Which strains of yeasts are the cleanest for warm/hot fermentation?

Question

I am from Puerto Rico and the temperature here is like summer all year round(between 75 to 95*F) , and I really want to know the cleanest strains of yeasts for this kind of temperature.

(clean yeast=low undesired secondary flavors/aromas due to warm fermentation)

I want to make some ales that normaly are fermented on the mid's 60*F. The problem is that if I do them whith the original strain of yeast it will have way too much esters and secondary flavors and aromas because of the warm fermentation here.

So im looking to buy new strains a bit more cleaner, in order to get a beer profile more similar to the original beers.

Any experiences about dealing with warm fermentation yeasts and the outcome will be appreciated too.

Thanks!

Answer 1

I recently did a saison using only Brettanomyces Claussenii, and it turned out very interesting. Despite many misconceptions, brett will not sour beer. I didn't even see much in the way of a pellicle as many claim to get when they ferment with Brett. White labs doesn't condense down the yeast when they package it, so it isn't much to look at in comparison to the other yeast strains, and you'll need a massive starter to get the cell count you need. It was an interesting experiment.

One thing to keep in mind, is that even if a strain says that it can ferment at higher temperatures, almost never means that it will ferment clean, producing low esters and undesirable flavors, even for Brett or Saisons. Part of a saison's unique flavor is due to the higher temperatures it is fermented at. As stated before, at your ambient temperatures, you are going to have to do something to cool it down.

Answer 2

Im from Venezuela (80 ºF) so I´m familiar to those off flavor you mention. In my (really short humble) experience, when brewing regular beers, using S-03 and fermenting in a cool room (no a refrigerated one, just a dark corner) does the trick.

Although when trying higher-gravity beers (OG 1.060) with S-03 sometimes we get some "Hot alcohol" flavors, like Gin or Vodka. This used to annoyed me, until my GF suggested to take advantage of those "Hot alcohols" so we try some bourbon recipes, and came across this NB Bourbon Porter Kit which we tweak a little, and came out with a really nice, sort of Rum/beer Frankestein.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Sasion yeast can handle the high temperatures. But it's a style unto itself. I wouldn't recommend trying to brew an IPA or a Stout with Sasion yeast.

I know many home brewers have success using a swamp cooler to control temperature.

Answer 4

There's a list of yeasts with temperature ranges here - http://beerandwinejournal.com/high-temp-yeast/ It's mainly Belgian abbey/trappist/saison yeast straings, with Saison being the high-temp winner.

Answer 5

I'm experiencing some of the same problems in the virgin islands. You're going to have to adapt to the climate or use refrigeration. I keep my carboy in a cooler that minimizes temp fluctuations. I keep it in a section of concrete that's partly underground, so I get a stable temp of 80. Saisons are perfect at that temp. We have a new brewery in st Thomas that brews a saison, im gonna try to use some of that yeast with a pilsner or munich gold base. Send me your email, i'll let you know if it turns out. As far as beers that ferment at colder temp, there are a few ales that are tolerant up to 80 degrees and brewing darker styles hides off flavors, but I think it's temp control or saison's. [email protected]