Cleanest ale yeast?

What is the cleanest ale yeast you’ve ever used? I’ve mostly used S-05 (usually around 53-55F), but I still am getting some yeasty-ness - especially noticable in styles like cream ale.

What’s the cleanest - i.e. not bringing much flavor/aroma to the party - yeast that you’ve used (and at what temperature)?

For me, 1056 is probably the cleanest I’ve used. US-05 is “supposed” to be the same strain as 1056, but I can notice a difference between them. It might be because I generally pitch BIG starters of 1056 from slurry I keep around. whereas US-05 is generally pitched one pack at a time for the medium gravity beers I use it for.

Two thoughts-- 53-55F is a bit outside the temp range for US-05, though I wouldn’t expect that to be a problem as long as fermentation is complete. Also, is your yeast settling out completely? It takes a while (in my experience, at least) for US-05 to settle out completely. Until it does, you’re probably going to taste some yeastiness.

[quote=“65SS427”]For me, 1056 is probably the cleanest I’ve used. US-05 is “supposed” to be the same strain as 1056, but I can notice a difference between them. It might be because I generally pitch BIG starters of 1056 from slurry I keep around. whereas US-05 is generally pitched one pack at a time for the medium gravity beers I use it for.

Two thoughts-- 53-55F is a bit outside the temp range for US-05, though I wouldn’t expect that to be a problem as long as fermentation is complete. Also, is your yeast settling out completely? It takes a while (in my experience, at least) for US-05 to settle out completely. Until it does, you’re probably going to taste some yeastiness.[/quote]

Agreed on US-05. It will generally floc really well with a few days of cold crashing and/or gelatin, but before doing that it will have a taste. My cream ale I ferment around 60 with S-05, which does generate a slight peach/stone fruit ester, but otherwise is pretty clean. You can try a kolsch yeast in a cream ale, which will work well, but both the WLP and WY products do generate a bit of sulfur which needs to be aged out. San Fran lager is another clean ale yeast with which I’ve heard of people having good results for clean ales.

WY1007 German Ale Yeast is one of my favorites. Very clean! :cheers:

Agreed. I find that and 1056 the cleanest, although fermentation procedure will play a part.

I just made an American pale ale and split the batch between WLP 001 and Wyeast Pac Man. The Pac Man yeast was super clean. I thought is was actually very boring. There is a nice hop flavor and a hint of malt, but that is all. The California Ale is clean, but still has some character.

That might be part of it… I did an Irish Red (with S-05 as well) a few weeks before the Cream Ale, and that beer has gotten to be quite good.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

Try the cream ale yeast blend yeast…its not just for cream ales

Agreed. I find that and 1056 the cleanest, although fermentation procedure will play a part.[/quote]

X2
I like this yeast alot.

Also just tried San Diego Super Yeast. Seems very clean,

Just a thought… Could we be fermenting us05 too cold? I read a theory recently that the dreaded peachiness happens in the low sixties, but not as much a few tics warmer. I may experiment with this, but was wondering if anyone else had already done the work.

[quote=“uberculture” I read a theory recently that the dreaded peachiness happens in the low sixties[/quote]

If you tasted my cream ale you would agree that there is nothing dreaded whatsoever about that peachiness. :mrgreen:

I think yeast esters are way underestimated for their importance/significance in great beers, particularly hop-forward beers. I would go so far as to say that yeast affect flavor more than any other ingredient in beer. Not for nothing, but the ‘cleanest’ yeasts are lager yeasts, with an appropriate pitch, fermented at the right temps. If all you want is fermentation and little to no ester/phenol, make lagers.

S-05 does seem to kick out the peach ester at the low end of its range, though 1065/WLP001 do not. I would say that as it ferments warmer, there are either other esters that mask it, or the temp suppresses its production.

Fair enough… I spent my last few batches dialing in a pale ale, using 05 thinking that would take yeast down in the equation. I think I have it close, but that fruitiness is offputting. If I were going for Old Blighty, sure, but I was trying for subtle on my yeast. So is this then the exception that proves the rule of low 60s for clean ale yeast temp?

I ferment with US-05 and WY1056 at 66°F to 68°F to avoid the peach flavor. Surprisingly I first noticed the flavor in a dry Irish stout. This was the first time I used 05 for a stout.

I don’t think this is the only exception. Any time you have a sub-optimal environment for a yeast (temp too low, pitch too low, temp too high), it may create some esters in the growth phase. For instance, I’m not really much of a hefe person, but if you slightly underpitch those yeasts or otherwise cause them to work harder to grow, they will produce more esters/phenols. Pitching on the low end, its more clove, on the high end, more banana. Same with saisons: I’m not in the camp of fermenting hot, but to get some subtle yeast flavors, pitch slightly on the low end of the temp range and ramp up to get some growth.

05 is a great yeast, but i agree with others that it is a bit different than liquid chico (1056/001), particularly if fermented low. Now what I don’t know is whether S-05 will behave this way on a repitch or if it is simply related to rehydration/increased cell count of it being a dry yeast. To your point though, it does have a flavor, and some simply don’t dig. I will say that for APAs/IPAs, I don’t like using US-05 if I have the option of Conan, Pacman (sometimes) or liquid yeast. Its just so. Damn. Easy though!

I have heard that also, but haven’t tested it.