Author: Jake Huolihan

What makes a lager a lager? An ale an ale? Some might contend it’s the perceived character of the finished beer, that regardless of ingredients or process, if it tastes like a Pilsner then it’s a Pilsner. However, those of a perhaps more traditional persuasion may be wont to argue a beer’s style is determined by the way it was made– a lager can only be a lager if it’s fermented with a specific type of yeast and cold conditioned, whereas an ale is warm fermented with a different species of yeast.

What, then, of the blasphemers who insensitively label lager those beers they made using ale yeasts? And how about this trend of typical ale styles such as hoppy IPA being fermented with lager yeast strains– is it really an India Pale Lager? If what most of us have been taught about the differences between s. cerevesiae and s. pastorianus is true, distinguishing a beer fermented with an ale yeast from a similar beer fermented with a lager strain ought to be easy as pie. Let’s see!

| PURPOSE |

To evaluate the differences between two beers fermented with either Safale US-05 ale yeast or Saflager W-34/70 lager yeast.

| METHODS |

For this xBmt, I wanted to brew a beer that would be tasty as either an ale or a lager, assuming the variable had an impact, and ultimately settled on Tiny Bottom Pale Ale with the only modification being the yeast strain.

Tiny Bottom pAle Lager

BEERXML

When brew day arrived, I began by heating the full volume of water, which I’d adjusted to my desired profile, to the appropriate strike temperature.

As the water was coming to temperature, I measured out and milled the grains.

When the water was slightly warmer than strike temperature, I transferred it my converted cooler MLT and let it preheat for a bit before mashing in to hit my target temperature.

Following a 60 minute rest, I used the batch sparge method to collect the full volume of sweet wort.

The wort was then boiled 60 minutes with hops added as laid out in the recipe.

At the conclusion of the boil, I quickly chilled the wort to pitching temperature.

A hydrometer measurement at this point showed I’d come in a few points lower than I was planning, but nothing too worrisome.

I split the wort equally between identical fermentors and placed them in my fermentation chamber controlled to my desired fermentation temperature of 66°F/19°C. I opted to ferment these beers at this temperature due to previous xBmt results showing a beer fermented warm with W-34/70 was not reliably distinguishable from the same beer fermented cool. I rehydrated 1 pack each of Safale US-05 and W-34/70 before pitching then returned 24 hours later to observe both beers actively fermenting.

I expected to see some differences, but at 2 days post-pitch, things were looking very similar.

A week into fermentation, I noticed the US-05 batch continued to show signs of activity while activity in the W-34/70 beer appeared to be slowing down. Moreover, the kräusen ring on in the US-05 fermentor was notably higher than the one in the W-34/70 fermentor.

All signs of fermentation had ceased by 10 days post-pitch, at which point I took hydrometer measurements that showed both beers had attenuated to the same FG.

After a few more days at fermentation temperature and another hydrometer measurement ensuring no change in SG, the beers were then cold crashed, fined with gelatin, and kegged.

After a brief period of burst carbonation and cold conditioning in my keezer, the beers were ready to be served to unsuspecting tasters.

| RESULTS |

A panel of 34 people with varying levels of experience participated in this xBmt. Each taster, blind to the variable being investigated, was served 1 sample of the beer fermented with Safale US-05 and 2 samples of the beer fermented with Saflager W-34/70 in different colored opaque cups then instructed to select the unique sample. While 17 correct selections would have been required to achieve statistical significance, a total of 25 tasters (p<0.05; p=0.000002) chose the different beer, suggesting participants were indeed capable of reliably distinguishing a beer fermented with US-05 from one fermented with W-34/70.

The 25 participants who made the correct selection in the triangle test, still blind to the variable in question, were instructed to compare only the 2 different beers and asked about their preference. In all, 9 tasters reported preferring the US-05 beer, 11 said they liked the W-34/70 beer more, 4 had no preference despite noting a difference, and 1 taster felt there was no difference between the beers.

My Impressions: These beers were perhaps the easiest for me to distinguish since I’ve been doing xBmts, to the point I was able to very quickly identify the unique sample in multiple triangle tests by aroma alone. To my senses, the beer fermented with W-34/70 had what I expect from a lager beer, namely a very clean fermentation character with a slight hint of sulfur that emphasizes crispness. I perceived the US-05 fermented beer had a much more noticeable fruity note with a touch of spice in the background. Both beers were quite enjoyable, but if forced to choose, the batch fermented with W-34/70 gets my vote.

This being my first time fermenting W-34/70 at ale temperature, I must say I was utterly shocked with how clean and lager-like the resultant beer was, no different than my experience fermenting with it at more traditional lager temperatures. Furthermore, I now understand the love Tiny Bottom Pale Ale gets from those who brew it! Focused more on being approachable and balanced than extreme in any direction, the beer had a really nice malt character that supported the Fuggle hop flavor beautifully. I definitely plan to brew this one again!

| DISCUSSION |

The fact tasters were able to tell apart beers fermented with either Safale US-05 or Saflager W-34/70 isn’t terribly shocking on its own and serves to validate that different strains, or in the case different species, of yeast produce different character in beer. Saflager W-34/70, sourced from the Weihenstephaner brewery in Bavaria, is a used by brewers around the world to produce crisp and clean lagers, while Safale US-05, purportedly an isolate of the “Chico” strain sourced from Sierra Nevada Brewing, is very popularly used to produce crisp and clean ales.

What I found most intriguing about these results is the fact the beer fermented with Saflager W-34/70 at ale temperature maintained a clean, lager-like character with no notable esters or other flaws expected from fermenting a lager strain too warm. Even more curious is the fact the beer fermented with W-34/70 won the overall preference of those participants who were correct on the triangle test, which at the very minimum suggests the quality was at least inline with that of the US-05 batch. Ultimately, these results leave me even more confident that Saflager W-34/70 is a robust strain capable of producing deliciously clean lager as well as ale, and I certainly plan to continue using it in less conventional ways!

If you have experience with either of these yeast strains or thoughts about this xBmt, please don’t hesitate to share in the comments section below!

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