that if you wanted a consistant yeast character then use a new one each time."

well all yeasts change with generations, i seriously doubt theirs is special and changes more than any other yeast. so yeah, i call BS. if you take their position you should never repitch yeast. that is a rather convenient position to take if you're a yeast manufacturer.

 

[crusader1612]

that link didn't work for me, but a few pages later i came across this from the MJ rep:

"In terms of re-pitching the yeast. The reason it says not suitable for re-pitching is the changes in the flavour profile when you do so (over our 4 years of testing it was found the profiles change over generations of the yeast). It is not to say that you can not re-pitch, just that if you wanted a consistant yeast character then use a new one each time."

well all yeasts change with generations, i seriously doubt theirs is special and changes more than any other yeast. so yeah, i call BS. if you take their position you should never repitch yeast. that is a rather convenient position to take if you're a yeast manufacturer.

Exactly.

 

[rockjetty]

Any follow-ups on the finished products here?

I just brewed a Leffe Brune clone with the Mangrove Jack's Belgian. Temp controlled ferment 10 days on the cake @ 82F & now racked to secondary for the next two months.

I was a little surprised that it attenuated right down to 1.002 -- I've never had a beer attenuate like this! Tasted like it needed time to age, but hopefully will still have a bit of character instead of heavy alcohol.

 

[montclair-nj-southsider]

I had bad luck with the yeast in discussion. In short, partial fermentation which repitching with another yeast couldn't attenuate down.

Oh well. I suggest Danstar Belle Saison.

 

[rockjetty]

I had bad luck with the yeast in discussion. In short, partial fermentation which repitching with another yeast couldn't attenuate down.

Oh well. I suggest Danstar Belle Saison.

Strange -- what were your gravities & what was the second yeast? All grain or extracts? That is pretty much the opposite problem to what I found... What temp were you fermenting at?

 

[crusader1612]

I had bad luck with the yeast in discussion. In short, partial fermentation which repitching with another yeast couldn't attenuate down.



Oh well. I suggest Danstar Belle Saison.

If not further attenuation occurred there can't have been sugar left to eat. That yeast is more monster-ish than 3711
My mate fermented a dubbel to 0.999 crazy stuff.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[montclair-nj-southsider]

It was the swamp cooler technique that dropped the temperature too much and put off the fermentation.

I wish I had not used that cooling technique. It would have fermented just fine even if it were a few degrees over recommend temp.



Moving on to plan B I will rack this incomplete wirt onto a double wlp500 yeast cake when its ready. My stuck batch is currently at 1.020 targeting 1.013

 

[jerryblack]

I use that yeast alot , but be careful don't use it under 78 f. doesn't work well .

 

[HailSagan666]

I use that yeast alot , but be careful don't use it under 78 f. doesn't work well .

At what temp did you pitch the yeast at? Just curious as my first run at a Saison is approaching. High temps won't be an issue for me, just curious as to what you started the pitch at.

 

[rockjetty]

At what temp did you pitch the yeast at? Just curious as my first run at a Saison is approaching. High temps won't be an issue for me, just curious as to what you started the pitch at.

From my Leffe Brune clone experience using this yeast, not being satisfied with the results and then researching alternative approaches: the optimal approach is to increase temp from 65 to 80F over the first week in primary (if you have a temp controlled ferm chamber). I hit mine at 82F and held it there for 10 days; it burned through all of the sugar in less than 2 days. The finished product did not have a lot of body or character. Fairly disappointing, but drinkable...

 

[Jonas217]

I pitched at 65 and held it there for 24 hours. Then I let it rise to 83 over the next 24 hours and kept it there for 7 days. The beer finished at 1.001 with a lot of fruitiness and some spiciness. It reminded me a lot of WYeast 3711, I think this yeast may need a rapid rise in temp early on to get more fruitiness.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

I have been using this exclusively for my Saisons as I cannot get viable liquid yeast where I live. The other advantage is that I can leave a batch on my back porch in the shade and not worry about temperatures. My ambient temps are at 78F - 90F for 10 months out of the year.

My last 2 batches using M27 was an English Barleywine 1.090SG, 1010FG @ 21 days and a Belgian IPA 1.077SG, 1.004FG @ 21 days. Both batches were pitched with 2 sachets after rehydrating and adding some wort to the starter before pitching @84F. Daily temps ranged from 78F to 88F.

I am firm believer in this yeast. My only complaint is the yeast cake is so wispy that you cannot harvest it. Other than that I really like what it produces.

 

[vwmasstransit]

I just brewed my fist Belgian pale ale with this 2 weeks ago. Going to take an FG reading tomorrow and see if it finished. The airlock activity and krausen was amazing!

 

[vwmasstransit]

i let mine ferment around 85* for 2 weeks in the garage, then bottle condition around 85* for 2-3 weeks before I chilled it. FG was 1.003 and the flavor is awesome. Its very smooth with a spicy taste and not very flowery to me. it turned out like one would want a Belgian Pale to be.

 

[JoeSpartaNJ]

I brewed an Belgian Pale Ale with this yeast last sunday. I sachet dry pitch into wort. My blow off was bubbling within 3 hours. I've never had a batch take of that quickly.

I decided to ferment this in my garage as it is the warmest place at the house. with the current temps in the 90's, my garage has been around 85.

Should I let this ride at these warm temps or should I bring it inside one active primary fermentation stops and cool down before I keg 2 weeks from now? I do not usually cold crash, but I do not usually ferment this high either.

 

[AnthonyUK]

I use this yeast quite often. I ferment this yeast at normal ale temps of 18°c and let it rise towards the end of fermentation but never to more then 24°c. It has always fully attenuated and I really like the flavour profile at these temps.
I tend to use simple grain bills and mash high at 67-68°c to counteract the yeasts tendency to attenuate into low single digits.

 

[HB_in_Subic]

I brewed an Belgian Pale Ale with this yeast last sunday. I sachet dry pitch into wort. My blow off was bubbling within 3 hours. I've never had a batch take of that quickly.

I decided to ferment this in my garage as it is the warmest place at the house. with the current temps in the 90's, my garage has been around 85.

Should I let this ride at these warm temps or should I bring it inside one active primary fermentation stops and cool down before I keg 2 weeks from now? I do not usually cold crash, but I do not usually ferment this high either.

I would let it ride. My barleywine sat for 6 weeks at 88-90F without ill effect. This yeast is awesome.

 

[JoeSpartaNJ]

Excellent

 

[vwmasstransit]

I brewed an Belgian Pale Ale with this yeast last sunday. I sachet dry pitch into wort. My blow off was bubbling within 3 hours. I've never had a batch take of that quickly.



I decided to ferment this in my garage as it is the warmest place at the house. with the current temps in the 90's, my garage has been around 85.



Should I let this ride at these warm temps or should I bring it inside one active primary fermentation stops and cool down before I keg 2 weeks from now? I do not usually cold crash, but I do not usually ferment this high either.

How did it turn out?

 

[JoeSpartaNJ]

How did it turn out?

Good so far. I tried it at 2 weeks and it tasted awesome. Went from 1.054 to 1.006, A little green, but funky as you would expect from fermenting that high.

I literally just walked in the door from being on vacation for a week and plan on kegging tomorrow.

 

[JoeSpartaNJ]

Good so far. I tried it at 2 weeks and it tasted awesome. Went from 1.054 to 1.006, A little green, but funky as you would expect from fermenting that high.

I literally just walked in the door from being on vacation for a week and plan on kegging tomorrow.

UPDATE: This is exactly what I was looking for, except for the 6.8% abv.

I was a little worried. Fermentor sample was promising. First keg test after carbing for 2 days was kind of....meh. I thought it was missing something. Now on carb for about a week and it's spot on and full of flavor.

Definitely give this yeast a shot.

 

[rlemkin]

I've used this yeast a couple of times now for Quad and a Wit.

As others have said this yeast attenuates like a monster . My quad went from 1.074 to 1.001 (mashed at 151f/66c) and the wit (mashed at 156f/69c ) from 1.049 down to 1.005. I've had no troubles with stalling and I ferment it quite cool at around 68. All in all it's quite a pleasant yeast and at this temperature is clean and with a wee bit of spice.

All I would say is mash high if you're using this yeast.

Looking forward to the two new MJ Belgian strains that are on the way.