Fermentis | Safbrew™ LA-01 Low Alcohol & Non-Alcoholic | Dry Beer Yeast | 500 g

Crafting professional-grade low-alcohol or non-alcoholic beer (<0.5% ABV) just got easier. SafBrew LA-01 is a specialized Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. chevallieri strain developed specifically for the craft of non-alcoholic brewing.

Unlike standard brewer's yeast, this "maltose-negative" strain only ferments simple sugars (glucose, fructose, and sucrose), leaving complex malt sugars completely untouched. This unique attenuation profile naturally limits alcohol production while preserving the natural mouthfeel, body, and sweetness of the grain, bypassing the need for complex vacuum distillation equipment.

Key Characteristics & Benefits

• Maltose-Negative: Consumes only simple sugars, maintaining high residual extract for exceptional body.

• Flavor Preservation: Produces a clean, neutral aromatic profile with very subtle fruity notes, allowing your malts and hops to define the beer.

• POF Positive: Note on Phenolics: Unlike LA-02, LA-01 is a POF+ strain that naturally produces spicy, clove-like phenols, making it an ideal choice for authentic Belgian styles unless carefully managed during the mash.

• Superior Body: Successfully mimics the texture and mouthfeel of a standard 4% to 5% ABV beer in an ultra-low-alcohol environment.

• Controlled Kinetics: Ferments steadily until simple sugars are depleted, providing predictable and stable outcomes.

Ideal Applications

• Non-Alcoholic Beers: The industry standard for creating beers under 0.5% ABV without dealcoholization.

• Alcohol-Free IPAs: Provides the necessary body and residual sweetness to balance heavy hop rates in non-alcoholic hop-forward styles.

• Low-Alcohol Ales & Small Beers: Excellent for ultra-light ales where flavor density is still required despite low gravity.

• Malt Beverages: Ideal for crafting lightly fermented malt drinks with a sophisticated, beer-like palate.

Flavor Profile

• Clean & Neutral: A low ester profile serving as a crisp canvas for specialty malts and late-addition hops.

• Malty Sweetness: High residual maltose levels provide a natural, cereal-like sweetness and a rounder palate.

• Balanced Textures: Recreates the mouthfeel of a traditional beer without heavy, cloying esters.

Critical Technical Notes

• Pasteurization Requirement (Mandatory): Because the beer contains high levels of unfermented complex sugars (maltose), it must be pasteurized after packaging to prevent spoilage, unwanted secondary fermentation, and package bursting.

• Gravity Management: Monitor initial sugar levels (simple sugars vs. maltose) carefully to ensure the final ABV remains strictly within the desired <0.5% limit.

• Not for Propagation: As with similar NA strains, this yeast is not suitable for cropping, propagation, or repitching.

Usage & Fermentation Specs

• Fermentation Temperature: Performs optimally between 50°F and 77°F (10°C–25°C).

• Pitching Rate: Standard dosage is 50 to 80 g/hL (approximately 1.9 to 3 grams per gallon) to ensure a healthy yeast population.

• Rehydration Instructions:

  1. Sprinkle the yeast into at least 10 times its weight of sterile water or hopped wort at 77°F–84°F (25°C–29°C).

  2. Let rest for 15 to 30 minutes.

  3. Stir gently and pitch the resulting cream directly into the fermentation vessel.