Yeast for Grapefruit IPA

[royger]

Hello,

I'm planning on brewing a Grapefruit IPA next weekend and I'm unsure about what yeast to use. I originally planned to use Lallemand BRY-97, but I've read that it can mute hop flavours. The recipe is quite simple, a grain bill of Maris Otter plus a bit of Caramalt for color and body. On the hop side I was planning to use a single addition of Chinook at 60" for bittering following with a whirlpool and dry hop with Chinook and Mandarina Bavaria. I will add the Grapefruit flavour with a zest tincture when kegging. I have the following options with yeast:

* Lallemand BRY-97
* Lallemand Voss Kveik
* Lallemand Verdant IPA
* Lallemand New England
* Safale US-05

Thanks for any feedback!

 

[hotbeer]

I've brewed two batches of IPA that I used grapefruit juice and zest in the last moments of boil. I liked them. However I also made an IPA with no grapefruit and it had an even better grapefruit flavor.

I think the key is in your hops more than anything. Simcoe and Chinook being two of the three I used in the batch that tasted like the grapefruit flavor I wanted without any grapefruit. Ahtanum was my other hop, but mostly for bittering.

US-05 is what I used in two of those batches. The first batch I used an unknown yeast provided in the kit.

 

[royger]

Thanks! IMO Simcoe has more of a pineapple flavour rather than grapefruit, but it might be due to the combos I used it with. Chinook is always used in the grapefruit recipes I've looked at, so I'm quite sure of using it.

I'm mostly confused with the messages from Lallemand about BRY-97 being able to biotransform hop flavours and enhance them, and some of the comments from the forums saying that BRY-97 has mutted hop flavours.

 

[Miraculix]

I have brewed with 97 and it did never mute hop flavours. Nottingham does, 97 does not. It is quite comparable to us05 but can have a loooong lack phase, so be prepared for that

 

[hotbeer]

Biotransformation is just one of those words that the ad men/women have discovered and think it makes their ad more magical.

All lot of the beer making process is biotransformation and has been since the first beer brewed. Hops have been doing their individual things in that biotransformation too. Perhaps all they are saying is that that yeast doesn't add flavors that overpower the hop notes so that they stand out better.

Just pick one to use with your own best judgement. This isn't the only beer you are going to make is it? When you do a few batches with one, then try another and you will be able to see for yourself if it's anything meaningful to you in taste.