What makes this yeast for a lager and this one for an ale?

[Dodgertown]

Just curious why one yeast if for different beers thats all. Can I mix and match them? I bought Munich yeast and i'm making an ale, a Steam ale, and after doing some research I see Munich is best served for Lagers, just curious why?

 

[Alehouserock]

Just curious why one yeast if for different beers thats all. Can I mix and match them? I bought Munich yeast and i'm making an ale, a Steam ale, and after doing some research I see Munich is best served for Lagers, just curious why?

Fermentation temps are the differences between ale and lager yeasts.

Lager yeast will also make a beer taste more clean and crisp where ale yeasts will make the beer taste sweeter and more fruity.



A Steam ale? I thought a steam beer was a California Common that uses a higher temp fermenting lager yeast.

 

[Dodgertown]

It's a recipie from a kit beer that i've made a bunch of times with slight variations. So do you think that the Munich yeast will work well in this case? High temp? I've usually just left it in my bathroom.

 

[Alehouserock]

It's a recipie from a kit beer that i've made a bunch of times with slight variations. So do you think that the Munich yeast will work well in this case? High temp? I've usually just left it in my bathroom.

The Munich yeast is going to want to ferment below 55 degrees.

 

[KevinM]

Fermentation temperatures is really it from what I've been seeing (not touching that top/bottom confusion). Lager yeasts were essentially bred to deal with the lower temperature to ferment in. That and the cleaner, less fruity tastes. I think there's something about some off-estery flavors when lager yeasts are fermented at higher temperatures. (I wasn't supposed to get the bubblegum flavors when I used a lager yeast, but because I fermented at 68 degrees, I did).
I didn't really realize it was a lager yeast at the time (despite the package saying so) but now, I'm looking to do a real lager with the same yeast when I can get the yeast again.

see http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter10.html

 

[McGarnigle]

I'm pretty sure you can get away with the Munich lager yeast at room temp. It won't be as clean as a real lager, but you said you wanted to brew a steam beer anyway, which is a beer with lager yeast used at or near room temp.

 

[KevinM]

Is that what that is? Mine was drinkable, even good, just something I know better to try and compare with than when I first did it.

 

[Dodgertown]

Hmmm, yeah, my basement is about 62-65, maybe colder this coming week though.

Would you suggest something else for a steam ale? I don't want to get away with anything, yet.

 

[Alehouserock]

Hmmm, yeah, my basement is about 62-65, maybe colder this coming week though.


Would you suggest something else for a steam ale? I don't want to get away with anything, yet.

Steam Ales usually use San Francisco Lager (the White Labs yeast name for it). It's a strain that works great between 60 and 66 degrees


I am making one right now in my bathtub

 

[Dodgertown]

Sweet. Ima look into it right now.

 

[DeafSmith]

Using lager yeast at ale temperatures is characteristic of Steam Beer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_beer

 

[SumnerH]

Using lager yeast at ale temperatures is characteristic of Steam Beer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_beer

That's traditionally true, though modern steam bears usually use a lager yeast that's been selected for many decades to perform better at higher temperatures (e.g. the Wyeast California Lager yeast or the White Labs equivalent, both cultivated from the Anchor Steam yeast).