On Thu, 19 Apr 2007 01:45:54 +0000, Dick Adams wrote:
[color=blue]
> Champagne yeast will start eating the unfermented sugars, raise
> the ABV, and put a hell of a lot of CO2 into the bottle.
>
> Nothing like lighting the fuse on a bottle bomb![/color]

If you allow enough time for the beer to completely finish fermenting, and
only then add the priming sugar before bottling, there should be no
problems with bottle bombs. I generally allow several days in the primary
fermenter, and the balance of two weeks in the secondary (or just 2 weeks
in a single-stage fermenter), then bottle, but that only works well with
ales. Use of a hydrometer is recommended for beginners to see if there is
any change in final gravity readings over a 3 day period (to make sure
fermentation is complete).

Champagne yeast will allow you to make a higher
alcohol beer, but at some point the overall balance of the beer flavors go
too far toward an alcohol bite (that some people like, however). It also
tends to ferment rather dry and is a quick starter, which might be useful
to some people.

Personally, I would prefer to stick with regular ale yeasts, and you can
get some decent dry yeasts for very little cost.