Yeast Comparison Results

Its been awhile but the results are in. Some of the results we found were quite interesting.

1. Fermentation: a big difference was the lag time for the yeasts. 002 started right away, after a few hours. 810 took a full day to really start, and then, built up slowly to high krausen.

- This may have been due to the hybrid/ale differences in the yeast. One vial is just about enough for a 2.5 gal batch with an ale, but is a bit short for a hybrid, so underpitching may be a culprit for 810.
- Both beers took about the same time to ferment completely, despite differing lag times, maybe a day difference. 810 = slow but steady 002 = fast and quick
- Both beers started at 1.071 and ended up at 1.020 (6.6%). I thought that was pretty crazy, but they are listed as having very similar attenuation rates.

2. Taste Test
- Both beers had a nice dark brown color, with a nicely formed head that persists. Carbonation was right on the money. I don’t have pictures yet, but I will. No real difference in the color, we will have to inspect it more.
- For our mini taste test, we had a few friends come by and try the beers. They don’t really know much about the difference yeasts, so their bias was limited. My dad and I also tried them as well. Initials reactions were that everyone generally preferred the 810. Both beers had tastes of mocha and roast, but to different degrees. The 002 did not express the malt as well, and even left a touch of esters, that do not really balance that well. The biggest difference was the smokiness, 002 having almost no smokiness and 810 having a bunch. The smokiness a nice rounded bitterness, and did not taste like bacon (which I prefer).

3. Results from others
- People have expressed many differing opinions on this beer. There has been about a 50/50 split for people who prefer one over the other. Only a handful of people have claimed that they do not taste the difference between the two.
- An interesting point when talking to others has been their description of the of the smokiness. Oftentimes, people claimed that the 002 beer had more of smoky character. From this, I would basically conclude that the expression of the smoked malt is neither more or less in either beer, but rather, different in both.