Wheat Beer With Ale Yeast?

[solidghost]

Just bought a Morgan's Golden Sheaf Wheat Beer but I was surprised to see ale yeast under the lid. I was wondering whether the yeast will suitable to make a Wheat beer. I am not planning anything special, just using the Wheat Beer kit and some more Wheat malt extract plus a little Saaz hoops.

 

[LethalCorpse]

Well, standard practice is to chuck anything you find under the lid, or possibly make bread with it. But ale yeasts are fine to make wheat beers (my best brew thus far was a wheat fermented with s04), just don't expect any of the yeast characteristics associated with wheat beers. If you're going to the extent of adding malt instead of sugar or dextrose, and adding hops, you should definitely be investing in better yeast than is supplied. The kit yeast is for your uncle who still brews with a coopers kit and a kilo of table sugar, swears by sodium met, and won't change his beer for anyone (which is fine, because no one but him wants to drink it).

 

[boingk]

What the [expletive] is wrong with sodium metabisulphite??? Cheap, easy...use ventilation so you don't kill the next person who walks in the bathroom...rinse with near-boiling water so some bad stuff actually karks it...

...oh, right

Seriously though, there isn't too much wrong with kit yeasts its just that they will produce an average beer thats low in gravity and probably chocked with unwanted esters. Spending the money on 'premium' yeast will be well worth it and at $4 for a packet of dried yeast, thats only $17.4c/L for an average 23L brew. So there isn't much of an excuse. You'll think the benefits are well worth it!

Cheers - boingk

 

[itguy1953]

Seriously though, there isn't too much wrong with kit yeasts its just that they will produce an average beer thats low in gravity and probably chocked with unwanted esters. Spending the money on 'premium' yeast will be well worth it and at $4 for a packet of dried yeast, thats only $17.4c/L for an average 23L brew. So there isn't much of an excuse. You'll think the benefits are well worth it!

Cheers - boingk
[/quote]

You can reuse the yeast cake from a previous brew to fire up a new brew. Works a treat, as long as you do not have an infection in the original brew. This way you can reuse your "expensive" yeasts several times.

You can also bottle off the yeast slurry into stubbies and keep it for later use.

Barry

 

[solidghost]

Thanks guys.

I was thinking of using Nottinghams which is a very neutral yeast. Think it could work?

 

[Weizguy]

G'day,

You should be aware that kit Wheat beers will generally make an acceptable American-style wheat beer or blonde ale. Nottingham or US-05 will do the job, as will the supplied yeast, if you have temp control (under 20 C).

If you want German wheat flavours, you should use a more authentic yeast (and there are dry yeasts to do the job, or a good approximation of what you want). S33 will work, as well as WB-06 and the newish Munich wheat yeast.
You'll need to increase the wheat content for these yeasts to produce German Weissbier flavours of banana/tropical fruit and cloves/vanilla.

Where do want this beer to take you? Amerika or Deutschland?
feel free to pm me, if you think I can help further.

Les the Wheat beer aficionado

 

[Fourstar]

You should be aware that kit Wheat beers will generally make an acceptable American-style wheat beer or blonde ale. Nottingham or US-05 will do the job, as will the supplied yeast, if you have temp control (under 20 C).

Where do want this beer to take you? Amerika or Deutschland?

Agreed,

Generically, they give ale yeast because it can withstand the extreme tempratures amatuer homebrewers brew at. Also doesnt require lagering and drinkable within a few weeks. Majority of kits produced fro the AUS market are ale wheat/pilsner beers not German Weizens. Best option to get a clean yeast profile would be the US-05 fermented low 18deg~.

I havnt used the dried german wheat yeast so i cant comment but the WB-06 is supposed todo the trick with Germans for dried yeast.