Home Brew Yeast Guide — Which Yeast to Use and Why
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Choosing the Right Home Brew Yeast
Of all the ingredients that go into a homebrew, yeast has the greatest influence on the final flavour, aroma, and character of your beer or wine. Choosing the right yeast strain for your recipe is one of the most important decisions a homebrewer can make — and one of the most rewarding to get right. This guide walks you through the main types of homebrew yeast and which to choose for your brew.
Ale Yeast vs Lager Yeast
The fundamental split in beer yeast is between ale yeasts (top-fermenting, works best at 18–24°C) and lager yeasts (bottom-fermenting, works best at 8–14°C). Most home brewers start with ale yeasts because they ferment at room temperature and produce results more quickly. Lager yeasts produce the clean, crisp character of commercial lagers, but require cooler temperatures and longer conditioning times.
Recommended Ale Yeasts
For British ales, bitters, and milds, the Gervin GV12 Ale Yeast and Fermentis Safale S-04 are both outstanding choices — producing fruity, well-attenuated bitters with good flocculation. For American-style pale ales and IPAs, Fermentis Safale US-05 is the most widely used homebrew yeast in the world, producing a clean, neutral fermentation that lets your hops shine. For Belgian styles and wheat beers, look for a strain with high ester production for that classic banana and clove character.
Wine Yeasts
For home winemaking, the Lalvin range is the gold standard — used by professional winemakers worldwide. EC-1118 (Champagne yeast) is a powerful, neutral strain ideal for sparkling wines and high-gravity fermentations. 71B is perfect for rosés and fruit-forward young reds. D47 produces floral, citrus-driven whites ideal for Chardonnay-style wines. The Gervin range also offers an excellent selection of wine and cider yeasts for everyday brewing.
Turbo Yeasts
For high-strength alcohol washes and spirit production, Alcotec Turbo Yeast is the UK's favourite — capable of fermenting up to 14% ABV in as little as 48 hours with a complete nutrient package included. Browse the full homebrew yeast range at BrewCo UK and find the perfect strain for your next batch.