Augustiner: The Original Gangster
History of Augustiner
Augustiner is an incredibly useful yeast strain for brewing traditional German lagers and it’s rich Bavarian history is connected to the art of brewing as far back as the European Middle Ages.
Augustiner is used in brewing Munich Helles, German Pilsners, Bocks, Dunkels, and more. The strain was developed by Augustiner-Brau, a Munich based brewery which was established in 1328 within an Augustinian Monastery. In fact, these monks were among the first members of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences, founded nearly 435 years later. In 1880, along with his brewery in Munich, Joseph Wagner became the founding member of the Bavarian Brewers Association. Historically speaking, there are six main breweries in Munich and Augustiner-Brau is the most prolific.
Characteristics
According to Ray Daniels in Designing Great Beers, German yeast strains produce a smooth and soft overall impression while still providing a subtle complexity. Additionally, he notes that German (Munich) strains can be difficult in fermentation, adding that they may produce a hint of sulfur when fresh. These “Munich” strains bring out hop characteristics better than other Bavarian strains. Of these Munich strains, Augustiner is particularly known for its low diacetyl and sulfur production. This strain’s characteristics include attenuation that is approximately 72-74%, medium flocculation and a medium alcohol tolerance. Augustiner is typically accompanied by Hallertauer hops.
Augustiner is one of the most popular strains used in brewing today. BSI regularly offers it as an Express Yeast strain available for next day shipping for your convenience. Give it a try for your next German style lager!
Sources:
https://www.beer-analytics.com/yeasts/lager/bsi-augustiner-lager/
https://brewingscience.com/product/augustiner/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustiner-Bräu
Gaab, Jeffrey S. Munich: Hofbräuhaus & History: Beer, Culture, & Politics, January, 2006.
Daniels, Ray. Designing Great Beers: The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles. Brewers Publications, 2000.
Written by: David Pritchard, BSI Microtechnologist