CellarScience - Homebrewing Dry Yeast Overview

In a recent YouTube video, KegLand had a quick demonstration and run through of the relatively new range of yeasts from CellarScience. This certainly piqued our interest as we're excited by new yeast varieties, particularly dry yeast, as they potentially open up whole new flavour and recipe options to create and hone our favourite beers. In this post, we're going to dig in to see what this Cellar Science yeast is all about.

Who Is Cellar Science?

CellarScience is a company operating under MoreFlavor Inc - the parent company of the popular MoreBeer brand. They claim to specialise in providing high-quality dry yeast and fermentation products for home and professional breweries.

Their product lines include;

• Beer Yeast
• Wine Yeast
• Yeast Nutrients
• Beer Additives
• Wine Additives
• Equipment

They are leading what they are dubbing the "Dry Yeast Revolution" - offering yeast that can be pitched directly into the wort without rehydration or oxygenation and can be stored and shipped at room temperature. Hardly revolutionary in our opinion, since almost all dry yeast varieties boast similar traits these days, but what is arguably revolutionary is their pricing which we'll get to a bit later.

CellarScience claim to be behind several GABF award-winning beers, and are being used by over 400 commercial breweries.

Why Dry Yeast

When it comes to yeast varieties used for brewing, and in particular, homebrewing, we're big advocates of dry beer yeast. It offers several advantages over liquid yeast, such as;

• Cheaper
• Does not require wort to be oxygenated prior to pitching
• Easier to ship
• Can be stored/transported at room temperature
• Longer shelf life

To be fair, we'll admit we've never actually made a beer ourselves using liquid yeast. We just simply haven't felt the need to. It's significantly more expensive, which is hard to justify, especially when we're getting great results and making award-winning beers using dry yeast. It's also not particularly accessible for us, since our local homebrew stores don't stock liquid yeast, so we'd need to pay to have it shipped, which adds even more cost as you really need to ship it with cool packs to stop it from spoiling in transit.

CellarScience are reasonably new to the game, having only popped up in the past year or two, or at least that's when videos starting appearing about their products on YouTube.

CellarScience Beer Yeast Varieties

Arguably, the core business of CellarScience is dry yeast for brewing beer, so that's what we'll be focusing on in this article. The CellarScience website currently lists 15 yeast strains under their Dry Beer Yeast section which are all outlined below.

The CellarScience strains are apparently propagated from some world famous yeast varieties which we've outlined for each strain listed below.

A Note on Beer Yeast Characteristics

Here's a bit more information on some of the characteristics outlined for each yeast variety to help you better understand the specifications for each strain;

• H2S Production: This refers to the production of Hydrogen Sulfilde, a colorless gas with a distinct "rotten egg" odor. This is a reasonably common byproduct of some lager yeast varieties.

• POF: This stands for Phenolic Off Flavour. Brewing strains that are POF+ are able to produce the clove-like phenolic compound, 4-vinylguaiacol, and is commonly found in styles like German Hefeweizen and some Belgian styles.

• STA-1: Yeast strains are classified as Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus if they carry the STA-1 gene. This makes them a variant of the more common Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The STA-1 gene produces glucoamalayse which can break down complex carbohydrates into fermentable sugars and lead to a drier, or potentially over-attenuated beer.

CALI Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience CALI Dry Beer Yeast Packet

CellarScience Description

The classic American ale strain. Famous for its clean, neutral flavor and its ability to be used in any style. Emphasizes malt and hops. Attenuates well.

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• Fermentation Temperature Range: 59–72°F/15–22°C
• Flocculation & Sedimentation: Medium
• H2S Production: Low
• Apparent Attenuation: 75–84%
• Alcohol Tolerance: 10–11% ABV
• POF: Negative
• STA-1: Negative

Beer Styles

• Pale Ale
• IPA
• Porter
• Blonde Ale

Descriptors

• Clean
• Low Diacetyl
• Crisp

Parent Strain

• Fermentis SafAle US-05

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• Lallemand American West Coast - BRY-97
• White Labs WLPD001 California Ale

Notes

This strain is propagated from the parent strain of Fermentis SafAle US-05, a variety that we've used many times before. It's CellarScience's Chico yeast strain, a famous strain used around the world, well known for its robust fermentation, high attenuation and providing a clean, neutral flavour. Most commonly used in Pale Ales and IPAs.

ENGLISH Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience ENGLISH Dry Beer Yeast Packet

CellarScience Description

A rapid fermenting English ale strain that is loved for its clean flavor, neutral aroma and dry finish. This yeast settles quickly and forms a compact sediment. 

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• Fermentation Temperature Range: 61–70°F/16–21°C
• Flocculation & Sedimentation: Very High
• H2S Production: Low
• Apparent Attenuation: 75–83%
• Alcohol Tolerance: 12% ABV
• POF: Negative
• STA-1: Negative

Beer Styles

• English Ales
• American Ales
• Stouts & Porters
• Hoppy styles

Descriptors

• Fruity
• Floral
• Hoppy

Parent Strain

• Fermentis SafAle S-04

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• Lallemand Nottingham
• Lallemand Windsor
• White Labs WLP002 English Ale

Notes

Every yeast manufacturer needs a flagship English ale yeast. English yeast varieties like this don't attenuate as much as other ale strains like the aforementioned CALI strain, leaving a little more residual sweetness in the beer, and imparting more esters to give a more fruity and floral flavour profile. Any English-style Ale like a pale ale or even IPA would suit this yeast very well.

BAJA Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience BAJA Dry Beer Yeast Packet

CellarScience Description

If you're looking for a cold fermenting yeast with a neutral character, BAJA is the perfect candidate. First developed and popularized by the Modelo Group, this Mexican yeast strain will produce clean, crisp lagers with a dry finish. With the balanced expression of malt and hops, BAJA will become your go-to yeast for fermenting Mexican-style light lagers, dark lagers, and cold IPAs.

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces pastorianus
• Fermentation Temperature Range: 50–56°F/10–13°C
• Flocculation & Sedimentation: Medium to High
• H2S Production: Low
• Apparent Attenuation: 75–85%
• Alcohol Tolerance: 10–11% ABV
• POF: Negative
• STA-1: Negative

Beer Styles

• Mexican Lager
• Cold IPA
  
• International Pale Lager
• American Light Lager

Descriptors

• Clean
• Crisp
• Dry
• Bright
• Crushable

Parent Strain

• White Labs WLP940

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• Omega OYL-113

Notes

We're pretty excited about this particular yeast variety, as we've made a couple of Mexican Lager's which have turned out great, but would love to make another using a yeast variety specially designed for this beer style. There aren't many (if any) dry yeast options designed specifically for Mexican Lager's, and this one is derived from the parent strain of White Labs WLP940. Something like this might get us all one step closer to making something like the world-famous Corona at home.

HAZY Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience HAZY Dry Beer Yeast Packet

CellarScience Description

For hop-forward beer styles that you want bursting with tropical, fruity flavors and aromas, you can't go wrong fermenting with HAZY. HAZY will enhance the fruit-forward 'juicy' character of your hops while contributing its own ester profile with notes of peach, citrus, mango and passionfruit. It will be more expressive the higher in its temperature range you let it go, leaving your beer with a hazy appearance when its finished. This is the ideal strain for fermenting expressive New England IPAs or Hazy Pale Ales.

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• Fermentation Temperature Range: 62–75°F/17–24°C
• Flocculation & Sedimentation: Medium to Low
• H2S Production: Low
• Apparent Attenuation: 75–80%
• Alcohol Tolerance: 11–12% ABV
• POF: Negative
• STA-1: Negative

Beer Styles

• Hazy IPA
• New England IPA
• Hazy Pale Ale

Descriptors

• Stonefruit
• Citrus
• Hoppy

Parent Strain

• White Labs WLP066 London Fog

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• Lallemand Pomona
• Lallemand New England - American East Coast Ale 
• Lallemand Verdant IPA

Notes

Hazy beers are all the rage at the moment, so it's great to have another yeast option available, especially in dried format. Lallemand recently released their dedicated hazy strain, Pomona, so add this one into the mix as well. CellarScience's HAZY is propagated from the parent strain of White Labs London Fog WLP066, so expect heaps of fruity esters to complement the hops, especially if fermented at the upper limit of the temperature range, and loads of biotransformation potential as well.

VOSS Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience VOSS Dry Beer Yeast Packet

CellarScience Description

Traditional farmhouse yeast from Voss, Norway. This kveik yeast strain ferments quickly at higher temperatures with superb flocculation. Produces a clean flavor profile with hints of orange peel & citrus.

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• Fermentation Temperature Range: 68–104°F/20–40°C
• Flocculation & Sedimentation: Medium to High
• H2S Production: Low
• Apparent Attenuation: 75–80%
• Alcohol Tolerance: 16% ABV
• POF: Negative
• STA-1: Negative

Beer Styles

• Pale Ale
• IPA
• Stout
• Versatile

Descriptors

• Notes of Orange
• Fast Fermenting
• High Temperature Tolerance

Parent Strain

• Kveik Voss

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• Lallemand Voss Kveik
• Mangrove Jack's M12
• Omega Lutra Kveik

Notes

We haven't used Voss Kveik strains ourselves, but this farmhouse strain is known for it's super fast fermentation time, and ability to ferment at warmer temperatures - up to 40°C! A great option for homebrewers lacking fermentation temperature control options. It can be used to great a vast variety of beers.

HORNINDAL Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience Description

Traditional farmhouse yeast from Hornindal, Norway. This kveik yeast strain ferments quickly at higher temperatures with superb flocculation. Produces a consistent flavor profile with prominent stone fruit & tropical fruit notes.

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• Fermentation Temperature Range: 73–98°F/23–37°C
• Flocculation & Sedimentation: Medium to High
• Alcohol Tolerance: 14% ABV
• STA-1: Negative
• H2S Production: Low

Beer Styles

• NEIPA
• Hazy IPA
• IPA
• Pale Ale
• Stout
• Porter

Descriptors

• Tropical
• Juicy
• Fast Fermenting
• Temperature Tolerant

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• Lallemand Voss Kveik
• Mangrove Jack's M12
• Omega Lutra Kveik

Notes

We're not sure exactly where this one fits into the product range, as it appears quite similar in it's characteristics to the VOSS strain. It does however claim to feature prominent stone and tropical fruit notes meaning it could be a better alternative than VOSS for hop-forward styles like hazy IPA, and tropical pale ales. With a high temperature tolerance range, it's another great option for homebrewers without fermentation temperature control.

KOLSCH Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience Description

A classic yeast strain for Kölsch & Altbier beer styles. This German top fermenting yeast strain produces a clean, neutral ester profile that allows the finished beer to better express noble hops & malt character. Finishes dry with low levels of diacetyl and faint notes of pear, citrus, apple and plum.

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• Fermentation Temperature Range: 60–73°F/16–23°C
• Flocculation & Sedimentation: Medium
• H2S Production: Low
• Apparent Attenuation: 75–80%
• Alcohol Tolerance: 10–11% ABV
• POF: Negative
• STA-1: Negative

Beer Styles

• Kolsch
• Altbier
• Belgian Wit
• Session Beers

Descriptors

• Clean
• Dry
• Subtle Fruit Notes

Parent Strain

• Fermentis SafLager K-97

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• Fermentis SafLager S-23
• Lallemand Koln
• White Labs WLP 029

Notes

One of the few styles of beer we haven't attempted making ourselves yet, this one looks like a solid option for making your best Kolsch beer at home.

MONK Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience MONK Dry Beer Yeast Packet

CellarScience Description

A classic Belgian ale strain renowned for producing clean, yet complex, beers. Perfect for Belgian-style Blondes and Pales or Abbey-style Dubbels, Trippels, and Quads. A clean strain that will still impart some delicate dried fruit notes and restrained phenolics

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces pastorianus
• Fermentation Temperature Range: 62–77°F/16–25°C
• Flocculation & Sedimentation: Medium
• H2S Production: Low
• Apparent Attenuation: 75–85%
• Alcohol Tolerance: 12% ABV
• POF: Negative
• STA-1: Negative

Beer Styles

• Belgian Dark Ales
• Strong Ales
• Barleywine
• Belgian Ales

Descriptors

• Clean & Malty
• Dried Fruit
• High Gravity
• High Temperature Tolerance

Parent Strain

• Wyeast Belgian Abbey II 1762

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• Fermentis SafBrew T-58 Belgian Ale
• Mangrove Jack's M41
• Lallemand Abbaye

Notes

This looks like an excellent strain to use to create Belgian-style ales with a relatively clean flavour profile. This strain also features decent temperature and alcohol tolerance, allowing the malt and ethanol character to shine through.

SAISON Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience SAISON Dry Beer Yeast Packet

CellarScience Description

Ferment delicious Saisons with hints of fruit and citrus plus all the classic spicy phenolic flavors. SAISON ferments very dry but leaves behind a beer with a soft malt body and rich mouthfeel.

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. diastaticus
• Fermentation Range: 62–75°F/17–24°C
• Flocculation & Sedimentation: Low
• H2S Production: Low
• Apparent Attenuation: Up to 95%
• Alcohol Tolerance: 12% ABV
• POF: Positive
• STA-1: Positive

Beer Styles

• Farmhouse Ales
• Saison
• Belgian Ales
• Biere de Garde

Descriptors

• Spice
• Peppery
• Citrus
• High Attenuation

Parent Strain

• Wyeast French Saison 3711

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• Fermentis SafAle BE-134
• Mangrove Jack's M29
• Lallemand Belle Saison

Notes

Saisons are famous for their unique, spicy character so using the right yeast to make your own is critical. CellarScience's SAISON strain is STA-1 positive, meaning it features the STA-1 gene making it fall under the diastaticus variant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The 95% expected attenuation rate is evidence of this, and the dry finish this would provide is exactly what you'd expect in a Saison.

NECTAR Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience NECTAR Dry Beer Yeast Packet

CellarScience Description

A fun, unique yeast with a UK pedigree that emphasizes fresh malt flavor while producing fruity, citrus and floral flavors. Perfect for Pale Ales and IPA's. 

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
• Fermentation Range: 63–72°F/18–22°C
• Flocculation & Sedimentation: Medium
• H2S Production: Low
• Apparent Attenuation: 75–80%
• Alcohol Tolerance: 12% ABV
• POF: Negative
• STA-1: Negative

Beer Styles

• IPA
• Pale Ale
• Hop forward styles

Descriptors

• Very fruity
• Fast Fermenting
• High Attenuation

Parent Strain

• N/A (Unique)

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• Lallemand Verdant IPA

Notes

In our opinion this is one of the more interesting yeast varieties available in the Cellar Science range. NECTAR is one of the few strains that hasn't been propagated from a well known parent strain.  Looking at the information provided above by Cellar Science, we've got a strain with UK origins that has likely mutated to eventually provide favourable characteristics for modern, hop-forward beer styles. Expect some nice fruity esters and strong hop biotransformation power from this one. We're definitely adding this one to our list of strains to try.

GERMAN Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience GERMAN Dry Beer Yeast Packet

CellarScience Description

The classic lager strain from Weihenstephan Germany that has been used for generations to produce clean, balanced lagers from pilsners to doppelbocks.

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces pastorianus
• Fermentation Range: 50–59°F/10–15°C
• Flocculation & Sedimentation: High
• H2S Production: Low
• Apparent Attenuation: 78–85%
• Alcohol Tolerance: 9–10% ABV
• POF: Negative
• STA-1: Negative

Beer Styles

• Lager
• Marzen
• Bocks
• Pilsner

Descriptors

• Clean
• Balanced
• Floral
• Subtle Fruit Notes

Parent Strain

• Fermentis SafLager W-34/70

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• Mangrove Jack's M84 Bohemian Lager
• Mangrove Jack's M76 Bavarian Lager 
• Lallemand Diamond Lager
• White Labs WLP830 German Lager

Notes

CellarScience GERMAN is originally from the well known W-34/70 strain, which is our go-to yeast for lagers. We love it's clean and neutral flavour profile that really lays the platform for excellent lagers, so this is another one we'll definitely be trying. W-34/70 can be quite pricy, so we're excited to have a cheaper option available, especially when needing to pitch 2 packets for a single batch.

BERLIN Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience BERLIN Dry Beer Yeast Packet

CellarScience Description

A popular yeast strain with a Berlin lineage that is famous for producing amazing lagers with soft malt character and balanced esters. 

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces pastorianus
• Fermentation Temperature Range: 50–59°F/10–15°C
• Flocculation & Sedimentation: High
• H2S Production: Low
• Apparent Attenuation: 75–85%
• Alcohol Tolerance: 10–11% ABV
• POF: Negative
• STA-1: Negative

Beer Styles

• California Common
• Fruity Lager
• Marzen

Descriptors

• Fruity
• Estery
• High Flocculation
• High Attenuation

Parent Strain

• Fermentis SafLager S-23
• Lallemand NovaLager

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• 
  

Notes

Propagated from SafLager S-23, BERLIN would be considered a versatile lager strain that could be used to make a wide range of lager styles. It looks like it does impart some fruity characteristics (esters), so not one to use if you're after a clean and neutral flavour profile, so if you're looking for a little more fruitiness in your new-world lager, this would be the one to try.

ACID Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience Description

Sour your beer directly in the fermenter with this naturally selected, GMO-free yeast strain. Once the desired pH level is reached, pitch your primary yeast strain to ensure the completion of alcoholic fermentation. Consistent, repeatable results without the need for kettle souring.

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Lachancea thermotolerans
• Fermentation Range: 66–77°F/19–25°C
• Very low production of volatile acidity
• Apparent Attenuation: 75–80%
• Flocculation: High
• H2S Production: Low
• Alcohol Tolerance: 9% ABV
• POF: Negative
• STA-1: Negative

Beer Styles

• Sours
• Goses
• Berliner Weisse
• Lambics

Descriptors

• Sour
• Red Apple
• Peach
• Produces Lactic Acid

Parent Strain

• Lallemand Wildbrew Philly Sour

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• Lallemand Wildbrew Philly Sour

Notes

Philly Sour is a relatively new yeast on the market, and is unique in it's ability to produce lactic acid during primary fermentation which negates the need for traditional kettle souring options. ACID has been propagated from the same parent strain as Philly Sour, making it a convenient option for all types of sour beers like fruited sours and Goses. What's great about these strains is you're not introducing a dedicated bacteria for souring like Lactobacillus which can be difficult to remove from brewing equipment.

ORIGIN Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience Description

Our motto is to Empower Your Creative Vision. Origin is a unique style of yeast used to create a neutral alcoholic base that acts as the Origin upon which you layer other flavors. Perfect for Hard Seltzers, Canned Cocktails, and whatever else you can dream up. Also great for neutral washes designed for distillation and tough to ferment honey-based mead fermentations.

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• Fermentation Temperature Range: 65–80°F/18–27°C
• H2S Production: Very Low
• Alcohol Tolerance: 13–15% ABV
• STA-1: Negative

Beer Styles

• Hard Seltzer
• Distillation washes

Descriptors

• Clean
• Neutral
• Fast fermenting

Notes

This one arguably isn't really a beer brewing yeast, because as you can see from Cellar Science's own description, it's designed for making alcohol bases for things like a distillation wash or a hard seltzer. Expect a fast fermentation time and minimal flavour impact from fermentation.

PRIME Dry Beer Yeast

CellarScience Description

Developed specifically for bottle conditioning. PRIME has a high alcohol tolerance, neutral flavor, ferments quickly, and has excellent flocculation to form a compact sediment at the bottom of the bottle, keg, or barrel.

Characteristics

• Yeast Strain: Saccharomyces cerevisiae
• Fermentation Temperature Range: 53–77°F/12–25°C
• Flocculation & Sedimentation: Very High
• Apparent Attenuation: 95–100%

Beer Styles

• Any style requiring bottle conditioning

Equivalent Yeast Varieties

• Lallemand LalBrew CBC-1

Notes

As the name suggests, PRIME is a bottle conditioning yeast designed to prime bottles by consuming a small amount of sugar added during bottling. This causes a mini fermentation to occur which creates CO2 that is reabsorbed into the beer for carbonation. A neutral flavour and fast fermentation is what you're after here and what PRIME claims to deliver.

How Much Does CellarScience Yeast Cost?

Now this is where it gets particularly interesting, because CellarScience has come in at a serious sharp price point. In Australia, KegLand are selling all 12g packets of CellarScience dry yeast for AU$4.55 - more than half the price of most other yeast varieties. The savings add up pretty quickly, especially when you look at lager yeasts that typically require 2 or more packets to be pitched to meet the recommended cell count, so this is something pretty revolutionary in our opinion. 

All CellarScience yeasts are selling for AU$4.55 from KegLand

Especially because we have no reason to doubt the quality of the products here. As we've covered above, almost all of their yeast strains have been propagated from world-famous and widely used yeast strains - which begs the question as to how they're able to sell it so cheap?

Where to Buy CellarScience Yeast?

KegLand have just announced themselves as the Australian Distributor for CellarScience - so the KegLand website is the best place to get it, at least if you're located within Australia.
As we mentioned previously, Cellar Science is part of the MoreBeer family, so the MoreBeer website or any other MoreBeer partners/distributors around the world would more than likely be stocking CellarScience yeast.

Conclusion

It's certainly an exciting time in the homebrewing industry at the moment, with new yeast varieties being released more frequently. It's also great to see companies like CellarScience coming in and shaking things up with new dried yeast varieties like the BAJA Mexican Lager strain, along with some seriously competitive pricing. 

Will this lead to a price reduction for other popular dry yeasts strains? We'd like to think so, but only time will tell. One thing is for sure though, and that is we will be giving a few of these CellarScience yeast strains a try to see for ourselves how they perform - and we'll of course share our own results and experiences in due course.

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