yeast to avoid?

[bk0]

I'm a boring brewer. I use US-05 almost exclusively these days because I have a ton of it (half a cake in the fridge and a bunch in fermenters) and it works well without any fuss.

Both times I tried Windor I wasn't pleased with the results. Very poor attenuation.

As far as wine, mead, etc? I like EC-1118 and Montrachet.

 

[TimTrone]

Try fermenting cooler. 04 is an amazing yeast. Albeit it doesn't attenuate as well as 05, but it's an English yeast and those tend to attenuate less than American yeasts.

+1. 04 is really good at 60-62. Not sure about the tartness others are saying. I find it pretty clean, slightly malty, and just a bit "English". Flocs like crazy too.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

+1. 04 is really good at 60-62. Not sure about the tartness others are saying. I find it pretty clean, slightly malty, and just a bit "English". Flocs like crazy too.

It get's 'tart' when you ferment too warm, like many other British yeasts. If you treat it right, it's easily the cleanest of the English yeasts I've used. I think it's amazing fermented anywhere from 58-64 degrees, anything over 66 and it gets really fruit-y and even tart like they were saying. I find that to be true with many British strains. Keep 'em cool or they'll come back to get ya. Ever try 1968 over ~68ish? 1968 is an A+mazing strain of yeast, but if you let it get too warm your beer will taste like butter, and be very tart.

 

[Brew-boy]

For me any dry yeast (just my preference) and East coast ale too Tart.

 

[philrose]

Add another to the windsor tally

Also, my experience using Wyeast French Saison 3711 was so much better than what I've heard about regular saison (3724?) that I've never even considered using the original.

 

[ChessRockwell]

For whatever reason I have had bad luck with S-04. Not sure why, but I have been having attenuation and flavor issues (and ferm temps were never above 68*). Won't be using it for the foreseeable future.

I'm gonna join the I hate S-04 group. I had read so many good things... Ferments quick, flocs out well, etc. etc. I tried it once in an IPA and it just made the most awful, overly yeasty, bread-like taste that overpowered ANY other taste in the beer. Now to be fair my fermentation did get a little warm for a few hours as it was quite vigorous, but it was cooled down quickly, and it doesn't sound like you had much better results fermenting below 68 so I'm just gonna have to say I don't like this yeast at all. Won't try it again...

EDIT: after reading more of the thread it seems like temperature was probably my issue. If you don't have temp control it's probably a good idea to stay away from this one. If you do, it might be ok!

 

[blange3]

It get's 'tart' when you ferment too warm, like many other British yeasts. If you treat it right, it's easily the cleanest of the English yeasts I've used. I think it's amazing fermented anywhere from 58-64 degrees, anything over 66 and it gets really fruit-y and even tart like they were saying. I find that to be true with many British strains. Keep 'em cool or they'll come back to get ya. Ever try 1968 over ~68ish? 1968 is an A+mazing strain of yeast, but if you let it get too warm your beer will taste like butter, and be very tart.

Thanks for this! Tart is my experience with my first two batches. I am working on better temp control but I would not have tried to keep this as cool as you suggested.

The good news is I have been inspired to build a fermentation chamber and plan on a starter for my next batch.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I'm gonna join the I hate S-04 group. I had read so many good things... Ferments quick, flocs out well, etc. etc. I tried it once in an IPA and it just made the most awful, overly yeasty, bread-like taste that overpowered ANY other taste in the beer. Now to be fair my fermentation did get a little warm for a few hours as it was quite vigorous, but it was cooled down quickly, and it doesn't sound like you had much better results fermenting below 68 so I'm just gonna have to say I don't like this yeast at all. Won't try it again...

EDIT: after reading more of the thread it seems like temperature was probably my issue. If you don't have temp control it's probably a good idea to stay away from this one. If you do, it might be ok!

Well, at least ya went back and read the thread after posting..... it's all about temp control. If you don't have some way to control and maintain temps, almost every yeast out there is gonna give you a hard time. Granted, some yeasts are cleaner that others at temps over 70, but really, aside from a few strains most ale yeasts work best below 68 (that's beer temp, not ambient), and IME fermenting below 66 is better. With English yeast (s-04 IS English), below 64 is better, IMO.
I'm going to post a few links because it really seems that a lot of brewers are blaming quality yeast for their not knowing about (or using) temp control.

Cheap, simple way to maintain proper temps

Fermenting cool makes good beer

 

[ColeBeer78]

I use notty frequently, what did it do to you?

It had extremely low attenuation. Didn't finish up the beer. It sat in the Primary for 4 weeks and only reached a F.G. of 1.026. My thermometers were all calibrated, my mash temps were dead on, my O.G. Was spot on, I pitched the correct amount of yeast per mr. Malty, they sat in a fermentation chamber with only 1/2 degree fluctuation in temp.

Did everything right and can't figure out what happened.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

It had extremely low attenuation. Didn't finish up the beer. It sat in the Primary for 4 weeks and only reached a F.G. of 1.026. My thermometers were all calibrated, my mash temps were dead on, my O.G. Was spot on, I pitched the correct amount of yeast per mr. Malty, they sat in a fermentation chamber with only 1/2 degree fluctuation in temp.

Did everything right and can't figure out what happened.

Was it extract or AG? If extract, that just happens sometimes. If AG, at what temp(s) did you mash? And what was the recipe, either way?

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

Was it extract or AG? If extract, that just happens sometimes. If AG, at what temp(s) did you mash? And what was the recipe, either way?

Agreed. Either this pack of yeast was dead, or something went horribly wrong with the brew.

 

[Wig]

/thread

Two guys that never made JAOM!

I don't have any in the 'avoid' bucket yet. I know i am not a big fan of phenolic flavor, so i avoid belgian strains. But i think this is another aspect of avoiding yeasts, maybe you just don't like that style, or that yeasts representation of the style. Not the yeasts fault, just not what you're looking for.

 

[kingwood-kid]

First, +1 to Nordeast's opinion on ketchup. Vile stuff. If ketchup makes whatever you're eating taste better, I would explore starvation on a short-term basis.

I didn't like the Chimay yeast, but I didn't like the bottle of Chimay I got it from, so that was no surprise. The same wort, fermented with the Ardennes yeast, was phenomenal. I tried the 3711, and it was fine, but much too clean for my tastes. I've had great luck with the Dupont, but I do live in the eighth circle of hell. T-58 is a never-again for me, but that may be a temp issue. It's just not worth trying again to see if I can get something less-medicinal out of it when my fridge has three other Belgians I'm sure I can trust.

 

[corax]

It had extremely low attenuation. Didn't finish up the beer. It sat in the Primary for 4 weeks and only reached a F.G. of 1.026.

Nottingham is extremely flocculant, and it can floc out before finishing.

Also, there was a bad batch a couple years ago, featuring completely dead packets. Since then I've always proofed dry yeast, and always have a packet or two of the ever-reliable US-05 on hand as a backup.

But I use Nottingham a lot, usually with great results.

 

[ChessRockwell]

I didn't like the Chimay yeast, but I didn't like the bottle of Chimay I got it from, so that was no surprise. The same wort, fermented with the Ardennes yeast, was phenomenal

I don't mean to stray from the topic, but I just did the same thing, split a dark strong batch between 500 and 550. Just wondering what your fermentation temps were, what kind of beer it was, and what it was about the Chimay strain you didn't like? I've only used it once in a Tripel, which is still pretty young and a little harsh on the alcohol (to be expected) but so far I think I like it. Although for a strain that's supposed to be the most fruity/least spicy I found it pretty high on spicy-ness, which isn't a bad thing for me... What were the other differences you found between the two?

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

First, +1 to Nordeast's opinion on ketchup. Vile stuff. If ketchup makes whatever you're eating taste better, I would explore starvation on a short-term basis.

I know, right?!

 

[tonyolympia]

Wyeast 1450, Denny's Favorite 50. I did an amber and an APA with it back to back, and it had zero interest. I realized that I want some yeast character in my ales, and I don't like low flocculating clean strains.

Also, I have no idea what people are talking about with the thick creamy mouthfeel from 1450. I don't taste it at all.

 

[kingwood-kid]

I don't mean to stray from the topic, but I just did the same thing, split a dark strong batch between 500 and 550. Just wondering what your fermentation temps were, what kind of beer it was, and what it was about the Chimay strain you didn't like? I've only used it once in a Tripel, which is still pretty young and a little harsh on the alcohol (to be expected) but so far I think I like it. Although for a strain that's supposed to be the most fruity/least spicy I found it pretty high on spicy-ness, which isn't a bad thing for me... What were the other differences you found between the two?

I made a pale/amber-ish thing with no late hops so I could see the differences between the yeast. 550 was cleaner, but still very flavorful. The 500 was definitely fruitier, which didn't bother me. The harsh, phenolic, cough syruppy edge did. T-58 had the same problem. All three yeasts were fermented in what I guess would've been the mid-to-high 70s.

 

[bottlebomber]

Wyeast 1450, Denny's Favorite 50. I did an amber and an APA with it back to back, and it had zero interest. I realized that I want some yeast character in my ales, and I don't like low flocculating clean strains.

Also, I have no idea what people are talking about with the thick creamy mouthfeel from 1450. I don't taste it at all.

The only unique thing I found about Denny's is that it has remarkably low attenuation