Thoughts on Blonde Ale

[Rob2010SS]

Ended up deciding to go with either WY1098 or OYL 006, whichever my shop has 4 packs of. We'll ferment low to keep the profile clean.

Thanks for all the feedback. Appreciate it.

 

[duncan_disorderly]

I read a lot of posts in which people express the need to keep temperatures down to make sure you keep the yeast profile clean. What I don't really understand is why you would buy an English yeast that has been selected for many years for its character and then seek to suppress that character? Why not use a clean yeast that does that anyway? I'm English, in England, and I don't tend to see brewers saying the same things on UK brewing forums. It's more about choosing a yeast that provides what you want, than a temperature to do that, and, with English yeasts, finding the temperature that expresses the yeast character. Although, of course, breweries will use the same strain to produce different results in different beers by varying temperature. I'm also aware that Chico and other relatively neutral strains have proliferated in America, it just a lot if people seem to use characterful strains but then aim for a Chico kind of result?

But I could be misunderstanding, and I'd like to be clear about why people do this.

 

[Miraculix]

I read a lot of posts in which people express the need to keep temperatures down to make sure you keep the yeast profile clean. What I don't really understand is why you would buy an English yeast that has been selected for many years for its character and then seek to suppress that character? Why not use a clean yeast that does that anyway? I'm English, in England, and I don't tend to see brewers saying the same things on UK brewing forums. It's more about choosing a yeast that provides what you want, than a temperature to do that, and, with English yeasts, finding the temperature that expresses the yeast character. Although, of course, breweries will use the same strain to produce different results in different beers by varying temperature. I'm also aware that Chico and other relatively neutral strains have proliferated in America, it just a lot if people seem to use characterful strains but then aim for a Chico kind of result?

But I could be misunderstanding, and I'd like to be clear about why people do this.

I also don't get it...

 

[couchsending]

Some English strains can produce rather “unwanted” character at elevated temps where as others produce pleasant or complimentary character. 1968/002 especially can produce some weird higher alcohols at even 67 and S04 can get really lactic even above 64. They either need a bit of pressure to reduce the unwanted aspects of a warmer ferment or be kept cold for the first few days.

 

[Miraculix]

Some English strains can produce rather “unwanted” character at elevated temps where as others produce pleasant or complimentary character. 1968/002 especially can produce some weird higher alcohols at even 67 and S04 can get really lactic even above 64. They either need a bit of pressure to reduce the unwanted aspects of a warmer ferment or be kept cold for the first few days.

002 is really a bastard at elevated temperatures. I produced with it the most headache inducing beer I had the pleasure to throw away.

However, the question was not about unwanted flavours or byproducts but why not choose a clean yeast if anyway aiming for a low temperature to "keep the beer as clean as possible"?

 

[couchsending]

002 is really a bastard at elevated temperatures. I produced with it the most headache inducing beer I had the pleasure to throw away.

However, the question was not about unwanted flavours or byproducts but why not choose a clean yeast if anyway aiming for a low temperature to "keep the beer as clean as possible"?

I think it was more to replicate a certain breweries profile. 002/1968 is the closest commercial yeast available to what FW uses. Commercial breweries use a similar yeast because it ferments so fast and floccs so well. Wouldn’t surprise me if 805 is done fermenting in under 2 days in the brewery. Faster you can turn beer, the more money you can make. Chico would add at least 2-3 days to this beer and that’s a ton of money when this beer is 75% of your production at 500,000 bbls. Plus a temp or pressure suppressed 1968/002 fermentation is nothing like a clean Chico ferment. Still way more character IMHO out if the English strain

 

[Rob2010SS]

Brewed this yesterday and pitched OYL 006. Thanks for the insight here. Appreciate it. We'll see how it comes out in a couple of weeks.