[oledge]

I have a light blonde ale going that had an original gravity of 1.056 and it is now in the secondary at 1.018.  It has only been in the secondary for a couple of days.  I am considering splitting the secondary into two and adding Red Star Champagne yeast.  My thoughts are that it will make a dry, crisp tasting beer with slightly higher alcohol content.  Anyone every try Champagne yeast in a low alcohol beer?  Any thoughts on how this might come out?

[bo_gator]

From all I have heard/read champagne yeast in beer is a bad idea flavor wise

[denny]

From all I have heard/read champagne yeast in beer is a bad idea flavor wise

That's been my experience.

[babalu87]

How long was the beer in primary?

Unless you used an un-healthy yeast then the beer is probably done

All-grain or extract?

Fast ferment test is worth doing, this will tell you what your FG will be

[oledge]

Thanks for the input.  It was an all grain mash and it is now 8 days in (4 in primary).  I haven't taken a final yet, but there is no action what so ever.  I think I will just continue to let it clear a few days and keg it like it is.  It was just a whim that I had because we had some left over yeast from making root beer.

[majorvices]

My thoughts are that it will make a dry, crisp tasting beer with slightly higher alcohol content.  Anyone every try Champagne yeast in a low alcohol beer?  Any thoughts on how this might come out?

The idea that champagne yeast is higher attenuative than something like US-05 is a total misnomer. If anything, wine yeast is less adept at fermenting a maltose wort than a good ale yeast. Champagne yeast is good at tolerating higher alc. percentages, but it is not a super yeast. It won't eat more sugars than US-05 and can't chew on unfermentable dextrines any more than US-05 - maybe less.

It took me a long time to understand this - I tried to dry many a beer out with Champagne yeast with ZERO effects, several times.

Re: You unusually high FG for a blonde. Did you transfer the beer before it was finished fermenting? Or had it stalled when you transferred? Did you use a lot of crystal malt? Was this an extract brew? If you transferred early adding more yeast may help drive a few more points - I'd recommend pitching an active starter.

[majorvices]

My thoughts are that it will make a dry, crisp tasting beer with slightly higher alcohol content.  Anyone every try Champagne yeast in a low alcohol beer?  Any thoughts on how this might come out?

The idea that champagne yeast is higher attenuative than something like US-05 is a total misnomer. If anything, wine yeast is less adept at fermenting a maltose wort than a good ale yeast. Champagne yeast is good at tolerating higher alc. percentages, but it is not a super yeast. It won't eat more sugars than US-05 and can't chew on unfermentable dextrines any more than US-05 - maybe less. Wine yeast has been bred to east Fructose and in the case of wine it is highly attenuative because the must is highly fermentable - ie: there really aren't any unfermentable sugars. Giving wine yeast a maltose wort is like giving your dog cat food. Yeah, it will eat it. But it wasn't really meant too. 

It took me a long time to understand this - I tried to dry many a beer out with Champagne yeast with ZERO effects, several times.

Re: You unusually high FG for a blonde. Did you transfer the beer before it was finished fermenting? Or had it stalled when you transferred? Did you use a lot of crystal malt? Was this an extract brew? If you transferred early adding more yeast may help drive a few more points - I'd recommend pitching an active starter.

[babalu87]

Thanks for the input.  It was an all grain mash and it is now 8 days in (4 in primary).  I haven't taken a final yet, but there is no action what so ever.  I think I will just continue to let it clear a few days and keg it like it is.  It was just a whim that I had because we had some left over yeast from making root beer.
[/quote

What temp are you fermenting at?
When was it brewed?
What was your mash temp?