Brewing at home: What is the best dry yeast for high-gravity beer?

Fermenting a high-gravity beer is a challenging task for beer brewers. The home brewer faces a lot of struggles with this process since it is related to yeast quality. Yeast is the main ingredient for fermenting high gravity and has a lot of work to do in the production process. It requires working harder than regular to extract the extra sugar into alcohol. To perfectly brew a high-gravity beer, the brewer’s task is to set the environment properly for yeast to do its job.

High-gravity beer basics

Choosing the most suitable yeast while fermenting a high-gravity beer is essential. There must be an ample amount of yeast, which consists of an adequate amount of aeration and nutrition, and the temperature must simultaneously be controlled until the job is perfectly done. This system will automatically increase the success rate of producing high-gravity beer.

Once done with picking yeast strain to produce high gravity wort, it perhaps is difficult to send the high amount of yeast cells together into the process. Therefore, some brewers’ yeast suppliers have discovered an easy system to measure an adequate amount. The fermentation will be perfect if yeast three times its typical quantity is added into the process. However, it will be best to build a big yeast starter while choosing.

After building a yeast starter, one needs to supply the oxygen and nutrients in the fermentation vessel that helps to grow the yeast cells in their early stage. Then, when the fermentation begins, it is necessary to control the temperature rate constantly. Typically for high-gravity beer, the temperature should be between 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The best dry yeast to brew big beer

Among the various dry yeast available at different brewers’ yeast suppliers, some options to note are:

• Farmoale AY3: F.AY3 is a type of Ale yeast that originated in England. It has excellent fermentation capacity and high-gravity speed, adding a remarkable flavour with minimum estuary characteristics.
• Fermolager W: Fermolager W is a type of yeast used primarily in the fermentation of broad-spectrum and high-gravity lager beer. Its attaining capacity is high, yet it maintains a nice balance between the aromas.
• Fermolager AY4: Originated in America, this dry yeast is very popular among the commercial beer brewers. This beer fermentation is applied in the top fermentation process, resulting in high-gravity beer. Besides, it also comes in a small packet, which is helpful for the home brewer.
• Fermoale D’La Grange: This dry active versatile fermentation is applied in the high-gravity French and Belgium styles. The capacity of this yeast is very high, providing fruity notes and a crispy taste.

Finally, those who are still struggling to ferment the perfect high-gravity beer should take the yeast on a walk and roll the fermented barrel around, then let it settle back into suspension and wake it up again in the final phase to get the brew that’s desired. However, it may take a few tries before perfecting the recipe.

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