The following yeast profiles describe the beer styles associated with the yeast, flavors and aromas, esters, phenols, and diacetyl, attenuation and flocculation, optimal temperature range, and alcohol tolerance (ABV).
Abbaye (Lallemand) - Ale yeast that ferments Belgian style beers ranging from low to high alcohol, producing the spiciness and fruitiness typical of Belgian and Trappist style ales. Aroma and flavor is fruity and phenolic. When fermented at higher temperatures, typical flavors and aromas include tropical, spicy and banana. At lower temperatures Abbaye produces darker fruit aromas and flavors of raisin, date and fig.
• High attenuation and medium to high flocculation.
• Optimal temperature range is 63°F to 77°F.
• Alcohol tolerance: 12% ABV.
Belle Saison (Lallemand) - Belgian style ale yeast creates Saison style beers with the farmhouse flavors and aromas that make for fruity, spicy and refreshing beer. Aroma and flavor is fruity and phenolic. Belle Saison is designed for warm temperature fermentation true to traditional production methods. The optimal temperature hovers around 63°F. The warmer the fermentation, the more phenols and esters.
• High attenuation and medium to high flocculation.
• Optimal temperature range is 63°F to 77°F.
• Alcohol tolerance: 15% ABV.
Nottingham (Lallemand) - English style ale yeast for fermenting traditional styles like Pale Ales, Ambers, Porters, Stouts and Barleywines. Neutral to slightly fruity and estery flavor and aroma. Fermenting on the low end of the temperature range produces a clear, crisp, and fairly dry beer. You can push the low end temperature threshold down to about 54°F or lower and treat Nottingham as a lager yeast. If you lager with this yeast, you should ramp up the pitching rate.
• High attenuation and high flocculation.
• Optimal temperature range is 50°F to 72°F.
• Alcohol tolerance: 14% ABV.
Safale US-04 (Fermentis) - English style ale yeast with fast fermentation and high flocculation. Produces a tight compact sediment which improves beer clarity. It’s not quite as clean as US-05, but close. Recommended for a large range of beers including English Bitters, Mild Ales, Porters, Stouts, and Barleywines. The big draw is the high flocculation which is ideal for cask or bottle conditioned beers.
• Moderate attenuation and high flocculation.
• Optimal temperature range is 59°F to 68°F.
• Alcohol tolerance: 10% ABV.
Safale US-05 (Fermentis) - Ideal strain for typical American Ales. Produces well balanced beers with very clean, crisp end palate, and low diacetyl levels. Forms a firm foam head and presents a very good ability to stay in suspension during fermentation. Tends to finish drier than US-04. Recommended for Pale Ales, Ambers, Irish Reds, Porters, Stouts, especially where a high attenuation dry finish is desired. Fermenting at 59°F allows pseudo-lagering.
• High attenuation and moderate flocculation.
• Optimal temperature range is 59°F to 75°F.
• Alcohol tolerance: 11% ABV.
Safbrew S-33 (Fermentis) - General purpose, neutral ale strain with high alcohol tolerance. It's low attenuation can be used to achieve a good mouthfeel. It produces mild esters, which can be softer and less dominant than some strains, especially Belgians. It is a good strain to use for specialty and trappist beers. Underpitching can stress the yeast, creating more fruity esters and making beers come off as having more of a Belgian character than those pitched at higher rates. It is low flocculating yeast that stays in suspension, and may require a longer fermentation time for clarification. Recommended for English Bitters, Ambers, Belgian ales, Scotch and Scottish ales, Porters, Stouts, Barleywines.
• Low attenuation and low flocculation.
• Optimal temperature range is 59°F to 68°F.
• Alcohol tolerance: 11.5% ABV.
Safbrew WB-06 (Fermentis) - Specialty yeast selected for wheat beer fermentation. Produces subtle estery and phenol flavor notes typical of wheat beers. Fermenation temperature affects flavors: Below 71°F for clover flavors; above 73°F for banana flavor. Flocculation is low, as one would hope for in this type of yeast. The high attenuation produces a crisp refreshing beer. Recommended for traditional Heffeweizen beers, Dunkelweizen, Weizenbocks, Belgian Wit.
• High attenuation and low flocculation.
• Optimal temperature range is 64°F to 75°F.
• Alcohol tolerance: 10% ABV.
Saflagar W-34/70 (Fermentis) - Popular strain for lager brewing. Clean and malty, good balance of floral and fruity aromas but yet good clean flavors, suitable for a wide range of lager styles. Recommended for German Pilsner, Vienna Lager, American Amber Lagers, Bohemian Pilsners, Classic American Pilsner. Behaves more like an ale yeast at higher fermentation temperatures, up to 70°F, while retaining some lagering properties.
• High attenuation and high flocculation.
• Optimal temperature range is 53°F to 59°F.
• Alcohol tolerance: 9% ABV.
Windsor (Lallemand) - Variant of English Ale yeast. You can brew just about any British style as you would with Safale US-04. It produces a moderate amount of delicious esters and provides a fresh yeasty flavor. Typical application would be if you were looking for a full bodied, slightly fruity English Ale. Recommended for traditional British ales, such as Bitters, Pale Ales, Milds, Porters and Stouts.
• Moderate attenuation and low to moderate flocculation.
• Optimal temperature range is 64°F to 70°F.
• Alcohol tolerance: 9% ABV.