In San Marcos, California, where Baja-style tacos meet award-winning craft beer, Craft Coast has been redefining what a brewpub can be. Founded on the vision of pairing food people actually crave with exceptional beer, this bustling operation has become a local favorite and a national contender.
Blake Masoner, head brewer, and Will Cleary take us behind the scenes at Craft Coast San Marcos to share how Fermentis yeasts became the foundation of their brewing program and their remarkable competition success.
The Turning Point: Why Blake Chose Fermentis
Blake Masoner started brewing with Fermentis yeast in 2018. When it came time to launch his own project at Craft Coast, the choice was clear. For the brewery’s flagship Mexican lager, Agua Baja, Blake selected SafLager™ W-34/70, a famous strain from Weihenstepan in Germany known for its versatility and reliability.
Agua Baja is a light, Modelo-style lager brewed with German malts, flaked corn, and hops. Perfect for the Southern California climate, it delivers the crisp, refreshing profile that keeps customers coming back. Blake and Will also rely on SafAle US-05™ for their popular West Coast IPA, a style that demands clean fermentation and the ability to showcase bold hop character.
“It’s super important to have that consistency and clean profile that we’re looking for in our beer,” says Blake. “Fermentis allows us to achieve a super consistent and quality fermentation, where we know if we’re starting, we’re going to be finishing where we expect every single batch.”
The Yeasts Behind the Brews
SafLager™ W-34/70 is a famous lager strain from Weihenstephan in Germany, widely used across the brewing industry. This strong and robust yeast allows brewers to craft neutral beers with a good balance of floral and fruity aromas. It’s known for imparting clean flavors and producing highly drinkable beers, making it ideal for traditional lagers, specialty styles, and even hop-forward hybrids.
SafAle™ US-05 is the world-famous American brewers’ yeast that produces neutral and well-balanced ales. It forms a firm head and shows excellent ability to remain in suspension during fermentation. This strain is ideal for creating clean, crisp American-style beers and highly hopped beers like West Coast IPAs.
Why Consistency Matters in Craft Brewing
For Blake and Will, choosing the right yeast wasn’t just about flavor. It was about building a brewing program that could scale without sacrificing quality. In a competitive market where breweries live or die by their reputation, every batch must meet expectations.
When you’re serving fresh beer on-site and distributing regionally, consistency isn’t optional. The reliability of Fermentis yeast has allowed Craft Coast to experiment with recipes, dial in hop schedules, and refine their processes without worrying about yeast variability. When fermentation is predictable, innovation becomes possible.
The Results: From Local Following to National Recognition
“Since using Fermentis yeast exclusively, it has propelled our beer into a good local following, global awards, and national awards,” says Blake. “I think that right there is a testament to the products that we’re putting into those beers, and Fermentis yeast is one of those products.”
The numbers back it up. Craft Coast’s medal success at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup includes:
2021:
- GABF: 4 Bronze medals (brown ale, dark lager, West Coast IPA, hazy IPA)
2024:
- World Beer Cup: Silver for Chillzner (Italian-style), Bronze for XPA (Australian-style)
2025:
- GABF: Gold for Chillzner
- World Beer Cup: Silver for XPA
This progression from bronze to silver to gold demonstrates not just brewing skill, but the kind of batch-to-batch consistency that only comes from reliable fermentation.
Key Takeaways
Craft Coast’s success story demonstrates what’s possible when brewers prioritize consistency and quality:
- One yeast, multiple styles – SafLager™ W-34/70 and SafAle US-05™ deliver clean, reliable fermentation across both lagers and ales
- Competition-proven – 8 medals across GABF and World Beer Cup since 2021, including gold for Chillzner in 2025
- Consistency drives results – Predictable fermentation allows brewers to focus on recipe refinement and innovation
- Versatility unlocks creativity – W-34/70 provides both neutral lager profiles and thiol-driven tropical notes in hop-forward beers
Whether you’re a home or craft brewer, we hope this story inspires you to take your beer to new heights with Fermentis. If you’re looking to craft the perfect lager, IPA, or any other beer style, get in touch to see what our range of active dry yeasts for beer can do for you.
For more information about how Fermentis can help you brew better, more consistent, and more flavorful beer, visit fermentis.com or drop us a line at fermentis.com/contact