BeerBorg

Has anyone ever used a dry yeast for a Scottish ale? I am planning on making one and don't want to use a liquid strain because I would have to make a starter. I thought about using two packets of US 04, would that be an ok strain and fermentation temperature (low 60's) for a Scottish ale?

04 should work, but be warned, it ferments quick and drops out just as quick and may leave your FG higher than you want.

Windsor could also be a good choice.

If you have a good malt bill, the yeast can be less important.

I have won numerous awards for a Strong Scotch Ale that I do with Wyeast 1056...

Clean, neutral ale yeast like US-05 would work.

If you are relying on the yeast for character, then a good liquid like Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale might be a better choice.

I am more relying on the malts to really be the characteristic aspect of this beer, so maybe I will go with us-05 like you said. Here is the grain bill for the Strong Scotch Ale I'll be doing, I have never brewed this style before, and it seems like a really open ended style. I wanted to throw in coffee malt because I think just a little bit could add an interesting flavor I went really light with just 4 oz of it, and the roasted barley to try to balance out the beer so it isn't too overpoweringly sweet. I plan to mash at around 154, and then take a gallon of the first runnings and boil it down to a syrup to add back at the end of the boil. Does that sound alright?

13 lb United Kingdom - Golden Promise 92.9%
4 oz Roasted Barley 1.8%
0.5 lb American - Munich - Light 10L 3.6%
4 oz United Kingdom - Coffee Malt 1.8%

There's nothing wrong with other advice that I'm sure can come close to a Scottish ale, but when FedoraDave and I did a Strong Scotch Ale for the last RCE, we went ahead and used liquid yeast to really get the Scottish character: Wyeast Scottish Ale yeast for me, and the equivalent White Labs Edinburgh Ale for Dave. One starting point was a recipe that I had been thinking about but had not brewed, where I admit I had thought of using S-04. As we refined our ideas, I found that no recipes that were in what I considered the sources with the best reputations used S-04 (or US-05 either). Although we had other issues that we will each avoid in our next versions, the Wyeast and White Labs yeasts produced a Scottish Ale flavor that I don't think we could achieve in any other way. Personally, I find the Wyeast packaging as easy to brew with as dry yeast, and just find the advantages of dry yeast to be ease of storage and lower cost, but not ease of use.

Point taken, I think I will just make a starter and go with liquid yeast to make it have that authentic flavor, thanks for the post!

Foothiller wrote:There's nothing wrong with other advice that I'm sure can come close to a Scottish ale, but when FedoraDave and I did a Strong Scotch Ale for the last RCE, we went ahead and used liquid yeast to really get the Scottish character: Wyeast Scottish Ale yeast for me, and the equivalent White Labs Edinburgh Ale for Dave. One starting point was a recipe that I had been thinking about but had not brewed, where I admit I had thought of using S-04. As we refined our ideas, I found that no recipes that were in what I considered the sources with the best reputations used S-04 (or US-05 either). Although we had other issues that we will each avoid in our next versions, the Wyeast and White Labs yeasts produced a Scottish Ale flavor that I don't think we could achieve in any other way. Personally, I find the Wyeast packaging as easy to brew with as dry yeast, and just find the advantages of dry yeast to be ease of storage and lower cost, but not ease of use.

What could be easier than opening a package and sprinkling it in?

BigPapaG wrote:04 should work, but be warned, it ferments quick and drops out just as quick and may leave your FG higher than you want.

Windsor could also be a good choice.

If you have a good malt bill, the yeast can be less important.

I have won numerous awards for a Strong Scotch Ale that I do with Wyeast 1056...

Clean, neutral ale yeast like US-05 would work.

If you are relying on the yeast for character, then a good liquid like Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale might be a better choice.

My experience with those two yeasts have been the opposite. I always get much lower FGs with 04 than I do with Windsor. I use Windsor for my porters that I want to finish high for fuller bodied beers.

If you want a truly authentic Scottish ale flavor, take a gallon of your first runnings and boil it down to half a gallon or less, then take the rest of your runnings. This simulates the way Scottish breweries pour their wort into searing hot kettles and gives you the true caramel flavor you get in an authentic Scottish ale. I did that with the last Scottish ale I brewed and it really came out incredible. Also drop the Munich and the Coffee malt as those do not exist in an authentic Scottish ale. Though they should make for a really good beer.

Gymrat, I'm not saying dry yeast is not super easy to use, just that a smack-pack is similarly easy. I use dry yeast most of the time, but that's due to ease of storage and lower cost.

I should add: the few times when I use liquid yeast are when there is no comparable dry yeast.

Checked my notes, did not write down the yeast I used, darn it. It was a Brewer's Best Scottish Ale kit, I did write in my notes I was not fond of it. I can't say if it was the yeast, or just the kit I did not like, but won't do it again. Enjoy yours!

You want a clean, neutral yeast so that the malts shine through. A slow, long cool fermentation is key. Scottish Ale yeast might make the most sense, but many brewers say it's too much for the lower gravity Scottish Ales. I don't know if that means too many esters or a personal preference. But I have seen American Ale yeast recommended most. I think in this case something like Wyeast 1056 or WLP001 would be best, but as long as you pitch enough and rehydrate properly I would also go with US 05 over anything. (That's if you are brewing a lower gravity Scottish Ale like a 60 shilling). Stronger versions might be able to better handle the different yeast characters. The malt and a clean fermentation are the key factors in this style.

I have always used S 04 in mine. I like the "bready" character it gives the beer.