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To help brewers choose the best yeast for their beers, we started a program called Make Your Choice (the MYC Program) a few years ago. The aim of the program is to guide and inform our customers about the benefits of our yeasts, especially the flavor expressions. It all began with Baseline Flavor & Aromas, a sensory study conducted in a standard condition that mapped the position and representations of all of our beer yeast according to three important fermentation flavor profiles: their fruity, spicy or neutral characters. The second step of the MYC Program consisted of a deeper characterization of each yeast under different fermentation conditions.
SafLager™ W-34/70 was the first yeast selected for the second step of the program. With broader technical and organoleptic information, we provide brewers all they need to know about the SafLager™ W-34/70 fermentation behavior and its detailed sensory expression. This is refined information that supports the best and right choice for lager fermentation, in which we evaluate how the parameters (such as wort density, fermentation temperature and pitching rate) could change the neutral fermentation profile of this specific yeast. From the various studied conditions (six are represented below), we obtained a matrix that help us characterize what happens when we change a specific variable.
Some parameters have more impact on fermentation behavior and flavor expression than others. Some important conclusions must be considered when using SafLager™ W-34/70: the lower the fermentation temperature or the higher the density, the longer the fermentation time will be. Nevertheless, by increasing the fermentation temperature, you can reduce the fermentation time – without affecting the neutral beer flavor!
We have also demonstrated that the density of the wort is the parameter with the biggest impact on the final beer, mainly increasing the alcohol perception and warmth/mouthfeel, as well as the sweetness level. Attributes like fruity, floral or sulfury notes do not vary significantly over different conditions, nor do they at high fermentation temperatures! The result? The surprising neutrality that characterizes SafLager™ W-34/70 remains constant – as you can see on the spider graph in which the sensory profiles are very close to one another. The brewer only needs to be aware of the risk of having off-notes (like diacetyl or buttery flavor) at low pitching rates and a low fermentation temperature at the same time.
Below are six important conditions we have selected to demonstrate our main conclusions:
Key conclusions
Our study has demonstrated the constant neutral character of SafLager™ W-34/70 over different fermentation conditions, including higher temperatures. This yeast remains very robust and stable over many different conditions.
The most important point for the brewers is this: SafLager™ W-34/70 can ensure both a faster and neutral fermentation profile at higher temperatures. The same neutral beer in less time in the fermentation tank.
All of the results of this study are now available on the Fermentis App. Discover more about the App and this Sensory Analysis tool by viewing our video, available on our YouTube channel!