Mangrove Jack Craft Series Yeasts

[Edak]

Mine started up this morning, so around 36 hours after pitching. Now its going really strongly.

 

[mje1980]

Kept the ferm fridge at 17c and this morning I have a small but rocky krausen. Pretty happy. Going to dump a 1.070 porter on this so hoping for decent attenuation, though I know it's not a high attenuator

The rehydrated yeast smelt a little like peach/ stone fruit. Yum

 

[TimT]

Mine's less apple-smelling now - more like apples-going-off, with a sulfur tinge. The heart breaks (may be a sliiiight exaggeration) when you think of all those beautiful apple esters that must have vanished into thin air with the fermentation. Slower carbonation, but it'll be a few days yet. Can't wait to taste it.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

On speed of fermentation/lag time:

(caveat: I had some interesting issues with a sudden night time drop, children leaving cupboard door on hotwater system open. Plus I rehydrated).

I had mine look like it had a thin line of krausen within 48 hours. It was too dark (and I have no torch to shine on the side) to tell if it were earlier.

It appears to have mostly finished within the first 6 days, with final OG to be confirmed.

 

[mje1980]

I've upped the temp as it seems to want to stop at 1.020. Bit high for a mild, considering I add a low 60's rest even for my milds. Il give it a few more days though. Not sure I'll be keen to dump a big porter on the cake if it's done now.

 

[mje1980]

I think I'm done at 1019. It's a bit high for me. It does have 10% crystal, though I did a low 60's rest as well as high 60's rest. I've gone this high in crystal before plenty of times and gotten close to 1.010 in a mild. From a 1037 SG it's only just over 51% attenuation. Tastes pretty good from the sample, and doesn't feel like it's got huge body.

Not a complaint, just some info. With the other pack I might try not rehydrating and see if it makes a diff. I'm going to fill a 5 litre willow container and serve it through a beer engine when carbed, the rest will get kegged.

I'm not game to put the porter on this cake, so I'll use some Irish ale yeast for that. After it ferments a bitter.

 

[TimT]

Mine's down to about 1.013. I still want to give it a day or two, it might go down a bit more - it's been going steadily for quite a while. Then some hops for aroma. When I sampled yesterday I took a taste - not too bad; I think a teensy bit of the appley-esteryness has remained. I'm feeling good about this yeast now, though now I know for next time not to take it for granted.

 

[DU99]

Bought a couple packet's of M10 workhorse yeast..dumped a packet on the brew i made yesterday..no rehydrate..24 hrs later working fine ,2cm of Krausen so far ,ferment temp 18-19 C.

 

[Edak]

Mine is very slow. 8 days now and only down to 1.030 from 1.060. Its still got activity/ creamy stuff on top and when I took a sample it looks like it was in suspension.

 

[mje1980]

I'm having a sly taster of my Newcastle dark ale mild halfway through carbonation in the keg. Mild roasty coffee like aroma, smooth roasted malt flavour with only a small hint of crystal malt coming through. The roasted malt flavours seem to be dominant. For such a high fg it certainly doesn't drink like it's got heaps of body. Dryish finish, not cloying at all. Quite happy with it.

I have 5 litres in a willow cube naturally carbonating waiting for a beer engine. Can't wait to try it.

Next batch I'd drop the darker malts a little, it's quite dark. But overall I'm pretty happy with it and I do believe the keg will vanish.

EDIT. A further few pints have all drunk quite smoothly. Very happy. Will use again. Might tailor my recipe to get better attenuation. Longer, lower mash, less crystal, and less dark malts. I also used wey pils as I'm out of my beloved MO. Might just need another pint or two to make sure.

 

[TimT]

And another: last night I started a mead (with a small portion of burnt honey) on Newcastle Brown Ale yeast. I know this is a slightly unconventional use for what was intended as an ale yeast, but I had been looking at a recipe that specified 'ale yeast', I wanted something that was good with relatively high gravities, and something that was good with dark colours and roasty-coffee flavours. This Brown Ale yeast fit the bill nicely. In addition, this range of yeasts seem to have some nice fruity esters, which might compliment our honey (which has some light fruity and nectary flavours) nicely.

Pitched it last night at about 21 degrees (maybe a bit over); I'd previously put dead yeast in the water for nutrient; and I added some more raisins for nutrient just before pitching the yeast. Popped it on the heat pad. This morning it's fermenting steadily; a mixture of toffee aromas and light fruitiness coming from the airlock at the moment. I hope it doesn't carry all those delicious aromas away. We'll see!

EDIT: if the yeast conks out before it's finished fermenting fully I may consider finishing it off with a champagne yeast (which I've usually done my meads on before). It's looking very healthy at the moment, though.

 

[Edak]

So 11 days in and the IPA is down to 1.013 still going along by the look of it.

 

[Dan Pratt]

So 11 days in and the IPA is down to 1.013 still going along by the look of it.

Hi Edak,

11 days seems a long time for fermentation to be completed. What was your starting OG and mash temp/time? ( i say this as my IPA went from 1059 to 1019 in 4days this week, primary should be finished tomorrow)

Dan

 

[TimT]

I reckon fermentation time would vary a bit. One of the things I like about these yeasts is they seem to have been bred/selected for their staying potential. They keep going and going. In contrast, the previous yeast I was using, Nottingham, took two days to ferment out a pale ale (same as the one that is almost finished now, on a Mangrove Jacks yeast). That's efficient and quick, though it seems to have less estery qualities than the MJ yeast, and of course as long as yeast is active in the beer you know there'll be less likelihood of infection.

 

[mje1980]

I smashed 7 or so pints of my mild through a beer engine last night. Absolutely loved it, I'd use the Newcastle dark ale yeast again. I'd like a bit more attenuation but I can adjust my recipe for that. I still like liquids but it's good to have a dry yeast that produces very good beers.

 

[jyo]

I'm drinking a darkish mild with Newcastle dark ale and really enjoying it.

It has thrown the dark fruit flavours and esters.

Will definitely use this again.

Also, have just cracked a keg of weizen using the Bavarian wheat. Typical weizen flavours and esters, with some very low vanilla flavours. Banana and spice, ticks all the boxes for me. I ran this at 19', so would be interesting to try it at higher fermentation temp to see what it throws.

Impressed again by this range.

 

[RobB]

Good to hear someone else has had a positive experience with the Bavarian Wheat. I really liked it.

I was in the fortunate position of being in Bavaria last year, where I conducted plenty of "research" on weissbier, the big names as well as the smaller locals. The beer I made with the M20 would sit nicely amongst those I tried on my holiday. I reckon this yeast puts out all the right flavours. I should add that it produces these flavours in moderate amounts, but that was in keeping with what I tried in Germany (there were no banana bombs). I'll leave it to others to push the estery limits of this yeast, but I'm looking forward to using it again soon in a dunkel weissbier. If I can get a touch of chocolate from the malt, it should work well with the vanilla of M20.

 

[Dan Pratt]

I made a Dunkelweizen on saturday and pitched a packet of M20 directly into the wort at 17c around 11pm - it was 22lt of 1046. When Ileft for work this morning at 530am it still had not formed a krausen making it 30hrs of lag, Again this series of yeast for me has had long lag times. I admit with this one i purposely underpitched by about 80bill cells but that was to stress the yeast. Id imagine its kicked off by now and will check with when I get home.

I cant fault the M44 for its attenuation, clarity from good flocculation but they sure to test the santitation of my brewing when they dont start up after 10hrs. To compare, when Im using fermentis or wyeast, dry/hyrdated or starters they ALWAYS kick off with 6-10hrs.

Mangroves takes its time to start yet yields great results, i guess that all you can ask for really. Others i know get activity within a normal range and i had read somewhere from advice on here that the dry yeast is better without adding pure O2, so i skipped that and also forgot to add yeast nutrient to the boil.....cant wait to get home and see if its climbing out of the fermenter like 3068 does.

 

[rheffera]

Just checked on my oatmeal stout. (M07 British ale) Seems to be struggling after 5 days @ 18*C. It's at 1020 down from 1052. That is 8 points higher than i want it to be given i mashed at 66. The krausen has fallen & i'm seeing yeast on the surface. The yeast looks like the way it does in the packet. It's still fermenting though as i saw bubbles appearing on the surface. I've put her back in the fridge and increased the temperature seeing as the bulk of the ferment is over.

I'm unsure if i screwed up my mash but i know my ferment volume is a liter less than expected so perhaps this is the result of my boil-off.

In terms of the tasting form the hydro, yup, thats a oatmeal stout. Sweet-ish due to the (current) middling gravity but that dry finish leaves my mouth like the sahara is present alright. No esters noted at 18*c, if there are any they sure don't overpower the choc malt.

Ill be drinking this regardless if the gravity drops or not. Will be a good drop after maturation.

 

[Dan Pratt]

I made a Dunkelweizen on saturday and pitched a packet of M20 directly into the wort at 17c around 11pm - it was 22lt of 1046. When Ileft for work this morning at 530am it still had not formed a krausen making it 30hrs of lag, Again this series of yeast for me has had long lag times. I admit with this one i purposely underpitched by about 80bill cells but that was to stress the yeast. Id imagine its kicked off by now and will check with when I get home.

I cant fault the M44 for its attenuation, clarity from good flocculation but they sure to test the santitation of my brewing when they dont start up after 10hrs. To compare, when Im using fermentis or wyeast, dry/hyrdated or starters they ALWAYS kick off with 6-10hrs.

Mangroves takes its time to start yet yields great results, i guess that all you can ask for really. Others i know get activity within a normal range and i had read somewhere from advice on here that the dry yeast is better without adding pure O2, so i skipped that and also forgot to add yeast nutrient to the boil.....cant wait to get home and see if its climbing out of the fermenter like 3068 does.

Went from OG of 1046 to FG 1014 in 3 days, will keg it Saturday......grain to glass in 7 days.