What Yeast?

[carrollfromwork]

Hi,

Ive been brewing for a little while now and have always used the yeast that comes with the tin. Im just reading now that this is a huge mistake. Ive also just used dextrose or lately ive been trying coopers brew enhancer. I went online looking for different yeasts and got really confused. Is there a good way to tell which one to use? At the pub i drink Tooheys New or Carlton Draft and would love to make something similar, at the moment all i get is drinkable beer which is fine cos im in it to save money, but after reading some articles it sounds like you can make some decent stuff and id love to give it a go.

Im after any suggestions or even an uncomplicated recipe.

Cheers

By the way, ive been using the Tooheys Special Lager kits - figured it would tast like Tooheys New hehehe

 

[fasty73]

Does the Tooheys special lager kit give you a taste of New?? I am new to this also and have been asking how to brew Tohheys New but most people think it is shit. I love Tooheys new!!! My girlfriend gets yeast infections..... maybe I should try harvesting some LOL!!

 

[ekul]

US05 is a good clean yeast, i've also found nottingham to be good. You can get these from craftbrewer if your local homebrew store doesn't have them.

I'm not sure on a recipe for tooheys new, by all accounts its pretty hard to pull off due to it not having heaps of flavour to cover up flaws. However there are other beers that taste better (in my opinion) that are easy to make. If you like hops try neills centarillo, its in the 'everyone should make this' thread. I made it and it was very tasty.

good luck mate

 

[matr]

My girlfriend gets yeast infections..... maybe I should try harvesting some LOL!!

Dude that is just wrong!! :icon_vomit:

They normally get it from the bloke so maybe just dip your cock in the brew? Or get your mate to.

 

[felten]

TMI

 

[waggastew]

+1 for US05. Its about the cleanest dry yeast going around. Other simple things that may help to brew a better tasting brew:

1. Use a descent kit. Morgans Blue Mountains Lager has a very good reputation when fermented at room temperature (even with the included yeast)

2. Control your temp. If you can keep the beer at about 18-20 degC during the fermentation it will taste heaps better.

3. Use brewing sugars like Coopers Brew Enhancer 1 or 2 rather than cane sugar.

4. Age your beer. If you can leave it 1 month, preferably 2 as it will taste heaps better

This is all pretty basic stuff and will make a big improvement to your beer.

 

[Lodan]

The brewcraft website lists this recipe as similar to Tooheys New

http://www.liquorcraft.com.au/wa.asp?idWeb...p;idDetails=139
This recommends using the kit yeast from the Black Rock tin (as it doesn't say otherwise)
Brew Enhancer 10 is thought to be 750g dextrose and 250g maltodextrin (same/similar to coopers BE1)

Haven't tried the recipe myself but it might be worth a shot.

The other option (apart from yeast as ekul suggested) is to add some light dried malt extract to the kits. Could you coopers be2 (50:25:25 dex, malt and maltodextrin) or 50:50 dextrose and malt extract to improve the beer

 

[DU99]

this might give an idea..

http://www.thbs.intas.net/kit_recipes.htm

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

+1 for US05 - I've used it for many years.

But I am a big fan of Nottingham. I find that where I want a yeast that ferments really dry, exhibits less flavours and drops out of suspension well. Plus I've used it over the winter and it works really well at slightly lower (but not cold) temps. Great yeast

Another that I've had some good exposure to is Windsor. Good for anything English or fuller bodied, or if you don't want alcohol too high.

Once you feel confident with Kit plus powdered yeast and your choice of yeasts, then try using a little grain (called steeping, or mashing) to add flavour and depth to the brew. Then hops, then go from tin to unhopped extract and so on.

No rush though - took me 12 years to go from Kit Tin to All Grain. I have said it before, that if AHB was around when I started, I would have learned and tried more sooner, and made the progression quicker. That and a certain Qld based site sponsor - Ross & Anthony are legends.

But horses for courses - it all depends on what you want to home brew for. If it is only (and will only ever be) cheap beer, then Tooheys Tins and US05 will achieve that nicely. If you want some really nice and interesting and different beers, then you can do that too. Even then, at $1.00-$1.50 per tally for something a bit more exotic, it still is pretty cheap, even compared to bottles of Carlton Mid.

In terms of commercial beers, I don't rate any of the commercial beers for any flavour (and would never go back to drinking any of them - even for free), but most the micros are at least making an attempt to make good flavoursome beer (and not a few are doing a really good job of it). Take anything I say with this in mind. Home brew and good micro brewed beer has made me into a beer snob.

Either way, enjoy the journey and the satisfaction of making your own beer. And the cost.

 

[bum]

Ive been brewing for a little while now and have always used the yeast that comes with the tin. Im just reading now that this is a huge mistake.

Depends. Don't follow the instructions and many kit yeasts can turn out a perfectly acceptable k&k beer. Depends what you're after. They're usually pretty cleanish, forgiving yeasts.